Interesting article on Dean today. It's what I've been thinking all along, namely this:

"For many Dean supporters, as important as the war is as an issue, it has always been equally significant as a measure of Dean's character. His willingness to take what seemed to be a risky position politically and stick to it because he believed in it was such a relief after years of Gore/Kerry-like political calculation that it almost doesn't matter if the issue disappears."

I am home today, on advice from my mental health specialist that resides in my own head. After everyone else seemed to take a sick day yesterday, I thought I would respond in kind. More importantly, the Packers blew out the Raiders last night (much to the chagrin of my wife and our season-tickets-at-the-40-yard-line hosts, who invited us to the game). Favre had an inspired game. His father died of a heart attack on Sunday, but there was never any doubt that he would play. As he put it, that is what his dad would have wanted. Irving Favre was his coach in high school, so they both have lived and breathed football.

Seeing that game in person made me realize how difficult and amazing some of those plays were. Even on TV they looked spectacular, but in person I was just in awe witnessing some of those long completions. In some respects I also felt a little sad, as I realized that it will probably be the last time I see Favre play in person. Ten years ago I saw Favre for the first time in a game at Lambeau field, also against the Raiders. The Pack beat 'em 28-0 and because of that game they returned to the playoffs for the first time in a non-strike season since 1972! Game day temperature? Zero degrees farenheit without windchill factored in. We kept a grill going by the tailgate just to keep the cans of beer from freezing. That game was also the game that LeRoy Butler invented the "Lambeau Leap," which was then adopted and made more famous by Robert Brooks in later seasons.