To the objector to the Elton John piece, did you fail to note the thread? "Bizarre Hatred of Random Celebrities."

Get over it. We all have bizarre hatreds. Some of us have just found a shiny, happy place to express them.

Oh yeah, and I hate Elton F. John, too.

...how many apparently perfect people there are posting letters about this woman. I am stunned by the hatefulness expressed here.

The LW obviously knows she's not doing right by these kids. If she was an awful raging bitch, she wouldn't have written the letter in the first place.

You all keep telling her to grow up. Well, it takes a grown up to admit there is a problem. Yes, she doesn't treat the kids well, but it appears that she's trying to find a way to remedy that. Give her a break, and stop throwing stones.

Saw it yesterday and absolutely loved it. It was a hoot. And, I am a long time Mel Brooks fan - I adore the original, and I don't think this film takes its place in any way. It's a completely different view of it.

As for it being homophobic, well, I just want to ask her if she has EVER seen a Mel Brooks movie before? He has made a career of skewering stereotypes, and that's actually one of my favorite things about Mel Brooks.

Yes, this is a loud, over-the-top piece. It feels very much like a filmed stage play, but I (along with the other 2 people who joined me at the movie yesterday) thought it added to the charm. I thought it was awesome, but if you are the kind of person who chooses to check your sense of humor at the door, I would advise against seeing it.

You know, King, I usually think you do a good job on researching and writing intelligent columns, but you dropped the ball on this one.

Joke all you want, but it's quite clear that you have absolutely no knowledge or understanding of Texas A&M and the tradition of the 12th Man.

The Aggie website says it better than I can:

"The tradition of the Twelfth Man was born on the second of January 1922, when an underdog Aggie team was playing Centre College, then the nation's top ranked team. As the hard fought game wore on, and the Aggies dug deeply into their limited reserves, Coach Dana X. Bible remembered a squad man who was not in uniform. He had been up in the press box helping reporters identify players. His name was E. King Gill, and was a former football player who was only playing basketball. Gill was called from the stands, suited up, and stood ready throughout the rest of the game, which A&M finally won 22-14. When the game ended, E. King Gill was the only man left standing on the sidelines for the Aggies. Gill later said, 'I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in case my team needed me.'

This gesture was more than enough for the Aggie Team. Although Gill did not play in the game, he had accepted the call to help his team. He came to be thought of as the Twelfth Man because he stood ready for duty in the event that the eleven men on the gridiron needed assistance. That spirit of readiness for service, desire to support, and enthusiasm helped kindle a flame of devotion among the entire student body; a spirit that has grown vigorously throughout the years. The entire student body at A&M is the Twelfth Man, and they stand during the entire game to show their support. The 12th Man is always in the stands waiting to be called upon if they are needed."

Every game, we stand. And, in every game, a non-player gets to be on the kickoff teams. He wears the number 12.

One of our scholarship foundations is also the 12th Man foundation.

This isn't casual. It isn't offhand. And it's not a joke, no matter how cute you try to be about it or how slow a sports news week it is.

You're welcome if I'm making your day.

Notice, however, if you read my post, that I didn't say the trademark, which has been registered more than once, should be enforced at this point.

I don't necessarily agree with the notion that it is completely diluted, but I can see the argument that it is a relatively common term. But I also agree with the writer who said, "It's another thing, in my opinion, to build a marketing campaign around it. Which is what the Seahawks are doing, which is probably the problem."

More importantly, I do think that to mock a school for attempting to enforce a legal trademark on something that is incredibly important to the school is immature and actually beneath a writer as quality as King. It's a cheap shot. But, ha ha, didn't it make for a cute, sarcastic little column?