Our day

There are three dates circled on the Spam calendar that hangs near the desks of Valley Life Editor Casey Ressler, and myself.

Not circled are the birthdates of his wife or daughter, or my fianc/e. Not circled are the dates of any of the hundred Frontiersman deadlines. Not circled are holidays-- not even Christmas, Halloween or Independence Day.

Circled are three dates Ressler and I not only look forward to, but refer to on a constant basis. These days that take on a sort of religious experience -- Super Bowl Sunday, the Saturday of the Great Alaskan Beer Tasting Festival and the day of our fantasy football draft.

While each of the days are valued in our hearts, it is the latter that is now the greatest on our minds -- as today is the day of the third-annual WAFFLE draft.

The WAFFLE -- Wasilla Area Fantasy Football League of Excellence (clever, huh?) -- combines a group of 10 minor local celebrities with little claim to fame, but a legendary status in our own minds -- mostly current or former coaches or employees of the

Frontiersman.

It is a day in which sports smack is the language of choice -- a day in which several different types of meat products and wheat and barley beverages are consumed -- a day in which 10 lucky souls choose a squad that leads them either to mockery or praise.

This is where each of us lives out the dream of one day running our own National Football League team.

A religious experience, it is a day that combines the surprise of Christmas morning and the debauchery of a bachelor party.

A day we should never forget, but hope we can remember.

Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz hopes by the time you read this column Priest Holmes, Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis are all on his Palmer Long

Snappers squad.