DIGGING "STARS EARN STRIPES"

One of my favorite new television shows is "Stars Earn Stripes." Of course, I keep saying, "Stars AND Stripes," but my beatiful wife keeps correcting me. I think...THINK... I finally have it right.

The show comes on Monday nights on NBC. Here is a link to the website (http://www.nbc.com/stars-earn-stripes/) and here is their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/StarsEarnStripes).

The show is hosted by General Wesley Clark (retired) and some gal from Entertainment Tonight, quickly making her an authority on all things military. It's an action-packed show where celebrities are teamed with real-life (or former) military people. There are members from U.S. Army Delta Force and Green Berets, U.S. Navy SEALS, U.S. Marines, police officers and Walmart security guards. Okay, I made that last one up. I just wanted to see if you were still paying attention.

The best part of the show is that the celebrities help to raise money for military charities.

The celebs and the real-life heroes gather at a remote training facility. They are challenged to execute complicated missions inspired by real military exercises. (I got that off the NBC site.)

So far, celebs have had to drop out of helicopters and into water. Two of the celebs couldn't swim and had to be saved. They have also had to learn how to shoot pistols, long-range weapons and cool stuff like that.

The cast includes Nick Lachey (he was once married to Jessica Simpson, who once asked if Chicken of the Sea tuna fish was fish or chicken), Dean Cain (who played Superman, and I think my wife secretly has a crush on him), Todd Palin (who is married to some political lady), Dolvett Quince (who helps people lose weight and yells at them in the process), Picabo Street (who has one of the coolest names ever, and was an Olympic gold medalist), Terry Crews (a HUGE dude who played in the NFL and is an actor), Laila Ali (who stars in a Kohl's commercial...oh yeah, she is also an awesome boxer with a famous dad), and Eve Torres. I like Eve, and not just because she's a WWE Diva. Well, that has a lot to do with it. Who doesn't like WWE Divas?

                                                 Eve Torres. She's a WWE Diva!


The best part of the show for me is learning stuff from my wife, who is a Marine. She's a retired Marine, but once a Marine, always a Marine.

She's done cool stuff like jump out of helicopters, scale walls, shoot pistols, shoot long-range weapons and other ninja-like stuff.

I usually don't come back with stuff I've done as a sports writer in the face of danger. For example:
"Oh yeah, I once had a really bad meal during halftime of a game, but I sat through the ENTIRE second half and then wrote my story."

Or:
"One time, during the state championship high school football game, I went to sit down in a chair, but I misjudged where I was and I almost fell down. IN FRONT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE! True story!"

Or:
"I once reached into my computer bag to grab my laptop, and let me tell you what...I suffered the nastiest paper cut imaginable. Not only that, but then I got salt on the wound. SALT! Can you wrap your head around how much that smarts?!"

I don't want to make her feel bad. I'm nice like that.

Anyway, the show rocks. The military rocks. I've got nothing but respect for the military, and not just because my wife is the sexiest, sweetest military lady in the world.


NEED A COVER MODEL FOR YOUR ROMANCE BOOK?

This is Thor. He's sexy, and he knows it.


SHOUTOUT OF THE DAY
My shoutout goes to my friend, Sean Leonard, a fellow graduate from the awesome 1983 class of Hudson High School. Sean always writes nice or amusing things, and I greatly appreciate him! Go Explorers!


SONG OF THE DAY
"Every Breath You Take," by the Police. It was the song that spent the most time at No. 1 in 1983.