Other Spaces

 As I mentioned earlier, yesterday was an emotional day, mainly in a wonderful way, but also more than a bit elegiac. Yesterday I emptied out my office. Everyone knows I'm retiring - and I'm filling out a lot of related paperwork - and there have already been two retirement parties - but seeing the desk sitting there cold and depersonalized carried a dreadful finality. Every time I've sold a house over the years and I walked out of it for the last time, I've always thought back to an early Japanese poem, which says (I may be paraphrasing): "Someday someone else will celebrate the Festival of Dolls in your house." That is, your house is your home because of the people, your loved ones, who are in it. I reflected upon that yesterday when I looked at my desk, a desk that could be used by literally anybody next year - sitting in an office that could be used by literally anybody next year. Any remnant of who I am and how hard I worked and what I accomplished will dissipate in a few months, if it lingers that long. I told Janet that one of the strangest things about retirement so for is that for the first time in over forty years I don't have another space. When I was in graduate school at UC, I shared the history graduate TA office and even managed to carve off an unused office for my own purposes when I ended up teaching a year-long large western civilization class. I did the same thing when I was teaching adjunct classes at Franklin College while I was finishing my dissertation. During my nine years at Georgia Perimeter College I had two offices.  Throughout twenty-nine years at Champlain I've had six offices (one in Joyce, one in the library, three in Aiken, and finally one in Wick). I even had offices when I taught in India and the UAE. When I was offered the job at Hong Kong University they went out of the way to show me my office and where my staff would be. The point being that I always had a separate secondary space, and now I don't. For some reason I find that very unsettling. I'm very happy at home, certainly much happier than I've been for the vast majority of those forty years, but you get used to the existence of those other spaces and the freedom and tangibility that they represented.

I'll still pop in throughout the end of June. It's a nice space to sit and write when I'm up in Burlington, and, of course, to spend time with any of my friends who are around. However, soon all too soon, the buildings won't recognize the card swipe (stupid metaphor, working overtime)

A Microcosm

 Last night I was blessed to have dinner with a couple of my all-time favorite students, Maeve and Ronan. They knew I was retiring, and they wanted to take the opportunity to grab dinner and get caught up. They make up a tiny microcosm of the six-thousand students I taught over the decades, but I will happy take them as stand-ins for the rest. It was an emotional day, and getting to finish it with these amazing young people was a gift.

Besides being great students and folks heading out into very promising careers, they were also two of the folks who founded the non-profit to support the refugee school in Jordan. They are exactly the reason why I did what I did for so may years.

At Least One Student

 I think there was a time when I was widely and wildly popular with students (and I don't think I'm romanticizing my teaching career), with a few students who actively disliked me and the majority who liked me a lot - and then a few years ago it switched and now most students dislike me and a few like me a lot; which I guess is more proof that it was time to retire. One of the few students who really liked me over the last few years is the excellent Leah Baker, who took me three or four times. She even dragged her boyfriend (not fiancé) out to Adamant for one of my Vermont Philosophy Week Talks a few years ago. I had been presenting on Proust, and I tend to mention Proust so often in class that she had eventually borrowed a copy of Swann's Way (which in the end I just gave to her - I mean, come on, who drags their boyfriend out to Adamant to listen to a talk on Proust? That's pretty epic.). Anyway, Leah is one of my all-time favorite students. Today, completely out of the blue, she emailed me to let me know that they had just moved to Nashville, and she wanted to send me a picture of a section of her bookcase which features books that I either gave to her or suggested to her. She told me that she's having trouble tracking down copies of all the volumes of Remembrance of Things Past, which is not surprising, since most bookstores only stock Swann's Way (to their shame). I think I've found a new home for my old complete copy of Proust.

So, the moral of the story is that at least one student liked my classes.

