Dreaming of a $500 million jackpot. A dog rescue story that may have you crying. And a really ambitious “News Mob” project

I have to start Good News Friday with this. I warn you, you might want to get a Kleenex or seven. This is the beautiful story of a blind, abandoned dog named Fiona, who was discovered in terrible shape in Los Angeles by the Hope for Paws organization. Fiona is very scared when she’s found, but watch her transformation as Hope for Paws takes her home, gives her a great bath and lots of hugs, and finds her a new home.
Just beautiful…

**And now, how about some thoughts about becoming rich beyond your wildest dreams?

Like many of you, I’m sure, I bought a ticket for the MegaMillions lottery jackpot tonight. I purchased $10 worth of numbers for a chance to win 540 million dollars.
I can’t even conceive of that number: 540 million. It’s beyond anyone’s conception. Even if you shared that much money with nine other winners, that’s still 54 million dollars each.

I used to play the lottery a lot when I was younger; I remember how excited I was when I turned 18 and could finally play the New York Lottery. I played birthdays and favorite Yankee and Ranger numbers (Mark Messier’s No. 11 and Don Mattingly’s No. 23 were always among my six digits picked).

Nobody I know has ever won, but when I was a kid my great-uncle, Al Horowitz, once got five of six numbers right, and missed the winning combo by one digit. As in, the last number may have been 15, and he picked 16. I can’t imagine the agony of coming that close.

They say you have a 1 in 176 million chance of winning. Hasn’t stopped me from fantasizing about what I’d do if I won. The best “what I’d do with the money” story I’ve heard this week comes from a teacher in the NYC middle school I’m student-teaching at. She doesn’t want to retire right away if she wins, she said. No, here’s what she wants.
“I want to buy this school, make myself principal for one year, and run this place exactly how I want to run it, just to see what happens.”
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

**Finally, this last story qualifies as good news if you love the Los Angeles Angels baseball team, or if you still love newspapers who take some chances and try something new.

The Orange County Register newspaper has noticed a major uptick in interest in the Angels this offseason, thanks to the signing of some dude named Pujols. So for 24 hours on Opening Day, they’re creating the world’s first “news mob” at the game.

They’re assigning 100 reporters, photographers, videographers, etc. to constantly upload video, post on Facebook, Tweet, and write blogs and stories about the Angels and the first game of the year.

It’s either brilliant or an incredible waste of resources (hope there’s no major crime in L.A. that day, because the O.C. Register won’t be there to cover it!)

Still, I love the outside-the-box thinking here.

20 years later, a great book about the Laettner shot. A brilliant solution to the peanut-butter jar problem. And “The Wire” vs. “The Sopranos” an impossible decision

Twenty years later, I can still remember where I was when Christian Laettner hit “The Shot.”

Lying on the floor of my then-stepmother’s basement in Queens, N.Y., watching the greatest game ever played and rooting like hell for Duke to beat Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA regional finals in Philly.
It looked good for the Blue Devils for a while. Then, not so good. When Sean Woods hit that crazy running bank shot to put Kentucky ahead with 2.1 seconds to go, I cursed and couldn’t believe that a team of “rejects” who nobody else wanted when UK basketball went down in controversy after a cheating scandal was about to beat the defending national champs that I loved so much.

Then Grant Hill threw a beautiful pass, Laettner caught it, and the rest is history.

It was 20 years ago Wednesday, and it capped what is almost-universally acclaimed as the greatest college hoops game of all time. I got to relive a lot of it recently through Gene Wojciechowski’s fantastic new book “The Last Great Game.”
A longtime newspaper sportswriter, Woj does a terrific job telling the backstories of how Duke and Kentucky got to the game. So much of it is fascinating: How Rick Pitino never wanted to leave the Knicks and come to UK after the program was destroyed by scandal. How Laettner was an even bigger jerk than we thought, tormenting teammates and being an incredible pain in the ass to everyone. How those UK players (which featured only one future NBA player, Jamal Mashburn) were immortalized for coming so close, and for restoring glory to a once-proud program.

The only downside to the book in my eyes was that considering the title, the author doesn’t spend that much time talking about the actual game. But the details he does give are riveting (I still can’t understand why Pitino decided not to guard the in-bounds pass at the end).

Of course Duke fans will enjoy the book, and Kentucky fans too, but really, it’s a great story for any fan of basketball. The title is misleading; Duke-Kentucky 1992 was not the “last great game.”

