The byline in this week's SporTalk article is not a mistake. I'm writing the article in place of my father who was a little busy this week. In addition to teaching, Papa Burns is a New York State Teachers Union member and representative. Dad had to attend a NYSUT conference in Albany the day before his deadline, so his oldest son was commissioned to write. Of course, since I attend The College of St. Rose graduate school in Albany, the commission for writing this article was to volunteer my living room and futon as a temporary residence for Dad. I promise that as replacement author, I'll keep the column as close to normal as possible with one exception. It'll be better………….Like many people, I spent Sunday Night watching the Super Bowl at a party with friends. The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to win on a spectacular catch by wide receiver Santonio Holmes in the back corner of the end zone. As a Cleveland Browns fan, it was extremely tough to watch the Steelers win their sixth Super Bowl while I have yet to watch my team even participate in one. Several prominent sports writers, including Peter King of Sports Illustrated, have written that this was the best Super Bowl ever. I'm going to have to disagree as the game was extremely sloppy and ugly for the first three quarters, with the exception of James Harrison's interception at the end of the first half, and finished with a great fourth quarter. One exciting quarter does not make a great game……..Olympic swimming hero Michael Phelps seems to be in hot water (pun intended) after a photograph of him engaging in some illegal behavior was published in a British newspaper. While the man is only 23, you'd think he'd know that cameras will be on him wherever he goes…………It may be old news, but I feel it's worth repeating. After the fall season, Ellenville Varsity Boys Soccer Coach Max Mead was named Mid Hudson Athletic League Coach of the Year. This is the same league that counts defending state champion Spackenkill as a league member. Max joins Ellenville Football Coach Tony Borriello who received Coach of the Year honors from the Daily Freeman. Neither is an easy honor to capture, and both were well deserved…………The Ellenville Girls Varsity Basketball team just completed a great week in defeating F.D.R and Rondout. The team's quite talented and will be a difficult matchup in Sectional play. The girls are playing well enough where Coach Tom Nolan may join Coaches Mead and Borriello before it's all said and done……Speaking of Blue Devil Basketball, I'd like to mention the youth league that's started recently. The idea behind the league is to have members of both the Varsity Girls' and Boys' Basketball teams pair up and coach younger students. This allows younger athletes to learn about and play the sport with friends, and lets older players give back to their community. If you think the league does not mean anything to the athletes, you're mistaken. I cannot remember what I had for lunch yesterday (sandwich of some sort?), but I can remember that I was a proud member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets while participating in the league in sixth grade, which was twelve years ago. I hope all this year's basketball-playing youngsters will remember their experience just like I did………. It's recently been reported that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig made over $17 million in 2007. Yes, this is the same Bud Selig who has presided over a tied All-Star game and the steroid scandal. He's also the same Bud Selig who's been screaming about the recent financial trouble of MLB and the effect the economy's had on his league. Anyone know where the signup to be the Commissioner of a pro-sports league is?............I just turned the January page on my calendar and realized that the arrival of February means Valentine's Day is around the corner. This means that any man reading this article should put down this paper (after finishing this article) and start to plan for the 14th. In addition to your significant other, it would probably be a wise idea to grab something for Mom……While it may have nothing to do with sports, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our family dog Nora. Nora's been a member of the Burns Family for over a decade and has been having some health problems lately. Anyone who's ever owned a dog knows they are as much of a family member as anyone. Here's hoping for another couple of years of good health for Nora………..Tune in next week for the return of John Burns.

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