And That's That

 So here's a picture that I snapped on Thursday night after the students in my last final have shuffled out of the room. I just felt I should record the moment, even if I couldn't quite capture the emotion of that moment (although, as my friend Sheila opined, there's no place lonelier than an empty class room at the end of a class). I sat there for a little bit and soaked up the moment, and cried a few tears. It's been a long run, that began in October, 1982 when I gave my first college lecture. I was TA'ing for a professor and he headed out of town, leaving me to give a lecture on Sparta to a class of 130 students, who were essentially my age (twenty-two). Later I'll have more to say about my feelings as I process this transition, and also my reflections on the state of academia and our students.

And that's that. 

0

 And now it is over. It's funny, if you've spent the last semester and a half counting down the days with CFL players it shouldn't hit you with the number switched from 1 to 0, but it did. There was a lovely going away soiree here in Wick yesterday, which deserves its own post so I'll revisit it soon. However, I'm feeling a terrible sense of finality and loss, which I'll talk about when I've had the change to think about it. It's definitely a bittersweet moment.

Thanks to Rolan Mulligan for loaning me his number 0 for the final Countdown installment. I'm going to have to find other ways to do fun research on the CFL (beyond going to the four CFL games in four cities this summer - which will almost certainly turn into five CFL games in five cites, how can we go to games in Ottawa, Regina, Hamilton, and Ottawa and somehow skip our hometown Alouettes?). Rolan was born in Lake Wales, Florida, and played his college ball at Reedley, UAB, and Toledo). Like many later CFL stalwarts, Mulligan kicked around the NFL for a bit, with stops along the way with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Indianapolis Colt. Since 2021 Mulligan has played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and has achieved a lot of success. He was on the Grey Cup winning squad from last year, and has been a two time CFL All-Star as well as winning the Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award in 2024. I've had the opportunity to see him play in person, but in July we'll see him play a home game in Saskatchewan.

91?

 The campaign to get me to start has obviously intensified, as the #1 that was gracing my door after class on Monday has been covered up by a #91. I think it's a losing battle, but I'm truly touched by the effort to get me to hang around a while longer.

Thanks to Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund for unofficially loaning me his number 91 for the Unofficial Countdown (brought to you by Erik Esckilsen). He was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, before playing college ball for Champlain College (no, not that Champlain College, but Champlain College Lennoxville) and then Southeastern Louisiana  University). Adeyemi-Berglund was drafted in the first round of the CFL draft by the Calgary Stampeders, although he (and the league) sat out the 2020 season because of COVID (Canada, like a mature country, took COVID seriously). Since 2024 he has played for our hometown Montreal Alouettes, twice being a CFL East All-Star and twice winning the Lew Hayman Trophy for outstanding Canadian player in the East Division.

Amusing and Pleasant Recollection

 "I shall never regret," said Mr. Pickwick in a low voice, "I shall never regret having devoted the greater part of two years to mixing with different varieties and shades of human character: frivolous as my pursuit of novelty may have appeared to many. Nearly the whole of my previous life having been devoted to business and the pursuit of wealth, numerous scenes of which I had no previous conception have dawned upon me - I hope to the enlargement of my mind, and the improvement of my understanding. If I have done but little good, I trust I have done less harm, and that none of my adventures will be other than a source of amusing and pleasant recollection to me in the decline of life. God bless you all!!""

Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers

Fernando Pessoa (another one of my man crushes, as you know) had famously proposed that the greatest regret of his life was never being able to read The Pickwick Papers again for the first time. Mr. Pickwick had called his friends - and members of the PC - together let let them know that, "The Pickwick Club exists no longer." I thought of this line the other night at 2:00 in the morning, when pain had forced me awake, and I was keeping the cats company out in the living room. Usually, my self-loathing (which is always flowing just beneath the surface) is most acute during those times in the middle of the night when I can't sleep (this is a new experience for me, another gift from old age, because for most of my life the only thing I did well was sleep; sleep apnea was doing its best to kill me, but at least I wasn't staring at the ceiling, reflecting upon my innumerable failures as a father, husband, son, brother, friend, scholar, teacher, etc.). I reached for one of our copies of The Pickwick Papers and tracked down the passage. I suppose it should have made me sad, but instead it filled me with appreciation, for all of the people who have played, continue to play, and hopefully will always play, a role in my absurdly rich life. Doubtless, I will be dragooned to speak at tomorrow's going away soiree, and hopefully Dickens will help me out.

