W WOULD THINK THE TRYOUT RANKS HIGHER TOO:

Alberta MP tips hat to Dubya (EARL MCRAE, 12/05/04, Ottawa Sun)

In the Commons a couple of weeks ago, Myron Thompson crossed the floor and asked Paul Martin if the prime minister could arrange a "short" meeting between the president and Myron so that Myron could express the support from the Canadian families.

Myron also put the request to Stephen Harper, and the PM personally invited Myron to the Bush gala dinner, and Harper took Myron along for his private talk with Bush at the Congress Centre.

"I was excited, I couldn't believe I was going to meet him," says Myron. [...]

Thompson and Bush got into bantering.

Dubya: "I Iike you, man. You tell it straight."

Myron: "I like you, too."

Dubya: "You sure you don't have some Texas in you?"

Myron: "I was born in Colorado, but wasn't it bought out by Texas?"

Rice: "Colorado. I spent a lot of time in Denver."

Cellucci: "Myron, Mr. President, once had a tryout with the New York Yankees."

Dubya: "Let me see your hands. Hmmm. Catcher, right?"

Myron: "You're right. But they had two others at the time named Yogi Berra and Elston Howard.:

Dubya: "Yeah. The competition was rough back then."

Myron Thompson from his car: "On our way back Stephen said 'Man, you two guys sure hit it off.' It was something I'll never forget. Only one thing ranks higher. My tryout with the Yankees."