Dad

Tom opens calling it the "hardest fought season ever. " I'm not sure about that, but I will say that this is one with a lot of strong competitors, few loathsome personalities, and a satisfying final three. It starts with the pro dancers (the "real" pro dancers, not just the troupe) dancing to a song I would probably know if I were 20 years younger, but I'm not and the only 16-year-old in this house is a cat. At the end of the song, we get the pros walking the floor with their celebrity partners.

Last week, on what would have been his father's 79th birthday, Chad Unitas visited his grave at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. There, on the edge of a pond filled with ducks and ringed by weeping willows, he knelt by the marble marker and spoke with the one many call football's greatest quarterback. "I go there a couple of times a month, to ask my dad's advice about this and that," Unitas said. "He's been gone 10 years, but I can still hear his voice. " Johnny Unitas died of a heart attack Sept.

In this week's Lunch for $10 or Less review, John Lindner visits the Southeast Anchor Library in Highlandtown WHAT?? A library?!!? I thought this was a lunch review?! It's true. You could look it up. The 1,164 square-foot cafe sells coffee, specialty drinks, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and food prepared off premises by David and  Dad's and more. How is it?  Here's that review of David and Dad's at the Southeast Anchor Library .

When Mark Chewning was a kid, he dreamed of being an artist. But at some point, the Baltimore resident's dream became all but dormant, giving way to about 27 years in the photograph-retouching business and a stint as supermarket deli clerk, as well as marriage, parenting, unemployment, divorce and self-doubt. Last week, Chewning, 54, was honored as the Student of the Year at Howard Community College. The single parent says his dream of becoming an artist will probably never come to fruition.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Close your eyes and you can hear the father's voice as the son speaks. Open your eyes and look beneath the son's spikes and you can recall the days when the father left a trail of tobacco juice on the outfield turf at Veterans Stadium. There is no mistaking this is Lenny Dykstra's son, and he's more than happy to admit it. Three years ago, when the Milwaukee Brewers selected Cutter Dykstra in the second round of the baseball draft, it was a feel-good story about the son trying to follow in the father's footsteps.

You hear a lot about mothers in the kitchen, but for Father's Day, we want to know what dads have been cooking. We're looking for Maryland fathers -- and their families -- to talk to about a father's place in the kitchen, favorite recipes and memories of time spent cooking with the family. E-mail joseph.burris@baltsun.com with your name, phone number and a brief description of what the father likes to cook. Recipes are welcome. Please put "Dad in the kitchen" in the subject line.

Dad wanted me to tell you this: He does not need any new ties for Father's Day. And stay away from golf balls and socks, too -- he's got more than enough of those, thanks. So, what to get the old man? Well, we have some ideas for a half-dozen gifts that will make Dad smile. And you'll smile too, because when Dad is happy, isn't everyone happy? Give the shirt on his back What: Relaxed-fit sun-washed shirt Why: Dad works hard. He ought to relax. And this soft cotton shirt in colorful solids or stripes is just the thing to make the head honcho sit back and watch the clouds float on by. Where: Available for $39.50 at The Gap or www.gap.

MY FATHER VISITS every year about this time.Arriving a few weeks before Christmas, he stays until a week or so after the New Year.He's his old self, a meticulous record keeper and list maker, protector and preserver of family traditions.Preparing the house for the holidays, I go upstairs to the hall closet, next to the children's empty bedrooms, and carefully take out the old cardboard box marked ''Lionel Electric Trains, No. 267 W. Streamliner with Remote Control Railroad Whistle.''It's tied with the heavy string he probably used when he first put away the box after Christmas in 1939.

Golf clothes - once a man's sad foray into splashy fashion - have come a long way. The newest styles and patterns are handsome and tasteful enough to wear for a casual day at the office.Nautica has come out with a refined collection of waterproof jackets, trousers and pique knit shirts in classic shades such as navy, khaki and white. For the uptown dad, Brooks Brothers has created silk golf shirts in "club-approved" hues including melon, salmon and yellow.Nordstrom has introduced its own Callaway Golf line that includes merino wool V-neck vests and spikeless, waterproof shoes.

