My childhood hero retired recently. I thought heroes weren’t allowed to do that. At least, that’s what The Incredibles was about. I thought. Maybe I’m wrong (wouldn’t be the first time, certainly won’t be the last). I speak of baseball god Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas, who played for 18 years, hit .301, walloped (and I mean WALLOPED) 521 home runs, and had one of the 10 greatest batting eyes of all time, putting him in company with Ted Williams, Mel Ott & Babe Ruth. Yeah, that Babe Ruth. The guy with the candy bar named after him.

This is a beautiful time of year. Breathe it in.

The stage is set for one of the most viewed events in human history. In Miami, this year’s Super Bowl will feature the Saints of New Orleans playing the Colts of Indianapolis. You’ll see the highlight packages, you’ll hear the hype and watch the expensive, expensive sexy commercials. But don’t be fooled, just because the Saints are from New Orleans and just because people like football (a lot), the Super Bowl birth doesn’t help New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina in any real way.

I don’t mean to be some curmudgeon, kicking people when they are down; sports are entertainment and as such, can provide a much needed distraction from the trying times and stress of modern life. However, they can’t bring people back from the dead or replace lost homes and possessions. Just last week, while I was temping at Georgetown University, a young man came in who had lost his graduation photographs when the hurricane hit. He came into the yearbook office and spoke to the photographer about the possibility of taking replacement shots. The Saints were, by far, one of the last things on his mind. There is nothing wrong with people being able to root for a local franchise to succeed at the grandest level. But the players on the Saints aren’t from the city and nothing they do will bring back a job or a company to New Orleans.

In light of Mark McGwire’s “confession” last Monday about his steroid use, there seems to be a rush by baseball pundits to say that now Mac is worthy of inclusion into Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.

Football is this country’s most popular sport. Americans love the gridiron game, from the preseason silliness to the Super Bowl Shuffle. There is not enough football to be consumed in this country. College football teams have reached a level of popularity that rival the colleges themselves (case in point: more people know that Tom Brady went to the University of Michigan than know that Ann Coulter, yeah that Ann Coulter, also was/is a Wolverine). Schools well known for their academic prowess invest tens of millions of dollars into their program facilities and staffers and athletes in order to generate potentially hundreds of millions in revenue. I have no problem with that. College football is a ton of fun and speaking as a graduate of a school with a very large football program, there is something indescribable about being part of a crowd of 100,000+ willing a team to success. However, it is not only alumnus and current students that attend collegiate football games. There is an increasing number of loudmouth louts who also attend these games, who bring all of their own stupidity and meatball (read: basic) understanding of the game with them.

 I am a die hard baseball fan. I absolutely love the game of baseball. Everything about it. I don’t find it boring in the slightest. I have watched the game since I was a kid, I have studied the game in academic and personal settings. I have a baseball blog and my dream would be to work for one of the 30 Major League Clubs in a front office constructing a World Series competitor. The only reason I like January? It puts us closer to February when pitchers and catchers start to report. Despite the NFL’s popularity, baseball is the game of the United States. Everyone knows at least one baseball team (whether they like or dislike the Yankees).

Johnson’s remarks were hurtful and derogatory, there is no question. But truly, they did not offend me. The use of the word ‘faggot’ in most cases does not offend me. Most of the time ‘fag’ merely signifies a complete lack of imagination, dignity and intelligence on behalf of the user.

The focus of the sports world since Thanksgiving has been the private life of Tiger Woods. It has now come to light that Tiger, despite being married to a European underwear model (we should all be so lucky) and having two children with Elin, has roamed a bit from his marital vows.

You’ll forgive me if I am neither surprised nor really care that much. Though Tiger has always tightly controlled his image, his decision to wed was always a little strange. Elin and her twin sister were au pairs to a Swedish golfer when she was introduced to Tiger in 2003; they wed in 2007. Without real argument, Woods is the greatest golfer who ever lived, and one of the best athletes this country has ever produced.

The D.C. Gay Flag Football League (DCGFFL) will be hosting Gay Bowl IX, the largest gay flag football tournament to date, this weekend in DC.

Cheer on the DC Rollergirls at their season opener this Sunday at the DC Armory.