Let's start with the most important news of the day: I was present at Kevin Durant's last-ever visit to the post office. No kidding - I popped into the post office at 32nd and Lamar yesterday afternoon to mail out a few BON t-shirts, calmly began waiting in line, then started to eye the 6-9 African American kid with his back to me as he mailed out four gigantic sports duffel bags. He's doing this with a 5-7 white dude in a tucked-in burnt orange collar shirt that screams "graduate assistant," so the only question is whether or not it's Durant. He's got a big Braves cap on, so I can't see his face until I'm up further in line, and sure enough, it's KD. I awkwardly walked up to him, shook his hand, thanked him for his amazing season, wished him luck in the NBA, and shuffled away. I know some of you students who hang at Gregory all the time chatted him up throughout the year, but for us folks off-campus, this was only the second time I'd been face-to-face with the kid.

In any case, I suspect that yesterday marked the last time KD ever visits a post office in person. I can say with pride that I was present for Kevin's first scrimmage in Austin and his last post office visit ever.

Is it sad that I live vicariously through athletes? Incredibly.

It used to be that no one talked about professional baseball at BON. Apparently the readership has grown enough where this year's offseason slowness includes MLB chatter - a fine development if you ask me, of course. I absolutely love the game.

Coinciding with the explosive 'Clemens To NY' thread over in the diaries was an email I received today a reader who noted that the steroids suspicions surrounding Clemens are as believable as those surrounding Bonds, and asked if it was time for Longhorn fans to consider shunning the Texas Ex.

I told him the same thing I tell all the people who ask me how I can root for Barry Bonds: "Forget about it or you might miss the show..."

Quick question about Jamaal Charles and track and field: can anyone reconcile the quotes from JC in this interview with the information in this story?

If you're a blogger or one of the readers who digests all the college football blogs, you'll definitely get a kick out of this instant classic from The Mayor. Well played, sir.

Before we get to today's final note, a brief word on the light posting of late. I'm under tremendous stress working to finish the Eyes Of Texas 2007 Football Annual in the next two weeks. There's barely enough time for that, let alone providing as much BON content as I normally like to. Apologies for the slowness of late; I'm pleased to see things remain lively in the diaries.

Finally - let's be honest. Interest in major league baseball isn't so profound at BON that we're going to have a 25+ comment thread on Roger Clemens returning to New York that includes several readers getting visibly upset with the commentary from one other poster. No, only an infamous BON thread 'jacker could take that topic to such heights. After some investigation, the cat came out of the bag - txlonghorn34 is DHab.

Yup: banned again.

(Quit this time, Cap'n. Finish high school, go to college, learn how to discourse with other human beings, and try back later. Even then: no promises.)

--PB--