Kathy Williams

And waiting in the wings, the big one for that specialized sports fan: The Winter Olympics. What is sport? That's a question that comes up periodically in the newsroom, and it mostly comes up during the Olympics. Those supporting the notion that sport does not include events judged on a subjective scale, believe there are few true sports in the Olympics. Timed events like races and objectively scored events like hockey qualify. Ice skating does not. But curling?

I'm the type of sports fan who appreciates the physical beauty of a receiver stretching and folding in a pass with the tips of his fingers as well as the incredible strength required to complete a triple toe loop and end in a controlled spin and spray of ice.

I haven't ever been a super fan of anything, with one notable exception: Austin College's 1981 national football championship. At that time I worked for the college and the campus was awash in Kangaroo fever.

We wore in-your-face buttons proclaiming "Get R'ood" and "Hopper Hysteria." We followed the away games (semi-finals) by radio, gathering in the Pouch Club to watch old game films to simulate the experience of being there.

It was just plain fun to watch people you see every day win, actually tie, the national championship. There simply can be no greater feeling than to hold your breath along with a couple of thousand of your best friends as Gene Branum's 57-yard field goal slowly dribbled over the goal posts to tie the game at 24-24.

Happy birthday Sunday to Carlos Juan Patterson, Craig Galloway, Willie B. Houston, Clay Langford and Patricia Taylor, all of Denison; Anthony Tyrone Henderson, JoAnn Hill, Heather Bass, Mary L. Johnson JáDarius Moore, Karen Jarvis, Stephen Sloan and Tom Hagy, all of Sherman; Dwayne Hyepock and Marissa Mace, both of Bells; Mandy Meek of Savoy; Garry Rogers, Leonard; Khristy Taylor of Gunter; Nelda Ulmer of Pottsboro; Dennis Ray Edwards; Hurl Scruggs Jr. of Lewisville.

Happy anniversary Sunday to Reggie and Barbara Marr of Pottsboro, 23 years; Joe and Lois Griffis of Whitewright, 12 years; Barry and Monica Hughley of Sherman, 7 years.