Meet Port Townsend’s Super Bowl Winner | Mann Overboard

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No one in PT has jewelry like Markus Koch’s: Two Super Bowl rings. 

Koch, who retired here and is now a certified yoga instructor and massage therapist, was on the Washington Redskins’ world championship teams in 1988 and 1992 as a defensive lineman. His career was cut short by a knee injury, which still bothers him. 

But wait, there’s more. Koch, who’s also a lifeguard at our Mountain View pool, even has a Wikipedia page, where he’s listed as the first German-born NFL player and the first to play in The Big Show. He was a six-year NFL veteran, and is a Canadian citizen who played high school ball in Ontario. 

The Seahawks will be one of the two first teams to play in Germany when they face Tampa Bay in November (set your alarm; 6:30 a.m. kickoff time). The Hawks should invite Koch, a thoughtful guy who was V.P. of the Seattle chapter of the NFL Players’ Association, to fly to Munich with the team. “That might be a good idea,” smiled Koch as he limped over to me at his place with a cup of tea. 

I want to watch some Hawks games this fall with this guy.

— A Black woman on Twitter tweets: “Is it racist to suggest Elon Musk be sent back to Africa?” No. (The Tesla guy is South African). The New Yorker’s Andy Borowitz piles on: “Musk wants to buy Twitter so he can delete everyone’s account but his own.” 

— As a lapsed birder, I’m impressed that a recent Admiralty Audubon group recently counted 46 species of birds at Anderson Lake. Rare bird spottings recently in town: Western tanagers, with their beautiful red and yellow plumage. They’re shy, but easy to spot with their beautiful colors. 

— An ironic birding experience: My wife and I used to do the annual New Year’s Day Audubon bird count in Northern California. One day our small group pulled up to count birds at, of all places, the old schoolhouse in Bodega, Calif. Which just happens to be the prime setting where Hitchcock shot “The Birds.” ‘Twas strange, seeing that famous, photogenic building while birding. But no angry crows attacked us, happy to report. Just scores of turkey vultures flying overhead. 

— Many of my fellow Television Critics Association colleagues are calling AMC’s “Better Call Saul” the best show on television, and I agree. I’m now going through “Saul” withdrawal: The acclaimed series has just gone on midseason break, and its final season won’t conclude until mid-July. The show’s writing is superb. 

— Former Letterman writer Gerard Mulligan tweets: “Had a doctor’s appointment today, but I just didn’t feel like going. So I called in sick.”

—— At Amazon you can snatch a copy of “Honey Trap,” which is about the sleazy world of tabloid journalism. It’s a subject the author, Port Ludlow’s Tony Brenna, knows well. Brenna, a Brit, worked for years on Tabloid Central, Fleet Street. Tony later reported for the National Perspirer, where, among his reporting adventures, he was seized by Idi Amin’s goons and barely escaped with his life and was dumped in the jungle. Far more glamorously, Brenna was once seated in first class alone with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The Enquirer had bought up all the other seats in first so Brenna could get an exclusive on the famous couple’s reunion. Oh, the stories Brenna tells. 

— Channel 5’s “Evening” takes a break at 7:30 tomorrow night from stories on trendy sushi bars and gourmet donuts to give over an entire show to Centrum’s gala. Nice coup, Centrum. It’s Centrum’s first TV special and the show also airs on Centrum.org.  Among the “artists” listed on the show’s website about the Centrum gala are Kenny G and … Michelle Sandoval! I hear Michelle plays a wicked guitar.  

— I spotted a coyote in our Dundee Hill neighborhood the other day, the first I’d seen around here in a while. No roadrunners in sight, though. Speaking of which, here’s a great gag gift in Amazon: A faux ACME catalogue, containing hundreds of the items Wile E. Coyote ordered from ACME to try to catch his roadrunner prey. Things like anvils, iron birdseed, and fake holes.

Meep meep! 

(Bill welcomes your feedback; newsmann9@gmail.com.)