John Clay's Sidelines

I know, you are tired of reading about Bruce Springsteen on blogs. (I see that Dennis Dodd has penned a Bruce column in anticipation of Bruce's show Sunday night in St. Louis.) I know, you don't want to hear it anymore. You want to stick to, these days, football.

So I will say only a couple of things about my journey with my friend Mike — better known as "Bear" — to Nashville's Sommet Center on Thursday night to see Bruce.

•   1. After the General Admission drawing, "Bear" was the 90th person in line. I was 91st.
•   2. There were two people between me and the stage directly in front of Steve Van Zandt.
•   3. One of the two was a fourth-grader.
•   4. To honor Joe Strummer's birthday, Bruce played "I Fought the Law."
•   5. To honor Johnny Cash, Bruce played a few bars of "I Walk the Line."
•   6. Bruce played "Loose Ends." (Die-hards will know the significance.)
•   7. Bruce called more audibles than Peyton Manning.
•   8. My legs hurt from standing.
•   9. My wife, who could not attend, is trying really hard not to be jealous.
• 10. No 58-year-old man works harder in a three-hour period than Bruce Springsteen.
• 11. Bruce pulled a grandmother up on the stage for "Dancing in the Dark," slow-danced her, then picked her up and handed her back to the crowd.
• 12. A guitar player from the Philadelphia band Marah played with the band on "Rosalita." A guy beside me thought it was Kid Rock.
• 13. "Bear" and I rolled back into Lexington at 4:20 a.m, my head hit the pillow at 5. I was up at 7.
• 14. Of the 18 Bruce shows, this one ranks easily in my top five.
• 15. I promise now to return to football posts.