“A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject” – Winston Churchill

I am from Louisiana. I am not ashamed of that. I know Louisiana takes a beating in all kinds of rankings. I've lived in Texas since October of 1969, but, I am still, at heart, a Louisiana boy. Yes. I did watch The Game. In its entirety which is rare for me to be up that late. And, yes, I did pull for LSU and yes, I am glad they won the national championship. Yet, on this day, Wednesday, January 15, 2020, I am very aware of the reality of how these types of athletic competitions work. It is an assembly process of bringing together players from Louisiana and all other places as well. You can call the winning quarterback Joe Burrow, Joe Bureaux all you want but you are not going to make him a native Louisianian, no matter how hard you try. I'm not knocking how it works because it works that way for all professional sports activities. Yes, I am including college football in that statement because whether the players are paid or not, the money, as our President might say, is HUGE! I do not believe for a second this win will suddenly change the reality of all the areas Louisiana needs to improve. I enjoyed the game and I did huff and puff and do my best to vicariously try to help them get a first down or make another score. I'm also not knocking the potential for the good vibe that will make all LSU supporters feel better. That, based on my experience, will be fleeting. Appreciated, yes, but fleeting. According to some of my friends on Facebook, this win is one of the highlights of their lives. Really? What does the old country song tell us? We just might be "Looking for love in all the wrong places." Just another dose of 'The View From Here'.

Don't get the wrong idea. I am not calling anyone out and I do not intend to rain on anyone's parade. I am just giving you my take on why 'all things in moderation' might be a choice in adding some perspective to the situation. And, yes, some of you might remember we, as a family, did get all caught up in the 'Luv ya Blue' days when the Houston Oilers were contending for a national championship. I can see in my mind's eye a photo of the wife and I and our three boys dressed in Houston Oilers gear. And, yes, we were ardent fans of Coach Bum Philips and running back Earl Campbell. It was good to see Earl recognized as one of the greatest college football players of all time during the halftime of Monday night's championship game. I did mention to the wife how sad it is to see Earl as crippled up as he is today. His years of playing did cost him something. There's actually quite a lot of research analyzing sports fandom. The Psychology Today website has several articles available on this subject. Essentially, identifying with teams, according to research, meets various psychological needs. Look it up. Interesting stuff. Or, don't. Enjoy whatever level of interest you have to its fullest. That's what I am going to do, more or less, with varying amounts of moderation.

Here's a word of warning for everyone. Always save your work. I had finished today's edition yesterday, but, I woke up this morning and the last paragraph was missing. Worse still is the fact that I do not have a clue what the lost one said. I know I made some type of transition from the sports stuff into something else, but, here I am with Mr. Bentley at my feet scrambling to come up with a closing word. I do know how disappointed I was in the findings that showed the Houston Astros had participated in elaborate cheating involving the electronic recording of opponents' signs, called sign stealing. This taints the success of this championship-winning franchise and it further erodes respect for the team itself and even the game. I know the popular idiom, 'if you're not cheating, you're not trying'. I've heard that spoken as a joke from NASCAR to little league. Some try to make it less by calling it, living on the edge or pushing the envelope. How about it is wrongdoing and a breaking of the rules that others are living by? Like I say, a sad day for those who have supported the Houston Astros. I think firing those involved is appropriate, however, the players were the recipients of this wrongdoing and had to know what was going on. That makes this even sadder. To me. It does. It really does. But, life goes on. Have a great rest of the day and may God add His blessings. Amen. ....More later.