Note to Self ... DO NOT drink Mountain Dew at 11:30pm

I made the mistake of having something to drink while talking on the phone to the Fiction Mistress last night. By the way, she is fine in sunny Mexico and I am green with envy having heard about the hot tub out on her terrace. And, Samantha, your birthday present should be waiting for you when you get home. ;-)

ANYWAY ...

Its now 2:41am and I can't sleep. I'm a pretty serious coffee drinker so I'm surprised that a little can of Mountain Dew would have such an effect (or is it affect) on me.

In any case, it gives me time to "dew" this post about my beloved Philadelphia Soul.

I loved this billboard ... from a few years ago.

So ... I was walking around Midtown when I saw the ESPN ticker and read "Arena Football League cancels 2009 season." I simply stood there in shock ... right in the middle of Times Square ... tears running down my cheeks.

There had been rumors for several days to this affect (or is it effect ... ha ha) but nothing official. OK ... before you get all worked up - there is still nothing official other than that they are continuing to look at their options.

I have been a loyal and fervent fan of the Soul since its inception. Even when I lived in Cincinnati, I came up for the games ... by Greyhound bus no less. (By the way, that is 17 hours each way with a layover in Pittsburgh in the middle of the night. They weren't necessarily fun - but I don't regret a minute of those trips.)

I have always loved what the team stood for, the guys who play - not for the money, but for the love of the game, the staff who works so incredibly hard and the impact the organization has had on the community.

And, as a result, I tried to introduce every person I ever met to the team and the sport - even having a Soul-oriented birthday party in Ohio where we collected 300 pairs of socks for one of the charity initiatives.

And trust me, I have been paid back tenfold for my loyalty by meeting some really amazing people that either work for the organization, play on the team or are fans. Soul fans are incredible.

So, with Christmas just around the corner, I know what I'm asking Santa for. Hopefully, he is listening and we will soon receive the good news that all is right in Soulville.

P.S. And, thank you, Jon Bon Jovi for putting your heart .. and soul .. into this whole endeavor. The man has worked his butt off (though, thank goodness that's only a figure of speech) for the league - events, endless media, constant promotion - he even was willing to don a Dallas Desperados jersey ... Dallas ... argh!

Hey, Jon ... I have a jacket that looks just like that! LOL