We need a fullback!

When I went to Columbus the other weekend, I stayed with Lisa, a good friend who is a world-class competitor in dog agility and a dog trainer, who was adopting a border collie puppy. She was in charge of watching the litter (of only four, all boys, five-weeks old) for a week, so while I was there, I helped socialize and look after them.

We had to rename them all to keep track … one in particular was my favorite because he scrambled out of my arms to the end of the couch, plopped down and proceeded to watch the NFL game on tv. The markings on his head (above), combined with a funny quip from Coach S this season in the press box (“Boys, I just need someone who can carry the tater!”) resulted in his nickname of “Tater.”

The best part: my friend decided little Tater is the one she’s keeping from the litter. Instead of traveling to do agility, Tater will be a dedicated therapy dog – trained to go into nursing homes, hospitals and the like – to be a comfort to patients and their families.

In more ways than one, football is a comfort to the soul.

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