But it was the best one ever played, and I highly recommend reading it to get even more of a flavor of March Madness.

**Like just about all of you, I’ve at one time or another suffered from the peanut butter jar problem. You’re trying to make a sandwich, but your peanut butter jar is mostly empty. So you reach in and try to get some out with a knife, only to smear Skippy’s or Jif all over your sleeve or hand.
It’s just the cost of doing business, you tell yourself later when you enjoy your PB & J.

But my friends, you and your sleeves will suffer no more! Check out this pretty awesome invention by Darren Kramer, a minor league hockey player for the Ottawa Senators. He’s come up with the “double twist-off jar,” and here’s a video (above) showing how it works.
Very, very cool. I totally hope this hits the mass market.

**As far as smart television fans and critics go, there’s been a long-running debate about which television drama was the GOAT (Greatest of All Time): “The Wire” or “The Sopranos.”

I was a huge fan of both, but to me it’s not that close of a contest: Both “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” were transcendent, groundbreaking television, but “The Wire” was superior. It had better acting, better writing, and told better stories. (Plus that final scene of “The Sopranos” still pisses me off, all these years later.)

But don’t take my word for it. The good people at Vulture.com have done a comprehensive breakdown of the two shows, comparing almost every last detail.

A fascinating read if you have the time.

The NYPD is spying on liberal activist groups; that’s just wrong. A 3rd grader hits a half-court shot; NBAer does him one better. And a fed-up Cleveland Browns fans vents, hilariously.

This story disturbed me quite a bit. The New York Police Department, according to this Associated Press story, has infiltrated several politically activist groups on the liberal side in recent months, and have started intelligence files on activists who have planned rallies and protests across the country.

It’s apparently been going on since 2008, with undercover officers attending meetings, and keeping intelligence reports on those who oppose U.S. immigration policy, labor laws, and racial profiling.

Pretty distasteful, and quite likely illegal and unconstitutional stuff going on here. The NYPD is currently battling a lawsuit stemming from its treatment of Republican activists before the 2004 Republican National Convention in NYC.

Read the slightly frightening details here.

**Here’s something you don’t see every day: A third-grader, during a full-court basketball game the other day, sank this phenomenal half-court shot.

Is it too late to sign the kid up for the New Jersey Nets? Because they could use all the help they could get.

While the kid’s shot was cool, Houston Rockets forward Marcus Camby made this full-court shot which was about as impressive.

**Finally today, as much as I bitch and moan about being a Jets fan, I know it could be worse. I could root for the Cleveland Browns. The poor Browns fans have seen their team get taken away from them and moved to Baltimore (and win a Super Bowl there), then they got a new squad and it’s been mostly awful for more than a decade. Now that the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals have gotten decent, the Browns fans may be the most long-suffering in the NFL.

So a season-ticket holder named Mike Polk Jr. decided to get a little creative when he received a letter asking for his initial deposit for the 2012 season. I thought it was hilarious. Man, this had to feel good.

Violence against Women Act? Sure, GOP is against it. A very funny new commercial. And the kid who invited a porn star to his prom

After taking on Planned Parenthood and contraception and being embarrassed and humiliated, it seems the Republicans in Congress needed a new ridiculous issue to tackle.
But I never would’ve picked this one. Ever since it was passed into law in 1994, the Violence against Women Act has sailed through Congress every time it was up for renewal.
Which is not at all surprising, since the act was designed to protect victims of domestic violence, give money and aid to battered women’s shelters, and help law enforcement prosecute the pond scum that strike a woman physically.

But now, you see, the language in the bill has been expanded to include same-sex abuse cases, as well as allowing battered illegal immigrants to receive temporary visas.

So of course, the Republicans in Congress want to protect MOST women from getting battered. But gays and illegal immigants? Nah, go ahead, smack the hell out of them.

It repulses me that this is actually an issue. That the freaking U.S. Congress has to DEBATE whether to continue to protect innocent victims of assault, women whose lives have been shattered and made a living hell by horrible boyfriends/husbands/whoever.

The legislation “creates so many new programs for underserved populations that it risks losing the focus on helping victims, period,” said Republican Senator Charles Grassley.

Yeah Chuck, that’s the big problem in America. We’re helping too many abuse victims and people in trouble.

