old friends

I drove down to Pennsylvania for the night to visit a couple of my oldest and dearest friends a couple of days ago. The circumstances of the visit were not great, as one had recently lost her father and was visiting his hometown for the service.

A few of observations:

1. I am not ready to lose my folks. Besides the emotional pain of the situation, there are so many loose ends to take care of. It sounded like gut-wrenching experience.

2. Old friends are the best. We picked up like we never left off, even though the last time I saw them was a couple of years ago. They know me so well. It was awesome to catch up.

3. I can still drink a bunch of Miller Lite but the hangovers are brutal.

Headed to Charlotte for a conference this week. Excited.

grand opening

Had a nice little party last night to open the sports bar. A dozen people came over to see the wonder that is my basement. The event went from 5 p.m.-5 a.m. so I am declaring it a success.

aggrevation

Ever have one of those days? This is one. Luckily I only have one more before getting out of Connecticut for a few days. Thanks goodness.

P.S. Tigers in first

My Tiger

OK, so the Tigers have had a little slogan for years. It asks: Who's Your Tiger?

A few years back my Tiger was Nate Robertson, not so much because he could play baseball but because he started a superstition in late innings where he and his teammates chewed gum if the team was behind. Like wearing the rally cap, it was supposed to help them come back.

After Robertson, I joked that my Tiger was Gerald Laird. But, let's face it, he sucked. And that's why he is the backup catcher for the Cardinals now.

My Tiger these days in Justin Verlander. He had a no-hitter into the eighth tonight. He already has two no-hitters in his career. Verlander rules -- my first winning Tiger.

free stuff

So about five years ago I started doing the Coke rewards program -- you collect points from Coke products, let them build up and then buy things.

People at both of the jobs that I have worked at during this time, at The Detroit News and ESPN, give me their Coke bottle tops. But the also make fun of me for collecting.

Well, today I acquired a free waffle iron for 1,750 points. Make fun of that -- waffles are delicious.

Coke sucks

No, not that Coke, Phil Coke. The lefty came over to the Tigers from the Yankees in the Curtis Granderson deal. Sometimes -- as in the third inning tonight -- I wonder if he thinks he is throwing batting practice.

Just saying.

sports bar

The grand opening of my dream sports bar is next Friday -- in my basement. I have long dreamed about this space, which is filled with all the memorabilia I have collected over years as a sports journalist and fan.

Erin, not surprisingly, has really helped me make the place awesome. Above is a pic of our decoupaged coffee table. It is covered with press passes, tickets and photos from the past 20 years.

I know she will kill me if she reads this -- but she doesn't usually read the blog. Erin is amazing. She really has an eye for design. Plus she is thoughtful -- she saved almost all the stuff on the table over the years.

Anyway, I love it and her.

a new era

While I slept in on Memorial Day, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was resigning. He lied to the NCAA about his knowledge of Buckeye players getting extra benefits. They were trading Big Ten title rings for things like tattoos and pot. Not good.

I didn't think Tressel would survive the fallout of the investigation but now Ohio State will spend a season in limbo before hiring a permanent replacement for The Sweater Vest.

This opens the door for the rest of the Big Ten in football. Iowa is young this year, so a title isn't likely. Here's hoping Bucky Badger can step up. I cannot stand our conference newest addition -- the Nebraska Cornhuskers. If they win a title their first year in, no telling what measures will have to be taken.