88

 Don't worry, I haven't decided to stay at Champlain, and in the process push the countdown back up to 88 days (although, oddly, I think some of my friends - and even a few students - would push for that decision). Instead, this is an unexpected - and remarkably thoughtful - retirement from my friend Chuck. We have a similar schedule on Mondays and Thursdays in the morning, so we often take the opportunity to gab. He met me yesterday with a wrapped present, and inside was this absolutely amazing Alan Page jersey. As Chuck has known forever - although I don't know how it ever became part of the discussion - Alan Page is my all-time favorite football player. Page is the first defensive player to win MVP honors, and that was in an age before sacks were an official stat, so you can just imagine how dominant he had to be without a counting stat to justify his case. He's also a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Maybe more impressively, he also graduated from Notre Dame, and eventually law school, and served on the Minnesota Supreme Court for years. It's amazing how few people know his story - and it's shameful that the NFL doesn't promote him more when talking about the game.

And it's even autographed, so this is over the top nice of Chuck. Of course, as my friend MK pointed out, this also means I can never wash it. I guess this also means that I have to start rooting for the Vikings again (although misery lays in that path).