What a disgusting load of garbage. Re-authorize the damn bill. Anyone voting against it deserves to be in the house when a drunk, repeat-offender batterer comes home in a foul mood.

**So this is not going to turn into an NC-17 rated blog or anything, but two totally unrelated items related to the world of pornography caught my attention Monday. First up is the above television ad for a cable TV channel in Canada. I thought it was hilarious and a quite-wonderful parody of those cheesy Skinemax flicks.

**The other brush with the world of Jenna Jameson and her friends came from an 18-year-old Minnesota high school student named Mike Stone, who, after getting turned down for the Senior Prom by several girls in his school, decided to take to Twitter and invite a porn star to be his date.

And by golly Miss Megan Piper, 19, took up our hero on his offer, and was all set to fly to Minnesota (on Mike’s dime, of course) and be the receiver of his corsage on May 12.

But then the North St.Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale school district went and spoiled all the fun, telling Mike it was inappropriate for him to bring Miss Piper to the prom, and there would be no slow-dancing at the dance with the star of, well, no, I’m not going to write some of the names of her movies here (I Googled her and even I blushed).

Now there’s a small social media movement afoot to protest this, and poor Mike has taken to trying to raise the 400 bucks he’d need to fly Piper to Minnesota for a date.

Ah, Mike, I wish you the best of luck my friend. I never went to my prom and have regretted it ever since.  I have a feeling you and Miss Piper would have a wonderful time together.

The Trayvon Martin shooting sparks outrage (and great writing). Final Four field is set, and I’m not happy. And tennis gets some love on “60 Minutes”

It seems like every day, this Trayvon Martin shooting story gets bigger and bigger.
I’ve been as interested in it as anyone else, partly because I used to live very close to Sanford, Fla., where a 28-year-old white man named George Zimmerman shot and killed a 17-year-old African-American boy.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much outrage has been sparked, from professional sports teams like the Miami Heat (who took this fantastic photo, above, in support of Martin, who was wearing a hoodie when he was killed), to ordinary folks all across the country who are sick and tired of our gun culture, and racial prejudice, combining to cause so many innocent victims.

I think the police acted way too slowly in this case, and I fear that there are far too many people who seem to think any white male who, for any reason, feels threatened by a member of a minority is totally within their rights to start shooting.

I read two excellent articles about the case over the weekend that I wanted to share: Here’s Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts with his take on the case, and David Simon, the brilliant creator of “The Wire”, talking about our gun culture and how destructive it is.

**The Final Four is now set, and I don’t think many people had their brackets right on this one. Kansas, Ohio State, Louisville and Kentucky all survived their first four games and get to now play on the biggest stage in college basketball.
Some quick-hit thoughts on the weekend’s games:
– That Kentucky-Indiana game Friday night was so much fun to watch; easily the most entertaining game of the tournament. So many great athletes in the game, such excellent shooting, and really, really solid team basketball. It was a joy to all of us who love the sport.
– I dislike Rick Pitino quite a bit, and think his ethics leave much to be desired. But damn, the guy can coach his fanny off. This Louisville team in no way seemed good enough to reach the Final Four a few weeks ago, but they got hot at the right time, and they’ve got a masterful leader who knows how to get the most out of his players.
– Can’t wait until John Calipari has this Final Four appearance vacated for cheating, just like the last two times he’s gone there (with UMass and Memphis). The trifecta will be beautiful for this soul-less ethically-challenged jerk.
– I hate UNC as much as any Duke fan, but I did feel a little sorry for them that they lost their floor leader, Kendall Marshall, for the regionals due to injury. Carolina may have been the best team in the country, but I would’ve liked to have seen ‘em get beat at full strength.
– Oh, to be in Kentucky this week. I can’t imagine much work will get done in the state. The Wildcats and Cardinals rivalry is pretty intense already, but now they’re playing each other in the Final Four? Two coaches that hate each other, two fan bases that hate each other, playing for a spot in the title game? It’ll be madness from Bowling Green to Paducah.

**Finally today, it’s rare that my beloved sport of tennis gets mainstream media attention. So I was thrilled to see current world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has a remarkable life story and genuinely seems to be a good guy, profiled last night on “60 Minutes.” If you’re a big tennis fan, there’s not a lot of “breaking news” here, but it’s a great look at the Serbian star, where he came from, and how he’s become so dominant.

