THE OUTFIT (without visual proof)

It's 3:17 a.m. and I just got home from work. (Well, 17 hours of work followed by one hour and 17 minutes of play. I'm such a slacker.)

Regardless of my whereabouts... the U-M vs. MSU game kicks off in nine hours. That's Week 5 of the college football season, and if you've been paying attention you know I'm supposed to have a story this week. (Refer to the "Hail to the Victors Valiant" post below if you're not sure what I'm talking about.) So I guess I'll tell the story and add the photo later.

Allow me to take you back to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. I was sitting in Michigan Stadium watching the U-M vs. MSU football game. The Spartans led, 27-10. It was cold and drizzly and miserable. Sonja was home, three months pregnant. I envied her.

Fast forward to Garrett Rivas' field goal with approximately seven minutes left in the game. You can choose to believe this, or not, but I swear on my love of Zoe this cell phone conversation occurred:

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sonja. Do me a favor and hit 'Record' on TiVo. I want to save the greatest comeback in Michigan football history."

"Aren't they losing really bad?"

"Yeah." (Momentary silence while I registered that Sonja was actually watching the game) "It wouldn't be the greatest comeback in Michigan football history if they weren't losing really bad."
She recorded it. Sparty fans that don't remember what happened next can stop by and watch any time: U-M recovers an on-side kick and Chad Henne hits Braylon Edwards for a 36-yard TD pass with 6:12 left. After a defensive stop, Henne hits Edwards again with 2:59 left to tie the game, 27-27.

MSU misses a long field goal into the wind to end regulation. The kick never had a chance. Too many former St. Hyacinth students in section 6 praying for it to fall short.

Three overtimes later, Henne hits Edwards again -- is Jaren Hayes really still trying to cover him? -- for the game-winning touchdown.

Great stuff.

The next portion of the story requires some background: Each season, I typically purchase a new game day hat and game day t-shirt. Some hats and t-shirts are magical and deserve royal treatment, like the 1997 national championship set that still hangs in a special place today. Others suffer a few losses and are retired with dignity.

Following this particular miraculous comeback, we passed a vendor's booth on the way back to our cars. I needed something for the kid, I decided. A good luck charm purchased on the most lucky of days.

There was only one option: a gray and blue sweatsuit for a 6-month-old. When my dad and I returned home, I pulled the sweatsuit out of the bag to show Sonja.

"Check it out," I said, holding the sweatsuit up proudly. "I got the baby something."

"Ohhh. That's nice," Sonja said, sweetly trying to match my enthusiasm, although she would still be carrying our child for another five months.

"But what if it's a girl?" she added.

Hmmmm. I'd never even comtemplated the sex of the child. My main goal was to purchase an item that would serve as a good luck charm for the foreseeable future. A gray sweatsuit turned out to be my only option.

Then I stepped back and soaked in my surroundings. There was my lovely, child-carrying wife decked out in her finest evening wear: gray t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

"If it's a girl," I said, looking her up and down. "She'll look just like her mommy."

That's my story. Today, I just hope Zoe and her magical sweatsuit (which we'll photograph Saturday) are lucky.