GIVING THEM A FINGER

Did you hear about this? -- Trevor Wikre (wick-ree), a senior offensive tackle at Mesa State University in Grand Junction (an NAIA school), got his pinkie finger caught in a teammate's shoulder pads at practice last week and the finger was so badly broken that team doctors told him he would miss the rest of the season. Unless, of course, he had the pinkie amputated.

So that's what he did!! Wikre had the pinkie amputated this week and he should be able to play in two weeks when Mesa State hosts conference co-leaders Chadron State. Wikre opted for the amputation because he'd used up his redshirt and didn't want to miss the rest of college career, which was all he would have since as a 6' 3", 280 pound offensive lineman from a small college there's pretty much no chance he would ever play in the NFL.

But still...dude had his pinkie cut off so he could play FOOTBALL!! What would I be willing to cut off for something I love? Pretty much anything for Tracy I guess (I said, "pretty much".) I might be willing to lose a pinkie for a six-figure screenwriting deal, but then again that does make it a lot harder to type. It definitely makes me think. That's dedication, Holmes...or something.

Debate This

So who won the debate last night? I hate the question. Pundits try to handicap winners and losers as if every debate is a race in the Triple Crown. Which horse won? The debates aren't the point. They are dog-and-pony shows staged for the benefit of a fickle public and fawning press that lives from one 24-hour news cycle to the next. Much of substance is brought up in the debates, but rarely are the topics discussed in depth with any specifics.

But since I brought it up, I do think Obama "won" the debate--and the majority of viewers seem to agree with this assessment. By playing the cool statesman to McCain's grumpy old man, Obama can't help but to appear more presidential, more of a statesman, more of the "safe" steady hand that America needs on the verge of what may be one of it's darkest hours. For McCain, the clock is ticking and he's starting to pull up lame.

Peace.