Well done, “60 Minutes.”

“Mad Men” is back, and I am happy. A 2-year-old cuts a rug on the dance floor. And glorious pictures of spring

**Follow me on Twitter here.

After being off the air for what seems like a hundred years, one of my favorite shows is back on TV this Sunday.

The men and women of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce are back! I am talking, of course, about “Mad Men,” the totally awesome AMC show about an ad agency from the 1960s.
I have no idea why they took 17 months between episodes, but I’ve gotten over that. This show’s brilliant acting and writing will quickly make us loyal fans forget about the hiatus.
I wish I could tell you what may happen Sunday: if Don Draper really did marry his secretary; if Joan had her baby, and what’s going on with Peggy these days. But the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner, is ridiculously paranoid about details of the show leaking, so even critics have no idea what will happen.

I only hope the show picks up where it left off last season, which was very strong. Don’s proposal came totally out of left field, so methinks that, if the show follows its pattern and skips ahead two years between seasons, Donnie boy is divorced and sleeping with everything that moves again.

And I’m sure I’ll have new reasons to hate Pete Campbell this year.

“Mad Men” is back. Two hour season premiere Sunday at 9. I am happy.

**And now, what’s becoming a weekly staple of Good News Friday here on the blog: Cute kids, dancing like crazy.  Seriously, how good is this kid (whose name is William Stokkebroe) at channeling Elvis? His parents should hire him out for weddings and bar mitzvahs.

**I thought I left 80 degree days in March behind when I moved back to New York from Florida last year, but apparently not. Man oh man has it been warm in NYC this week, almost like it’s late May or something.
As it’s been warm across the country, the good folks at Boston.com’s The Big Picture photo site have had plenty of gorgeous spring photos to choose from. They put together this fantastic gallery that I think will put a smile on your face. My favorites are No. 3 (above), No. 10 and No. 15.

Tim Tebow and why I have never been more disgusted to be a Jets fan. And Facebook helps a man’s two current wives connect

It’s totally irrational. I’m 36 years old, I have a great life, a loving and beautiful girlfriend, a terrific family, and so many good things around me.

And yet I allow myself to get completely worked up and pissed off because my favorite professional football team continues to do the stupidest things possible.
Seriously, it’s like they TRY to anger every single fan they have.
Let me start to discuss  the Jets acquiring of Tim Tebow in a trade by saying this: In three decades of being a fan, I have never been more frustrated and angry at the Jets than I was today.
Wasn’t this mad during the Kotite years. Wasn’t this mad during the ’86 playoff game with Cleveland, or the many, many late-season swoons.

I’m going to try to keep this rant as concise as possible: This is a terrible, terrible, terrible move for the Jets. For so many reasons.

First of all, let’s start with this: TIM TEBOW IS NOT A GOOD NFL QUARTERBACK. Seems to me that if you’re going to acquire a player as controversial as Tebow, you might want him to be kind of good. Tebow has terrible accuracy, a not-very strong arm, and has trouble completing simple passes.
Next, how about this: You just gave Mark Sanchez, your franchise QB, a huge new contract extension, telling him how wonderful he is, how you’re committed to him, yada yada yada.
Now you bring in a guy who, to millions of football fans, is a cult hero, a messiah-like figure. And as soon as Sanchez throws a few interceptions next season, you’re going to hear the drumbeat from the stands of “Te-bow!,” Te-bow!”

It will go on all season, and it will be loud, and it will be an enormous distraction. It’s going to make Sanchez feel awful, but that’s not the worst part. The worst part is Tebow IS NOT AN UPGRADE. So even if they do pull Sanchez, things won’t get better.

Then there are these reasons to hate the deal: You gave away two draft picks for a guy who will only play 8-10 plays per game in the Wildcat, if things are going well; nobody runs the Wildcat effectively in the NFL anymore so even Tebow’s effectiveness there is in doubt; you’re adding a highly polarizing figure to a locker room that already has plenty, and just let me throw this out there, in total seriousness:

There’s a huge contingent of Jets fans who are Jewish. Do you think they’ll feel all warm and fuzzy about a high-profile Jets player who believes that all of us Members of the Tribe are going to hell? (A great tweet today from Parks and Recreation writer Michael Schnur: “Well, if there’s one place a crusading Christian and decidedly mediocre athlete should mesh perfectly with the local culture, it’s New York.”)

