It’s been an interesting roller-coaster of emotions the last couple of days.  First, Coach Ray Mears passed away (LGT Joel’s Commentary), then I heard the terrible news that Don Herbert, a.k.a. Mr. Wizard passed away a month shy of his 90th birthday.

Of course Coach Mears was famous for putting Tennessee Basketball on the map, where it soon found a way off the map after he left, and only recently found it’s way back on (thanks to Bruce Pearl and Google Maps).  He made the orange blazer famous that Pearl uses as an homage to Mears (although I doubt Coach Mears could make it as sweaty as Coach Pearl does), and was able to make the Stokeley Gym rock and roll throughout his tenure.

1926-2007

Mr. Wizard of course, was the single greatest thing to happen to science since the invention of gravity.  He inspired basically the last two generations of scientists by showing them how to pull a boiled egg into a bottle using air pressure, as well as teaching me that if I held my nose, I could eat the most foul foods and still be fine with it because I couldn’t taste it.

1917-2007

On a much lighter note, my partner in crime here at Fulmer’s Belly became a dad over the weekend!  His beautiful wife gave birth to a baby in kilos, so I have no idea what that is in pounds.  How dare they have a baby in a country that doesn’t use the English system?  That’s so unamerican Don.

According to Live’s song Lightning Crashes, Don’s new baby should have been bestowed the coaching prowess as well as the scientific prowess of the two legends that passed, and that being the case, should get ready to take over the Vol’s or maybe the Lady Vols’ or maybe both basketball teams, teaching them how to win in a purely scientific, but still fun manner whilst wearing all manner of orange suits.  Congrats dude, we’re proud of ya.