DEDICATED TO ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD HEROES...

Where are people from? This is a big part of sports, and most of us are either ignorant or don't care. But does it matter? Mai, bien sur mon frer!

(That was French). 'Cuz chances are, where you are from leads to your particular awareness and empathy (i.e. the opposite of apathy) towards the world issues around you, including sports.

I, as it says in my bio, am from Bloomington, Indiana. The hometown (but maybe now disowned) of Sean "Get  hurt and ruin my team's chances this year" May, who defected from the home school (IU) for the not quite arch enemy UNC. But my Dad who lives across the street (sort of) from Rex Grossman's dad, in Bloomington, says that all that shouldn't matter. Of course it does for us Hoosier diehards. My Dad? Not 100%. But that is OK, he is from Massachusetts. But he did precede Knight to B-town...

An hour south of Blgtn. is French Lick. Little hilly town. Bird brought it more fame than Al capone and a few 20th century boxers at the mineral springs resort. A half hour in between is Bedford, where Damon Bailey became the alltime Indiana HS scorer and made my step siblings amazingly proud. Not to mention a few other million Hoosiers and Feinstein addicts.

Damon is actually from Heltonville, which is hidden below Lake Monroe, the same lake that has Mellencamp's big house despite zoning ordinances and whatever red tape prevents regular Joes from planting a mansion there. He donated the pavillion for the up and coming football program so I guess we owe it to him. That and R-O-C-K in the USA...

Jeff Gordon is allegedly from a small town called Pittsboro about an hour north of Monroe County (right, the lake close to Bloomington, closer to Heltonville is named after the county, named after the Virginia president, BTW--its a reservoir, but it looks somewhat natural and attracts a few million or so per year). But I saw Jeff say on BDSSP that he is from Northern California! Go figure. Riddle me that NASCAR fans.

To the west and the Illinois border lies Terre Haute, which is French for "High Ground", but only in 1979 was it anything but. Famous athlete from those parts? Maybe a TE for Michigan in the early nineties? You tell me over there in Vigo or whatever county that is.

And to the east? Nothing much until Cinncinnati (OH) unless somebody slipped under my radar. Columbus has famous architecture and Batesville is filthy rich making coffins. Athletes? Head south down the 69 freeway from Indy and you are in Louisville (KY) pretty fast, Cassius Clay was born and raised there, but I don't think he ever went to Baden Springs, aka French Lick, at least that I know of...

So, that is a little bit of where I'm from. Where are you from? Are you surrounded by champions?

It is rhetorical, really, because all of us are.

My neck of the woods just happens to be a great starting point for me.

Go Hoosiers.

Next time... Chile, South America