Ugh. I just hate this so much. This reeks of the Jets wanting to make headlines, steal some of the Giants’ thunder (here’s a way to steal their thunder: Win a Super Bowl!!!) and get people talking about them.
I don’t know who this franchise is anymore. They’re the pro sports equivalent of a dope fiend hanging out on the corner, doing anything to get their next high. When that one fades, got to get another one. Peyton Manning doesn’t want to play here? We’ll go get God’s quarterback!

It’s the middle of March. I really shouldn’t get this worked up over the Jets.
But I hate them right now, and everything they’ve become.

**OK, moving on to a less-inflammatory topic: Bigamy.
I laughed quite heartily about this story. It seems that a county corrections officer in Washington state has been charged with bigamy after Facebook helped uncover his secret double life.
What happened? According to this story, Alan O’Neill’s first wife recently found out about Wife No. 2 when Facebook detected their connection to O’Neill and suggested the friendship connection.
Well sure, they have a “friend” in common!  Wife No. 1 then called O’Neill’s mother (fabulous!), and a short time later the police got involved.

Alan, Alan, Alan. It’s the first rule of plural marriage: Stay the hell off Facebook.

A 12-year-old’s thoughts on donuts. An awesome and different marriage proposal at a game. And Trenton’s toilet-paper problem

The city of Trenton recently had a serious problem. No, not crime, failing schools, or unemployment, though all three of those things are big issues, too. (For a great look at what’s happened to Trenton under bullying, clueless governor Chris Christie, check out this story from a recent This American Life episode.)

No, Trenton’s problem was much more serious: The city government had run out of toilet paper. Seriously, they couldn’t find a two-ply anywhere in the joint. They couldn’t spare a square.
It happened because of a long-running dispute between the city and its distributor over the price of paper goods and coffee cups and all that good stuff.
There are so many jokes to be made here, ladies and gentlemen. New Jersey, a swamp, a sewer, running out of toilet paper, the smell of New Jersey… too many jokes to make, I can’t decide which one to write!

Thankfully, the dispute has been settled. And the good city employees of Trenton will no longer have to fight for their right to potty.

**The idea of a marriage proposal at a sporting event is pretty played out. But this was a different twist, and it made it so much more special.  Alicia wanted to propose to her girlfriend, Christina. So before a recent Ottawa Senators game, Alicia decided to surprise Christina, on the ice, with a proposal.

So sweet and adorable. And big props to the NHL, the most progressive league when it comes to gay rights and battling homophobia, for putting this video on its website Monday.

**Finally, this has absolutely nothing to do with anything, except I saw it on the Internet Monday and it made me laugh. A 12-year-old was all fired up about plain donuts, and their general uselessness and unattractiveness.

So he/she wrote a school essay about plain donuts. Brilliant!

Tyler Clementi verdict sounds a loud and clear message. In praise of Lehigh and other Madness thoughts. And a really excited band member goes to town

One day before the world celebrated St. Patrick, and in the middle of March Madness, a very important and perhaps historic verdict was handed down in a New Jersey courtroom.

The death of a Rutgers college student named Tyler Clementi made national news in September, 2010, for a lot of reasons. For one, Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. For another, he was an openly gay student.
But the biggest reason Clementi’s death became known worldwide is because his freshman roommate at Rutgers, a despicable kid named Dharun Ravi, used a webcam to secretly videotape Clementi having sex with another man. Ravi also sent out messages on Twitter and texted his friends to encourage them to watch.

Disgusting and deplorable, Ravi’s actions sparked nationwide outrage, a wonderful “It Gets Better” series of videos aimed at helping young gay teens, and a criminal prosecution of Ravi under New Jersey laws.

Friday, Ravi was convicted of all 15 charges, ranging from invasion of privacy, tampering with evidence, and bias intimidation. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

I’m sorry but I have ZERO sympathy for Ravi. He knew exactly what he was doing: he wanted to humiliate Clementi, and hold him up to ridicule for all to see. Because Clementi wasn’t like him, and therefore he should be mocked and laughed at.

I’m not naive enough to think that one verdict in a New Jersey courtroom will stop gay bashing in America, or on college campuses. But I am glad that a major cause of Tyler Clementi’s death did not go unpunished.
I am glad that hate-crime laws are being enforced more and more strongly across the country. And I am glad that maybe, just maybe, one verdict may go a long way toward tolerance in America.Z
If you want to know some more background about the two boys involved in the case, including some harrowing details about Ravi’s mindset in doing what he did, the New Yorker magazine’s Ian Parker did a wonderful story about them recently. Check it out here.

