Thanks for the chuckles. Oh my ribs.

DB-

_Do you wipe your tears away or not?_

No!

Not sure whether or not you’re a “dude” – but I attend all the secret meetings, and according to page 27 of “Da Manual To Being A Dude”, “men shall never cry, but if tears do appear, at all costs, _never increase attention_ by wiping them away.” [emphasis original]

Guys aren’t “supposed” to cry, and wiping away tears is almost as bad. I know it sounds funny, but faced with letting tears stream down their face or dabbing them off with a hanky, guys choose the former. It’s part of the code of conduct. An said: guys who cry on Barbara Walters are immediate excommunicated. POOOF!!

Here is a perfect example – it’s a short clip of Michael Irvin’s recent induction into the Hall of fame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ederi_g8qmU

Following the rules of engagement, Irwin breaks down but he refuses to wipe away his tears. Like clock work or beer runs, this happens every year – someone entering the Football or Baseball Hall of Fame cries, but they restrain themselves from wiping away any tears.

Another aside: conversely, crying happens to the people you least expect. Players who were heartless, even robotic on the field, like Dick Butkus, break down and shiver uncontrollably. Yet players like Scooter, who wore their hearts on their sleeves, take the opportunity to give back by cracking jokes and performing for the audience. But I tell ya, I’ll be the first one crying when Da’ Squirrel is inducted into Monument Park.

All kiddin’ aside, it was the first time he saw his son. Heck, I get weepy when the lottery numbers are announced. And didn’t Pops look great represent’n ‘Da Empire.

If we get the wild card, I might want him at every game.