LOS ANGELES - It was the last thing I had to do before leaving. Earlier that day I had walked into my parents' bedroom to get something out of their closet. Dad had said "Hiya, Philly!" It stopped me in my tracks. It was the clearest thing he had said in weeks. By that time the cancer had so ravaged his brain that clear speech, much less thought, was all but impossible. But there it was, "Hiya, Philly!" Just like when I was a little kid. Dad slurred the "Ph" sound a little, but aside from that, and his obvious ill appearance - bald head, beard, swollen features - it was pure Dad. Even then, after nearly a year of Hell - chemotherapy, feeling awful all the time, pain, morphine, moaning for hours some nights - even then, Dad was being strong for me. The part of him that always had to be positive, chipper, upbeat, the part of him that came from his mother, was still alive, somewhere, somehow.

"Game Faces" is an ongoing series where we will look at the people behind the well-worn game controllers of Baltimore. They might be your neighbor, your elected official or your bartender. Whoever they are, they love games, just like you. Want to show us your "Game Face"? Drop us a line at gamecacheb@gmail.com or on Twitter, @ dave _ gilmore . Think of it as an 800-word version of #FollowFriday. Dustin Horning ( @ Dustbuster 420 ) has a life that would make a pretty good driving game.

A stay-at-home dad, offended by a television commercial that made dads look like dummies, has used social media — the same cudgel that forced Bank of America to back off last year from plans to hike fees — to get the makers of Huggies disposable diapers to take the ad off the air. But the real surprise might be that everybody was very polite about it. Chris Routly of Allentown, Pa., stays home to care for 3-year-old Tucker and 14-month-old Coltrane...

The substitute teacher doesn't know Robert Richardson III. Neither does the school bus driver, or the stay-at-home mom. It doesn't matter to them. They're driven to help the 16-year-old who is being held in the Harford County Detention Center. Police say he confessed to killing his father at their Bel Air home last month and dumping the body at the edge of a pond near his grandmother's home in Aberdeen. In an unusual outpouring of support, women have organized fundraisers to cover Richardson's legal costs.

Zeke Salvo made an impression on the Perry Hall wrestling team last season with a 36-3 record, and this year, as a sophomore, he has continued to build a strong resume in his 106-pound weight class. At 13-0, he has his sights set on winning a state wrestling title and "becoming a more educated wrestler and more of a student of the game. " His coach, Jake Roche, describes Salvo, 15, as "the total package. " He carries a 3.85 GPA, and his dedication to the sport serves as a model for the 6-0 Gators.

Pe'Shon Howard extends his wrists to display tattoos of stars — the sort you might see on the door to a Hollywood actor's dressing room. They are appropriate symbols for a point guard who grew up immersed in celebrity culture as the grandson of a Los Angeles hair stylist who worked on movie sets with Eddie Murphy and other A-list actors. His teammates sometimes call Howard — who is naturally theatrical — "Hollywood P. " But then the Maryland sophomore — whose Terps (10-3)

NAME: Tab OWNER: Jerry, Peggy and Colleen HOW THEY MET: My dad brought Tab and his sister (Miss Putter) home from Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point AGE: 16 HOME: Highlandtown BREED: Ginger tabby                                       BEST TRICK: When Tab was a year old, if I threw a rabbit's foot up the stairs, he would fly up the stairs and retrieve it over and over again. Now, when I say “jump” he jumps up on the couch, curls up and takes a nap. FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Eating and sleeping FAVORITE FOOD: Whatever my dad is eating and whipped cream from a can!

Poor dad. Father's Day is coming up, and he usually has a pretty good idea of the surprises in store for him. OK, you may have come up with some Orioles tickets or new sports equipment, but on the sartorial side, chances are he's getting some new ties.Just as well, you say, because dad doesn't really know how to pull it together. He wears the same predictable stuff in a nice dad sort of way.We know better. Underneath that fatherly exterior may beat the heart of a fashion plate. He just needs some encouragement.

NBC Sports shared some of the interview that Tony Dungy did with Ravens coach John Harbaugh. It will air tonight during NBC's prime-time coverage. NOTE [from NBC]: John Harbaugh's brother is San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Their father, Jack, was a longtime college football coach, including as an assistant at Michigan. DUNGY: If I were to describe you and your brother Jim, two words would be intense and competitive. Is that from growing up with a dad as a coach or is that from growing up together?

The countdown to the season finale has begun on “Terra Nova,” and God help me, at this point, I am invested in this outcome. Gosh, where to begin. Well, Lucas is back, with his CrazySexyMath, insane blue eyes and -- unexpectedly -- some pretty prominent pectorals. The 11 th pilgrimage is days away, putting the entirety of Terra Nova on high alert, with good reason. Lucas has finally perfected his calculations, which would allow him to travel forward in time, as well as backward.