A Thousand Words
By Jock Lauterer
At the mountain cabin in Rutherford County we used to have an old bed so soft and concave that we called it “the Canoe.†So one day last fall I decided to flip the mattress and see if that would make any difference. But when I did, much to my surprise, staring back off the mattress label were the mug shots of seven NFL coaches, with testimonials about the wonders of the Coaches’ Choice mattress. (Can’t you just see the Mad Men lining these guys up for their endorsements?) And the names give away the age of the Canoe: Tom Landry, Dallas; Norm Van Brocklin, Atlanta; Don Shula, Miami; Bud Grant, Minnesota; George Allen, L.A.; Tom Fears, New Orleans; and Phil Bengtson, Green Bay. Good grief, this is from the late ’60s! I’ve been sleeping on a 40-plus-year-old mattress? For shame! Needless to say, the Coaches’ Choice has been recycled, and my back is much the happier.
A THOUSAND WORDS
Do you have an important old photo that you value? Email your photo to jock@email.unc.edu and include the story behind the picture. Because every picture tells a story. And its worth? A thousand words.
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