1

 Yes, 1, not 54. The last week has begun. As I was saying earlier, I was very touched by the sign with the player wearing 54 yesterday. Erik, the culprit, promised as a last week gift to not complain about Champlain or students, although we both know that I grouse about both far more than he ever does. My students were great on Monday, which may relate to a wonderful job by their professor, but I suspect only reflects either their being able to see the end of the semester - or some grudging happiness for their professor.

Thanks to Warren Moon for loaning me his #1 for the penultimate Countdown post. What can one say about Moon that hasn't already been said? He's the only player who appears in both the CFL and NFL Hall of Fame (the only other double occupants are coaches: Bud Grant and Marv Levy). He was born in Los Angeles, California, and played college ball first at West Los Angeles Community College and then more famously at Washington. Despite a stellar career at Washington, Moon went undrafted (I suspect he was a victim of the then long-lingering suspicion of Black quarterbacks, which seems insane now, but what fairly common until not that long ago). He signed with the Edmonton Eskimos, playing for six seasons, along the way winning five Grey Ciups, and winning the Most Outstanding Player Award in 1983. In 1982 he became the first quarterback in either league to throw for 5000 yards in a season. He then made his long-awaited arrival in the NFL, playing for the Houston Oilers for a decade, before brief stops with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Kansas City Chiefs. I will be sporting his jersey on Thursday, the last active class day of my teaching career.

54?

 Apparently there is a movement (conspiracy?) to convince me to put off my retirement and stick around at Champlain for another year. I found this photo on my door this morning, covering up the picture of Davis Sanchez's #2. The logic is that with my diva twice a week schedule I only have classes 27 days a semester, so 54 would be my year. No one has admitted to this chicanery so far, but, truthfully, I was sincerely touched by it. Maybe they will remember me past June.

Thanks to Justin Lawrence for unofficially loaning me his #54 as for the Unofficial Countdown as part of the scheme to convince me to hang around for another year. Lawrence was born in Edmonton, Alberta, (and thus he is a National player) and played college ball at the University of Alberta before being a 5th round pick in the 2018 draft. Over the years he's played for the Calgary Stampeders, Toronto Argonauts, and currently for our hometown Montreal Alouettes. He's a three time Grey Cup champion, once each for the three clubs - which would inspire me to sign him, because he's both a good player and also clearly good luck.

2

 Well, here we go. One week left in my long career. My friend Kevin scolded me, quite rightly, for presenting a flawed countdown. That is, I'm only counting my teaching days, and I didn't include the days I have to be on campus for giving my Final Exams. This is, of course, a Point of Excellence, and I am guilty as charged. My only defense is that my spring schedule changed very late, and thus last December i didn't now if I was going to have final exams on two or three days during the Final Exam week, and thus it seemed safer to tie the Countdown to actual teaching days. Plus, there is no active teaching during Final Exams (although I've had students say things like, "wait, are you introducing new material during the Final Exam period? - to which I usually answer something like, "well, duh," and "expect an email from me this summer with new things to consider"). Finally, I suppose I could have tied the Countdown to my actual days left on the payroll of Champlain College, but that would have made this whole thing seem like it was a job, which I completely reject. Essentially, as with most things, I am unrepentent.

Thanks to Davis Sanchez for loaning me his #2 for the Countdown. Sanchez was bon in Delta, British Columbia, and played his college ball south of the border at Oregon. Unlike a lot of CFL players, who ended up spending their time in the NFL on the practice squad, Sanchez was on the active roster of the San Diego Chargers for a couple season. However, his greatest success was in the far superior CFL (as all right-thinking individuals know), and over the years he played for the Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, BC Lions, and three different stints with the Montreal Alouettes. Along the way he was on three different Grey Cup winning teams. Since his retirement he's played a very active role in the broadcast booth for CFL games.

