THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996 TAG: 9611020285
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Guy Friddell
LENGTH: 55 lines
The other day nearing Tony's Hot Dogs, traveling west on Norfolk's Lafayette Boulevard, my car, of its own volition, wheeled into the parking lot behind the emporium.
Had it been heading east, it would have turned resolutely into Tony Jr.'s across the street from the original, in which Tony Jr. spent his youth. I'll not trace that dynasty now. Either way, my car is convinced, the hot dog is tasty.
At the counter near the front door were two sailors in neat khakis, Darrin Hayhurst and Irons Thomas, looking fit for recruitment posters.
At the other end was Herbert Ferguson, seeming suited for a recruitment poster for a truck driver, which he is.
They were discussing the Washington Redskins, seven wins, one loss - a pace Ferguson argued they would maintain the entire season.
I sat down near the middle, where the press always is, or should be, just as the military observed that the tough part of the Redskin schedule - Buffalo, Arizona, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Dallas twice - was yet to come.
Behind the counter Debbie Sorey and Michele Baker chimed in.
One of them asked Ferguson why he was wearing a Miami Dolphins cap if he was such a Redskins fan.
``This way I'm bound to have a winning season,'' Ferguson said.
The Skins, the sailors said, would fall Sunday to Buffalo.
They were playing in Buffalo and couldn't stand the cold.
``Let's ask this old man!'' said Ferguson.
Ye gods, had it come to this!
In the back of one's mind, most of the time, one is no older than when mustered out of the Army, tanned, straight as a bobby pin.
Little did one reck way back then, a half-century ago, one would wind up at a hot-dog counter refereeing an exchange between young football fans.
Old age hath yet its honor and its toil, as Tennyson said. Somewhat ere the end some work of noble note may yet be done.
Or something close to that. Probably the old sod was in a pub when it first came to mind.
Let's see, they're two to one - or four to one, counting the pretty young women behind the counter.
Join the minority.
``Redskins,'' I said.
``See there!'' exclaimed Ferguson. ``He knows. He's been around a long-g-g time!''
We two agreed to meet Monday and compare notes on the Skins showing in Buffalo.
Hayhurst and Thomas began discussing with me the upcoming election Tuesday. They were remarkably well-informed. Suddenly, I heard myself, an old man, yammering away, instead of listening, learning. I shut up - and did. by CNB