The Most Dangerous Word

We'll get to them (Howard, Keith, and The Danderoo)

 The past two-plus weeks have been a bit of a fog.

All along, basically since March 10, I've been stalled. Heck, most of us have been.

Today, I stepped out the door and felt hopeful.

"Hope." That word -- that very concept -- is something that excites and scares me.

The exciting part is if it's good, of course (though I suppose it can be easy to be thinking about what could go wrong). 

The scary part is if it goes wrong. Then there's a feeling of despair, I guess.

I've tried to stay busy since Sep 4. Every day has brought a combination of cleaning, working, and organizing.

That is when I'm not driving.

Basically, it's been day after day of doing things until I'm ready to collapse. I'm not looking for praise or a pat on the back. I'm just staying active.

And so, back to hope. New adventures await.

At least, I "hope" so.

I always write with a voice in my head saying "Be careful because there will be questions."

All may be answered eventually.

Hopefully.

*****

"Monday Night Football" turned 50 tonight. I've watched more than my fair share of "MNF" since the 70s. I watched Giff and Dandy Don and Howard and Keith and OJ and Tark and Alex and Broadway Joe and Al and Dan and Boomer and...

I remember Joe Theismann and Lawrence Taylor. Bo Jackson and Brian Bosworth. Earl Campbell, Bum Phillips and "Luv ya Blue." The "Fail Mary." The "Brett Favre Game." Antonio Freeman. Steve Gleason.

I also remember the night Howard Cosell referred to a receiver named Alvin Garrett as a term that was deemed racist (though Cosell also used it in reference to his grandchildren as well as white receivers). The moment laid the groundwork for Cosell's exit from MNF and ABC Sports.

In truth, it was a convenient excuse for ABC.

Of course, "MNF" also brought us all of our "Rowdy Friends" as well as celebrity interviews and other culturally impactful moments.

It brought us John Lennon -- both alive and, sadly, dead. Most people rightfully wince when they hear the words "dead on arrival" because that's how Cosell described Lennon in Dec, 1980. His emphasis on those words -- "Dead. On. Arrival." -- still ring in the ears of football and music fans alike.

For the good (so many great games) and the bad (like the Booger Mobile), it's impossible to dismiss the impact of "Monday Night Football." Happy 50th to the idea that began with the Browns and Jets (a trivia question I answered on WVIP-AM in 1984).