3

 And we've entered the penultimate week, as we close down my four plus decade teaching career. Classes were good yesterday. In my COR 303 classes I taught the students a bit of paleography, to let them know in addition to understanding how historians approach their decisions-making process, they should also understand what we do on a day to day basis. It's one of my odder assignments, but one which has always proved popular with the students. And last night we watched Terrestrial Verses, and then I'd declared it Champlain College If Day - in honor of Winnipeg If Day - and asked the students how they would express the danger of creeping authoritarianism (like Winnipeg's 1942 If Day, I told the students to imagine that they took over the campus and show people what it would actually mean if we fully passed into an authoritarianism regime). They didn't do an extraordinary job, but they came up with some interesting ideas. I have come up with so many odd assignments over the years, most of which worked better than the ones that I had devoted more time to planning. I will miss that creative process after I shut it down.

Thanks to Vernon Adams, Jr. for loaning me his number 3 for the Countdown. I've actually seen Adams play a couple times, which, considering that I've attended over twenty CFL games I suppose that shouldn't be too surprising. Adams was born in Pasadena, California and played college ball at Eastern Washington and Oregon. He went undrafted by the NFL and attended rookie mini-camps with the Seattle Seahawks and Washington (at the time) Redskins, but never received an offer. He headed north, and began a peripatetic career with stops at the Montreal Alouettes, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montreal Alouettes (again), BC Lions, and Calgary Stampeders. I've seen him have some great games. He was the starting QB in last June's freeze bowl game in Calgary that Kevin and I barely survived. Adams did not have a great day that day, but nobody did, including us.

4

 Another week gone, and only two more weeks of the regular semester to go. I've officially lost the battle of the No Going Away Parties campaign, as two parties are now on the agenda. It's strange to think that by the end of this month I will be done with teaching - and my book will be finished (being published, obviously, will remain an ongoing mission, but having the great mass of it complete is going to feel wonderful/strange) - and then the summer and a very different life opens up. My main two goals, once May rolls around, are to devote hours a day to Italian - and to get back to the gym and the pool and long walks - as I begin to refashion myself into a new entity.

Thanks to Keon Hatcher for loaning me his #4 for the Countdown. In many ways his story is also a classic CFL story. Hatcher was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and played at Arkansas, but went undrafted by any NFL team. As an undrafted free agent, he spent a few years bouncing back and forth between the Oakland Raiders (twice), Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers (twice), and New York Jets. His career NFL statistics: 1 catch for 8 yards. In 2021 he headed north, and has been with the BC Lions ever since, including being a CFL All-Star in 2023 and 2025. Now, he's playing all the time, catching passes from the CFL's best QB (Nathan Roarke), and enjoying a lot of success. You have to love his story.

Oh, and I love the metaphor of this picture - 4 days left, but zero closing in fast.

5

 Monday, day number six of the Great Countdown, started out fine but then ended in a discouraging fashion. Both of my COR 303 classes did a nice job on the morning's assignment. I gave them three anonymous accounts of the birth of Jesus, #1 (from Mathew), #2 (from Luke), and #3 (from Surah Mary in the Qur'an). It's one of my favorite mad Scudder assignments. It makes them address the notion of what constitutes a religious/sacred text, and what would be the challenges in treating it like a historical text. Later, my COR 204 section of Images of Fascism was depressing. We had a great section from Snyder's book, and then followed it up by watching Jafar Panahi's wonderful film The Circle. Half of the students were on their phones or laptops during the movies, not taking notes, but playing games. If a class dealing with Fascism tied to a class on Iran - at this specific moment in time - doesn't grab your attention, you really shouldn't be in college. It's hard to imagine that this generation is going to put up much of a fight as the US finally slides into a full blown authoritarian regime.

