I'm Lovin' It

"How do they do it?" I thought to myself as I stood waiting at the counter at McDonald?s an hour ago. "How can they sell a McChicken for a buck?"

Of course, there's very little resembling chicken in my favorite fast-food sandwich. That's got to help. And it's clear the employees no longer "love to see me smile." Ditching that whole campaign probably shaves a few pennies here and there.

And then, as I idly watched my McChicken patty make its way down the assembly line, out of the depyrogenation chamber and into the flavor bath, my eye fell to a clipboard resting on the counter.

"The 12th and 14th positions may be switched as sales activity dictates," the manager?s cheat sheet proclaimed in bold type. I took a closer look and saw a page from Mickey D's lunch-rush playbook that would make Krzyzewski proud. Two covering the Fry Station at all times. Three on Prep. At least two on the Initiation Station. Trap in the Corners. Don't cut to the McFlurry machine if there's a man in the Post. Send the customer Baseline and wait for Backside Help.

You know what I like about hoops at St. John's? It's that everyone, to a man, can play either the 12th or 14th positions. Dribble, shoot, pass, rebound, shoot some more -- everybody equally capable of highlight-reel heroics and hardwood faux pas with never a danger of resentment or ridicule. Just a feeling of pure enjoyment at the ability to serve it up hot and delicious, week after week.

It's "Order up!" again tonight at 6:30 p.m., as usual. Let me know if you will or will not be playing . . . and if you'd like fries with that.

P.S. I did receive a reply to my note to FoxNews.com last week. "We were heartened to hear that the new site navigation made it easier for users to traverse Foxnews.com," they wrote, "and find sections previously undiscovered by many of our readers." Indeed it did. I found a whole new section called CNN.com.