Happy Saturday. I'm sitting at home watching the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans battle it out on the gridiron. As usual at this time, my team is also sitting at home watching the game and wondering how exactly did they blow it again. I'm not too concerned about who wins this game, but I am sort of rooting for Pittsburgh, simply because I dislike most things about Tennessee. Back in 2001, I took a vacation to Washington D.C. and had a layover in Memphis. I was in the airport for 45 minutes and, during that time, I saw six people without teeth. Unfortunately, I am not exaggerating. Add to that the fact that if you lose your wallet they kill your dog and that pretty much keeps me away from there forever.

There's a couple of things that amuse me about sports fans. The thing I find the most amusing is when they speak about their favorite team using the word "we". As in, "We went to the Super Bowl last year" or "We ran the ball 99 yards for a touchdown." I'm never quite certain how to explain to these fans that they actually had nothing to do with it. Fan X, as an individual, did nothing to assist his team's linebacker in intercepting that pass or in sacking that quarterback. All the fan did was sit on his couch and watch somebody else make the play. Don't get me wrong, I catch myself doing it too on those few occasions when the Chargers don't suck. Back in 1994, I was caught up in the "we're going to the Super Bowl" frenzy...even though I personally had nothing to do with the blocked field goal attempt in the AFC Championship Game.

Another thing that amuses me is how fans treat players who leave their favorite teams. Jerry Seinfeld described it best when he commented that we're "rooting for laundry." Jerry Rice, for example, was once the most beloved man in San Francisco. Then, one day, he heads across the bay to Oakland, dons a silver and black jersey and becomes instantly hated by all those fans who formerly adored him...just because he's wearing a different shirt!

In other news, my roommate recently purchased a Playstation 2. (He says he got it from some guy who stole it from the home of a Caltech Grad Student.) I'm guessing he did it because he wants to see me fail all my classes this semester. The presence of the Playstation has revealed a slightly irritating quality in his personality. Apparently, he's one of those people who comes in while somebody else is playing a game and starts saying things like, "Oh, no...go that way! There's two guys around that corner. Look out! No, don't go there!" I realize such people think they are being helpful but...how about just letting the rest of us play our games. It's like those people who walk up to a chess game in progress and say, "Why don't you capture his queen with your knight?"

Oh well...at least there's one in the house now...it's quite an upgrade from my now antiquated Nintendo 64.