Thanks to Justin Rankin for loaning me his number 5 as part of the Great Countdown. He's quickly become one of my favorite CFL players, and not simply because I saw him play last year in Edmonton and that he became my go-to running back in my CFL fantasy team. Rankin was born in Oberlin, Ohio, and played college ball at Kent State and Northwest Missouri State. After going undrafted by an NFL team (the classic first stop on a CFL career), he played three years in the Indoor Football League (IFL), for the Bismarck Bucks, Frisco Fighters, and Bay Area Panthers (winning an IFL championship with the Panthers). After that he moved north and signed with the Edmonton Elks. After a slow start he hit his stride, rushing last year for 1013 yards and catching 56 passed for another 713 yards. I really need to get one of his jerseys.

6

 Another week has passed, and Thursday turned out to be a good day, mainly because all three of my classes were good that day. Teachers are simple people: if our classes are good, we're mainly happy. Even my 8:30 class was energetic and engaged, which hopefully had nothing to do with my having thrown them out halfway through Monday's class because they were neither energetic or engaged. The only problem with the week is that I learned that my goal of avoiding a retirement plan is failing - twice. There's a brief gettogether in Wick on my last class day - and apparently some off-campus soiree a couple weeks later (which my wife has been secretly involved in, which I guess shows that you can't trust anyone). I have separately thanked Janet - and Kevin - and Erik - (among the chief conspirators) for helping me to understand that it won't be the worst thing in the world that we have these parties. I will miss all my friends, which I understand, but apparently they're also going to miss me, which I guess I can't understand.

Thanks to Tyson Philpot for loaning me his #6 for the Countdown. Tyson is a National (meaning, Canadian) player for our hometown Montreal Alouettes (our closest CFL team, and thus we've seen more games there - it must be around twenty - and I've taken the most friends there, the official Alouettes friend total is nineteen). Tyson was born in Delta, British Columbia, before playing at the university of Calgary. His played for the Alouettes for four seasons, along the way winning a Grey Cup in 2023, and being named the Most Valuable Canadian in the game. I often chose him for my Canadian fantasy football team last year. Tyson has a twin brother, Jalen, who is seven minutes older, and who currently plays for the Calgary Stampeders.

7

 I've now officially entered the last four weeks of my four-plus decade teaching career. I keep waiting for the nostalgia and bittersweet feelings to emerge. Mainly, I just want it over. Part of it is my own personality. As anyone who knows me will testify, I brood over things, but once I make a decision then the decision is made. I brooded over retiring for a couple years, and then, for several reasons, decided to retire, and after that there was no true regret, just a desire to get on to retirement and a different lifestyle. I'm still grinding away, including throwing my early morning Monday class out for not doing any work - and considering doing the same thing that night in my Fascism class. Maybe I'm just grouchy, but I guess I'm also just refusing to quit trying to teach these lunkheads something.

Thanks for Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback and Grey Cup champion Trevor Harris for loaning me his number 7 this week. It was hard to not feel happy for him winning the Grey Cup last year as a starting quarterback (he had been on two Grey Cup winning teams in the past as a backup QB) because his career is a classic CFL story. Harris was born in Waldo, Ohio, and played his college ball at Division II Edinboro. And then his odyssey began, which began with not being drafted by an NFL team. He signed with the NFL Jackson Jaguars, but was then cut after the preseason. He then signed with the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and then the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League the next year. In 2011 he signed with the NFL Buffalo Bills, but for labor reasons (not the only time in his career) his contract was rescinded after, literally, a day and a half. After that he signed with the Sacramento Mountain Lions, although the league folded before he could get into a game. Later in 2011 he signed with the AFL's Orlando Predators, but the entire roster was let go (another labor problem) and replaced with, well, replacement players. Finally, in 2012, he turned his attention northward to the far superior (as all right-thinking individuals know) Canadian Football League (and this was usually interrupted with Harris getting into the dynamics of the team having an older and established veteran QB who was on his last legs), and played for the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, Edmonton Eskimos/Elks (and, of course, this would be the time when Edmonton would change team names), Montreal Alouettes, and finally the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Hopefully, we'll see him play this summer as part of July's Trip of Excellence. 

