Isn't life funny, Mark Messner thought. He held a spoonful of malted shake up to his father's lips, which were black and peeling, burned from the chemotherapy. "Here you go, Dad," he said. His father rolled his eyes and made a "mmm" sound, like a child. Mark smiled, pulled the spoon out and dug it back into the cup.
First of all, Barry Sanders doesn't mind dancing. As long as someone else is doing it. Sure, when he scores a touchdown, he hands the ball to the referee like a mailman delivering a phone bill. But he isn't bothered by those who prefer a wiggle or a shake. "Hey, I used to love Billy (White Shoes) Johnson, and the Washington Smurfs and all," he says, looking down at his hands. "It's just . . . not me."
OK. I'm on the bandwagon.I walked into the Lions' locker room this week after practice and was barraged by "Look who it is!" "Hey, didn't you pick us to lose to Chicago?" "Uh-huh. Uh-huh." They strutted past. They pointed at me and laughed.You know what you call that?Cockiness.I haven't seen that with the Lions in years.And that's what has been missing.Of course, I wouldn't mind if they took it out on the opposing team instead of me, but. . . .
Give the gift of reading. That's what we say around here. And with only two weeks until Christmas, you'd better get moving to catch these brand new sports books, hot off the presses for the holiday season:* "BETCHA FIVE BUCKS THAT CAKE DON'T RISE" -- The Pete Rose Cookbook.
Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.
