I was in Illinois on business..driving across farmland with knocked down corn and gray skies.  I swear..it looked like there were no people anywhere...desolate.  I was listening to radio out of Chicago and they were talking about the next team.  I was sure it was going to be St Louis.  Anyhow...driving across land that you can see over for miles and miles and it started to leak.  Indications were that Jacksonville would be awarded the team.  I was flabbergasted as I drove by a cow.  I could not believe it...must be the media getting it wrong.  Then..it leaked out more and more.  Finally, the announcement from the commissioner.   I yelled, blew my horn as I drove and I am quite certain that no one heard me at all..other than some cows.

   That night I checked into a hotel out there somewhere...and it was cold...cold for me.  I went for the tv and discovered that they did not have ESPN.  Probably the only hotel I have ever stayed at that did not have ESPN.  So..I got into the car and went to the little downtown.  Kind of a brick rust belt look to it all.  Went into a bar and mumbled, "Holy S&&T, it's cold."  The guy next to me said, "What?"  I repeated myself loudly.  He said, "Just wait a couple of months."  Everyone laughed.  So..I watched sportscenter and was the only person there that cared.  The next day, I flew out of Quad Cities through St Louis.  The paper in St Louis had a photo of a deflated football, and their take was of gloom and doom.  I was pretty happy.  I wish I could have gone to my favorite bar in Jax, but it was interesting listening to it our of Chicago.

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