8

 Four weeks of the regular semester left. My students were alternately joyously engaged or sullenly disengaged this week. I have one class that is so much better than my other three that I'm tempted to manipulate my schedule so that they're the last college class I actually walk out of (it will make it seem slightly less certain that I've wasted the last forty years). The talk of me giving a going away speech, which would turn into the Gary Scudder Symposium, has reared its ugly head again. I'm honored, but the only thing I hate more than public speaking is being the center of attention, so I need to be even more deliberate in my no (although I've been pretty deliberate so far). 

Thanks to Zach Collaros for loaning me his number 8 for the Countdown. Collaros is a favorite of mine, not simply because he currently plays for my beloved Winnipeg Blue Bombers (they are one of my four favorite CFL teams), but also because he played college ball at the University of Cincinnati (where I attended graduate school). He was born in Steubenville, Ohio, and after his career with the UC Bearcats he went undrafted by the NFL. Callaros was on the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one year, but after that he's spent more than a dozen year north of the border. Along the way he's played for the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Along the way he's won three Grey Cups, one as a backup for the Double Blues and two as a starter for the Bombers (he also lost three straight Grey Cups after the initial success - to be fair, two of them were last second heartbreakers, and in the third he was hurt in the game). While in college he roomed with the Kelce brothers, which means he essentially is dating Taylor Swift.

9

 So, shit is getting real, as I've now passed into single digits. After leaving campus last night I'm left with only 9 days left wherein I have to be on campus (again, not counting Finals Week). Speaking of Finals Week, I remember my senior year at Franklin College. The tradition was that if you were a graduating senior, and you were happy with your grade, you had the option of not taking a class final. I was satisfied with my four classes, having locked in my normal 3.75 (my students are always amazed that I never actually pulled off a 4.0 even once in my college career - I try to convey to them that graduate schools are also looking for people who actually left their dorm rooms and did stuff)) so I decided to not take my finals (I think there was an off-chance that I could have pushed the B up to an A, but it didn't seem worth my time). As I approach my last Finals Week I'm tempted to give all my students that option. My fraternity voted to make me go home for the week, arguing that me hanging around during Finals Week without anything to do was a menace (which, doubtless, it would have been).

Thanks to Jon Ryan for loaning me his #9 for the Countdown. I thought I should finally include a kicker in the Countdown, although, obviously, Ryan is far more than simply some random kicker. He was actually born in Regina, Saskatchewan, including playing for the University of Regina Rams, although he spent most of his career in the NFL. Ryan was the punter for the Seattle Seahawks for ten seasons, including winning a Super Bowl with them. He also kicked for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Edmonton Elks, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and his hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders. He's a member of the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (and he's the first Saskatchewan player to win a Super Bowl). While playing for the University of Regina he caught a 109 yard TD pass - and he's the part-owner of two summer college league baseball teams - so he seems like a pretty cool guy.

10

 And another week down, only five weeks to go. My students were immeasurably dense this week, staggeringly dense, even factoring in that it was the week after spring break they were breath-takingly dense. It would be great to finish out my long career with great, engaged students (to be fair, I do have a few really good kids this semester), but in other ways finishing with under-prepared and unengaged students is making this transition easier. It's frustrating because I'm teaching two sections of my Journey to the West class, which I originally created because I thought learning about Sun Wukong would be of natural interest to the gamer kids and also support their professional interests, and two classes on Fascism, because, well, duh. Sadly, the majority of the students seem pretty disinterested in both topics, the former leaves me sad, the latter leaves me frightened.

