No flowers for Henry Tudor

Some of you know that I am a football fan (American football, to my British and Aussie readers.) But I have always loved sports writers. They are so much fun to read, clever and sardonic and imaginative, influenced in the best possible way by Damon Runyon. My all-time favorite definition of writing came from the great sports writer, Red Smith. “Writing is easy,” he said. “You just sit down at the typewriter and open a vein.”
Anyway, here is a link to a very well-written column by Phil Sheridan, a Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist, about Jason Collins’s courageous admission to Sports Illustrated that “I am a 34 year old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”
http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-01...

Still catching up. On April 21, 1509, Henry VII, the first Tudor king, died. No plans to send flowers. And on April 20, 1191, the French king Philippe Capet arrived at the siege of Acre. He was at a distinct disadvantage when it came to competing with that PR master, the English king. In Lionheart, I had Richard scornfully describe Philippe’s entry into Messina: “Philippe arrived last week, in a single ship if you can believe that, with all the fanfare of a merchant returning home from a day at the market.” So we can safely assume that Philippe’s Acre arrival was equally low-key. Two months later, Richard would show Philippe how it ought to be done.

I think my bronchitis must have affected my memory; well, I’d certainly rather blame it on bronchitis than advancing old age! My friend Koby has reminded me of several very dramatic and/or significant occurrences on May 2nd and 3rd, so I will try to get back later and make up for my omissions.