Eight Men Out

With numbers sagging slightly, a variety of ideas have been proffered for goosing attendance on Saturday mornings. My favorite: The Eighth Man Award.

Each week during warm-ups, all eyes are on the gym door. When the first three or four or seven guys on the court hear the outer door squeak, they reflexively turn their heads to see who's arrived.

Now being that all-important eighth body will actually earn you something more than the gratitude of your teammates: A Caribou Coffee gift card. Be the eighth man through the door this or any coming Saturday and you will win cold, hard 'Bou bucks.

It is shameless and pathetic. Akin to buying your vote, really. And I absolutely expect it to work. Let me know if you will or will not be there this Saturday. We tip off at 8:00 a.m., as usual.

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Hard to believe, but it's been eight years since I first shared the most eloquent case for voting I'd ever heard, a commentary on WCAL. I was so impressed I contacted the author and asked permission to reproduce it in the weekly hoops email.

As I do every few years when Election Day draws near, I reproduce it again and summarize it thus: If you don't vote, you're a moron.