Bump 'n Run at 41...3 Weirds

On Monday, around 11:30 a.m. a 20-something man with a black leather jacket and neatly-trimmed goatee peered into the media workroom. Pointing a finger at a man 30 yards away giving a stand-up interview to a TV reporter, leather jacket asked me, "Is that Brian Urlacher?" It was actually Sean Salisbury.

I went on walkabout to find some lunch. I eventually wound up at a walk-in sub shop called the Miami Grill on Washington Street. Upon going in, I saw Mark Schlereth and Trey Wingo from ESPN and said hello, introducing myself. After they left, a man and a woman who'd been speaking Spanish turned to me and said, "Are you from NBC?" I said, "Yes, NBCSports.com." A few seconds later, the man held out a piece of paper and a pen, apparently asking for an autograph. I shook my head. Then, not wanting to seem like I was giving the Bill Russell treatment, I tried to explain, "I'm not..." The woman interrupted, "You're not anyone?" Correct.

Hopping, hopping Miami Beach has Collins Avenue running along the shore for miles. I'm fortunate to be staying in a hotel on the beach. Sadly, hopping, hopping Miami Beach where I am has shut down at 11 p.m. so far this week. Monday night that posed a problem because after returning from the Colts press conferences at 11:10, I was starving. So I took an $8 cab to Lincoln Road Mall which was tumbleweeds as well. I got a piece of pizza at this joint Pizza Rustica and a coke and headed back to my hotel in another cab. This is where it gets kinda funny. My cabby is sitting at a red light when, inexplicably, he starts backing up. He doesn't hear the tinny little horn beeping behind him and backs into a 1987 Honda Civic. "Ooooh!" he shouted. I wanted answers. "Why were you backing up?!" He explained that he wanted to get into the right lane to take a right and needed room. Whatever. No damage. Little was said until the end of the ride when I paid him and said thanks. "Sorry for the accident," he hollered as I got out. Not what you want to hear at the end of a cab ride.