Thanks to CFL Hall of Famer Bernie Faloney for the use of his number 10 in the Countdown this week. Faloney was born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and eventually starred at Maryland. In 1953 he led Maryland to a share of the national championship and finished fourth in the Heisman balloting. He was drafted in the first round as the 11th pick by the San Francisco 49ers, but they viewed him as a defensive back and an backup quarterback - and only offered him $9000. Edmonton (at the time the Eskimos) told him he could compete for the starting quarterback job - and they offered him $12,500 (it's so odd to read about these early stories where CFL teams outbid NFL teams for players) - so Faloney headed north. He helped Edmonton win the Grey Cup, but then returned home but then returned home to serve his military duties. After two years, he returned to the CFL, this time signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, for whom he became a legend (one of the roads next to the Tim Hortons Field is name after him), leading the Tiger-Cats to two Grey Cup wins.

11

 My spring break, my final spring break, has come and gone, and now I'm entering the final six weeks of the semester, the final six weeks of my teaching career. I still don't feel too sad or bittersweet about my impending retirement, although Chuck's gift of the Alan Page jersey yesterday was a reminder of how much I'll miss some of my friends and colleagues. There are several factors which seem to tamping down my sad feelings, some of which I've already discussed, but I also have to admit that if my students were better at this point in Champlain's history I'm sure I'd feel more remorse. 

Thanks to CFL Hall of Famer Ken Ploen for loaning me his number 11 for the countdown. Ploen was born in Lost Nation, Iowa, before starring at the University of Iowa, and leading them to a Rose Bowl win. After graduating, he was drafted in the 19th round (back when the NFL draft had many more round than it does now) by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns wanted him to play defensive back instead of quarterback (he played both at Iowa), so he took up on an offer from new Winnipeg Blue Bombers coach Bud Grant to head north of the border. Grant told him that Ploen was free to play QB for the Blue Bombers. It turned out to be a good decision, as Ploen led Winnipeg to six Grey Cups, winning four of them. A road near the stadium is named after him, which I'll check out this summer on July's trip.

12

 And now we've reached Spring Break, which means that everything will start picking up speed as head towards the end. My good friend Katheryn stopped by my office the other day to pick up the Championship Trophy (aka the Wanker) for her win this year in the Twin Peaks Football League. She saw this picture on my door and was horrified that I had so little time left before I walked away. She heads up the college's international education efforts, or whatever is left of them. She proposed that I give a public lecture relating to international educational education that could both be streamed (she's clearly been talking to my friends Cyndi and Mike about this, because this also part of their insane plan for my last days at Champlain) and then would give its name  to an annual event. I love her and Cyndi and Mike, and am touched by their efforts, but I have absolutely zero interest in doing this. About the only thing that I hate more than being the center of attention is public speaking, so having to give a speech where I'm also the center of attention would be my personal hell. Plus, truthfully, I simply don't think I have anything interesting to say. And, finally, I'll be honest: I'm a proud man, and having to drag myself up with my cane to speak - and either stand there in pain for a half-hour, or, even worse, sit because I'm so crippled - would be humiliating. Hopefully this madness will go the way of the big public retirement soiree.

Thanks to Nathan Rourke for loaning me his number 12 for the countdown this week. Rourke is the starting quarterback for the BC Lions, and is probably the best QB in the CFL, as supported by the fact that he's already won the Most Outstanding Player award twice. He was actually born in Victoria, British Columbia, which means he's a hometown kid. Before joining the CFL he played college back at Ohio. After spending his first two years with BC, he bounced around the practice squads of four NFL teams (Jaguars, Patriots, Giants, and Falcons) before heading back north of the border. It's hard to say that he wasted his time there, because I'm sure he banked a lot of money to not play (his younger brother is doing the same thing now). Right now I think Rourke is the highest paid player in the CFL, and makes about 1% of what Joe Burrows makes playing partial seasons for the Bengals. Nathan gets to play, he's playing great, and he's playing for his hometown team, so it's hard to argue that he's not making the best decision right now. I've seen him play live in road games, but hopefully soon I'll see him play in Victoria.