RETURN OF THE LEGEND!

My nickname came about 16 years ago.

I was visiting my best friend in Indianapolis who was engaged to be married. (As opposed to engaged to be what, exactly?) He opened the door and said, “Here’s my fiancee.”

She looked me up and down. “I’m going to find out.”

Wow. Forward.

“Your middle name,” my friend quickly blurted out. “She wants to know your middle name.”

It’s L.

Just the letter.

This wasn’t good enough for her.

We spent the evening together having a good time. Beers were involved. When the night was through, I took my leave and went home. The next morning my friend called me.

“She figured it out,” he said.

Okay.

“The L stands for ‘Legend’,” he said. “Because you don’t meet Bill. You experience him.”

That nickname has cropped up off and on over the 16 years since. It’s pretty much retired -- there’s not much room for personal ego when you have three kids -- but, every now and then, I like to remind my wife that she’s married to the Legend.

And then she reminds me that she has the ability to roll her eyes so far back she can actually see her own brain.

I haven’t blogged in years. I did it sporadically about eight years ago, but I didn’t really enjoy it. I didn’t feel like there was anything inside me that I wanted to let out. (Insert own multiple beer joke here.) But, recent events have led me to realize that, unless I get some things off my chest, I’ll never feel right.

So here we go.

I’m a sportswriter in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Actually, I’m the sports editor. Which carries about as much weight in this town as being a head waiter at a Burger King. I digress. I married my beautiful wife 11 years ago, and have produced three wonderful kids with her. (To be honest, she did most of the work. I simply contributed the raw materials. She ran the factory.) I’ve lived here for seven years. Before that, I lived in 15 different cities in seven different states.

Never went too far north at least.

Not long ago, I had a really bad bout with depression. It’s a diagnosis I don’t take lightly, and I haven’t had a bout like that one in years. But I found out who my friends are. (Read: almost none.) Which is okay, as that’s been a running theme for a guy who grew up getting moved from one school to another because your parents are in real estate.

Since I have few friends, but a lot of thoughts, I plan to take advantage of both with this here electronic diary blog. I’ll fill you in on what’s happening in the world of sports, movies and life as I see it. As you read in the coming weeks and months, you’ll get some laughs. You may think a little bit. (Very little.) And I guarantee, at some point, you’ll be pissed off.

So pull up a chair. Share your thoughts with me. I’ll respond. And come see what I’m made of.

See what I mean? You just experienced the Legend.

Yeah, okay. Lame. I’ll do better next time.