**It was a great weekend of NCAA Tournament games, except for a few hours Friday night when I had to watch my beloved Dukies go down to No. 15 seed Lehigh in its opening game. To say I was stunned is an understatement (ask the people at the NYC bar who were watching with me, as I yelled at the TV and paced behind the bar). It’s not that I thought Duke was going to win the national title this year, but to lose in the first round is unacceptable, and fairly inexplicable.
Just one of those years where it just never clicked for Duke, I suppose.
A few other thoughts from a fascinating weekend of games:

– So great seeing Norfolk State score its enormous upset on Friday as well, beating Missouri. And then, after 48 hours of hearing how great they were, they sorta got demolished by Florida. Still, the faces of joy of Norfolk after the win Friday is why I love the Tournament so much. And an interview like this from Norfolk State’s star, Kyle O’Quinn.

– Hell of a weekend for Lehigh. Not only beating Duke, but coming awfully close to beating Xavier on Sunday night, too. Terrific effort from those kids, and I’m wondering how in the world C.J. McCollum, Lehigh’s star, didn’t go to a bigger basketball school.
– Only one true “Cinderella” left in the tournament (VCU nearly pulled off another upset Saturday night, but couldn’t quite do it.) Ohio U. is for real. Two great wins this weekend, and now they play North Carolina without the Tar Heels’ engine, Kendall Marshall, who broke his wrist Sunday. Awful injury and a terrible blow for the Heels.
– Finally, that shirt above was worn by a Kentucky fan this weekend. Dude, it’s been TWENTY years since the Laettner shot. Time to get over it. Y’all have won plenty since then.

**Finally today, sometimes you just have to stop and admire a guy doing what he loves and enjoying himself. I give you this Rutgers University band member… Look at that kid go!

Day 1 of the Madness was pretty sane. A dancing baby video will make you smile. And a ballplayer/cancer survivor spreads the word.

The first day of the NCAA Tournament is usually thrilling, with down-to-the-wire games and upsets galore.
Thursday? Eh, not so much. We had plenty of good games though, and one near-titanic upset that would’ve been among the greatest in Tournament history.
Yours truly watched much of the action and here are some idle thoughts:

– Syracuse, a No.1 seed, absolutely, positively, nearly lost to a No. 16 seed in UNC-Asheville. A 16 has never beaten a 1, but it damn sure came close. Asheville got totally screwed by the referees on two late calls, but you can’t say they definitely would’ve won had the calls gone their way.
Still, it was very exciting seeing a 1 seed getting so close to being upset. And clearly, ‘Cuse is not the same team without Fab Melo.
– My other favorite near-upset came from No. 14 South Dakota State, who almost beat No. 3 Baylor and their insanely bright Day-Glo uniforms (above). Seriously, those unis have got to go.
– Loved the Wichita State-VCU finish, even though I picked the wrong winner. I totally think VCU, with their suffocating defense, can win at least one more game at this tourney. Don’t bet against Shaka.
– Depressing seeing so many empty seats in the crowd, but when you play in huge arenas far from home to the schools who are playing, what are you gonna do? Seems like every year there are so many unused tickets for these early rounds.
– Best hair of the day has to go to Murray State’s Ed Daniel. Check out my man’s Afro here. I would kill to have hair like that, just for a day or two.
– Expecting some better upsets Friday. Watch out for No. 14 Belmont over No. 3 Georgetown.

**And now, a staple of Good News Fridays: A dancing baby. Try not to smile while watching this. Kid is all ready for St. Patrick’s Day.

**Finally, a very cool story from Brandon Sneed and HeyGoodcall.com, a website devoted to positive stories about athletes.
A former University of North Carolina baseball player named Chase Jones beat cancer in 2006, and while he went through it his Tar Heels teammates shaved their heads in solidarity.
That’s not so newsworthy; happens all the time. But Jones has taken it a step further, founding an organization called BaseBald for the Cure, getting baseball teams around the country to shave their heads to raise money for cancer research.
Good stuff. See, every once in a while I can give credit to a Tar Heel. Just not in the next few weeks…