Geoausch

Tomorrow, we celebrate the hope that comes with the promises contained within the Christmas story.  I will also celebrate the hope that comes with remaining a fan of a team, even through the toughest of times.

Since my earliest memories, I have been a fan of SMU football. As a child, this was easy. The Mustangs fielded one of the most successful programs of the early 80′s. The NCAA will tell you that SMU “cheated” in their pursuit to be the best during this time period and they flexed their muscles on the SMU program to prove a point. In their eyes, the only small private school who should be allowed to pay and play with the “big boys” is and was Notre Dame and if any small private school tried to play by the same rules they would make an example of them and in 1987 this is exactly what they did, handing down the “death penalty” to the SMU football program.

Since the SMU “death penalty,” the NCAA has continued to show their hypocrisy. Several big name, outlaw programs have committed several violations and filled their rosters with players engaged in all kinds of criminal activities, but not one program has been threatened with the “death penalty.” It appears that the NCAA fears student athletes making money more than they do student athletes involved in criminal or otherwise nefarious activities.

The NCAA’s plan worked. The SMU football program has never fully recovered and other tainted programs have won national titles. Tomorrow, SMU makes their first bowl appearance in 25 years as they take on Nevada in the Hawai’i Bowl, but they still have miles to go before they return to the greatness of the glory days. However, for this Mustang fan, it feels like my faith and hope in this program has finally been rewarded. Win or lose, June Jones has laid the foundation for this program to continue to excel. It may be decades before SMU returns to the Top 10, but at least for now I have some tangible proof that hope eventually pays off.

I love pancakes! Indeed, they are my favorite breakfast food. While I usually refrain from buying pancakes at a fast-food restaurant, I was running late for work yesterday and really craving pancakes. I had no choice but to stop at a McDonald’s I pass on my walk from the parking garage to my office.

Out of respect to my health and my animal rights’ friends, I rarely eat at McDonald’s, but I do visit this particular McDonald’s on an almost daily basis for coffee. As such, the staff is very familiar with me.

I proceeded to order my pancakes and coffee and noticed only one pack of syrup in the bag . Keep in mind, an order of pancakes at McDonald’s consists of three pancakes–one pack of syrup will not cut it.

I asked for a second packet and was told it would cost me 27 cents for an extra packet. I glared at the manager, then at the lone syrup packet in my bag. I noticed a tear in the packaging and brought it to the manager’s attention. She offered to replace the packet and then offered to give me a second packet for–get this–25 cents. A whole 2 cents savings!

Again, I glared at the manager and said, “that is not good enough.” Her expression was if I asked her to give me a New York strip. I reminded her that I was a loyal customer and that they would lose far money by refusing to give me the syrup since I would end my daily coffee patronage. Finally, she relented and gave me the second package of syrup.

Has it really come to this? Is the recession so deep that McDonald’s must charge 27 cents for syrup? Is this really going to drive their food costs up?