ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

       Sorry I have been scarce the last few weeks, I have been trying this crazy new thing called "having a life" and "going outside to enjoy the lovely weather" - crazy, I know.  Anyway, this thing has been going around the internet like a plague so I thought I would share mine...

I already give to Team Gleason but there are many other good ALS charities out there, and even Curt Schilling's charity is decent since he isn't making video games through them.  As with any charity, just look in to who you are giving to and make sure as much of your donation is going to research as possible.  Awareness is lovely, but all the pink in the world never cured anything.  Proper money for research does.

Don't feel like dumping a bucket of ice water on your head?  That's fine, as long as you give to charity who am I to judge?  And if donating to find a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease isn't your speed, that's fine too.  There are a million other charities to give to.  Remember, if you go to bed healthy in a house with clean running water after a hot meal you paid for with money from your job, you are doing better than most of the world.  Giving back what you can is not hard. 

Football '13 Week 2: Pajama Game.

       I like to take Sundays off.  Not because of any biblical edict, mind you, simply because, as someone who used to work seven days a week (and on the wrong side of 30), I have grown to appreciate the value of 24 hours to reset your batteries.  These days I work more sporadically - sometimes 3 days a week, sometimes 6 days - but I do enjoy staying in my pajamas all day and watching sports (or bad movies) once a week.  During football season, the Sunday day off is non-negotiable.

Since they haven't made an insert set of players in their pajamas (yet), I will give you the closest thing I could find, a 1992 Lime Rock set of Saints cheerleaders, the Saintsations:

Of course, 20+ years later, these outfits look downright Puritan for NFL Cheerleaders.  The 80's hair is also, as always, a hoot.

I haven't bought much 2013 football product yet.  Topps did drop some Archives very early this year and I picked up a lot on Listia and made a page:

The 1976 Topps is one of my faves.  I think they have reused the 1959 design a few too many times, though.  I find it a little odd that they used 1985 and 1986 designs, since those years are back-to-back (obviously), but the designs are so different, I guess that doesn't matter much.  I am in the minority of kinda liking the 1986 design; I never much cared for the 1985 look,

This is (I believe) the first time Topps has done Archives for football since 2005:

See? There is the 1959 set again.  Also here is the 1984 set (yay!), the 1975 set (double yay!), the 1971 set (meh), the 1966 (double meh - that design worked better for hockey), and my favorite, the 1962 design.  I really really need to make a page of that one. 

So on my glorious pajama day off, what am I wearing? (no, I am not coming on to myself) This page offers a hint:

OK, it was not much of a hint and it isn't a Deuce #26 jersey so I will tell just you.  On this page is the rookie (and only card ) of Steve Gleason - it is the middle left card, he is on the right of the three.  Gleason would have slipped through the cracks of even the most astute fan as an 8 year backup who wasn't even drafted.  Yet, he got himself a marvelous claim to fame in one tremendous play: he blocked a punt in the first quarter of the first game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.  This was a magical moment for a city that truly needed a magical moment.  I was at that game and up to that point, that block was the loudest sound I had ever heard.  Sadly, tragedy has struck Steve Gleason and he has been battling ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) since at least 2011.  He has become a very outspoken champion for research and has been very visible in public the last couple of years despite his declining health and physical condition.  When I was in New Orleans last week, I bought one of his organization's shirts and while I normally would never pay full price for a sport shirt, I felt that since all the money was going to his charity, I would make a rare exception.  While I doubt many of you would want a #37 shirt like mine, I think it would be a marvelous idea if you donated to his charity.

So right now I am getting some laundry done while baking an apple crisp (damn, I love autumn).  I am switching between the crappy early games and the Mets game waiting for the Manning bowl to kick off at 4:25.  I even went to the store to get ice cream and no, I didn't change out of my pajamas to do it.  I take my days off that seriously.