Imagine, if you will, having done nothing with your life more substantive than arranging sports trips and living within shouting distance of Mondauk Common.

You can either look in the mirror and trim that beard of yours or run to the computer, flex keyboard muscles and create hundreds of fake email addresses and criticize fellow Temple grads who actually accomplished something like nearly win a Heisman Trophy or actually did win the top sportswriting award in the state of Pennsylvania. Being that bitter and small are hours and days in your life you can never get back, a complete waste of time much better spent with family.

Said person instead of spending quality time with the wife and kids recently impugned the integrity of Paul Palmer by writing he wasn’t humble enough for his taste.

Like everything he writes, it never saw the light of day on this blog but I’m sure he’s going to waste his time creating another fake email address and name to respond.

Sometimes you have to bring out the receipts.

Hell, you can pretend to hate the only Temple football sports blog of note but never miss a single post. What’s that about? If I hated a Youtube content provider site or a blog, I would never visit it again. I wouldn’t stalk the site but that’s me. I’m not mentally ill.

Small guys who need professional help but don’t know it would. Small isn’t even the word. Tiny and microscopic might be but we won’t talk about that guy today.

To me, Paul Palmer is not only the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of Temple football but, arguably, the most humble. (Hell, it’s him or Joe Klecko but, considering that Paul is around for every Temple game and Joe isn’t, I will give the nod to Boo.) I’ve known Paul for almost 40 years and the most impressive thing about him is not is accomplishments on the field (many, check the record books) but his humility off of it. The numbers say Palmer should have won Heisman in 1986 but regional biases opened the door for Miami’s Vinny Testaverde to edge him instead. Finishing behind Palmer in the voting that year were Jim Harbaugh of Michigan and Brian Bosworth of Oklahoma.

Paul once told me about first meeting Geoff Collins, who extended his hand and said: “Hey, coach, what school are you from?” without even knowing he was speaking to the greatest running back in Temple history.

Paul just answered the question and walked away, leaving others to fill Collins in on the deal. That doesn’t sound like a conceited person to me.

The above somewhat new video found by Zamani Feelings (thanks, Zamani) is Paul kicking Alabama’s ass in a 24-14 loss. I have to laugh when people like the sports trip guy say the 2016 team was better than Palmer’s team or the 1979 team. Any Bama team would have beaten the 2016 Temple team (and Toledo actually did) much worse. Great video. Wish Temple had done a better job creating highlight videos of past teams, but you often have to find them through other schools.

Palmer once said publicly that “Mike Gibson is My guy” but, really, Paul should be every Temple fan’s guy. Paul still holds the Temple record for most all-purpose yardage and, except for a Herculean Day by Montel Harris at West Point, would also still hold the single-game rushing record (349 yards). Harris scored seven touchdowns and 351 yards that day in a 62-39 win over Army.

On Palmer’s special day, a 349-yard game at Veterans Stadium against East Carolina, I filed my story for Calkins Newspapers and was rushed to the hospital the next day. Three weeks later, I was out and Paul shaked my hand and welcomed me back. In between, Temple SID (and assistant AD) Al Shrier called while I was at the hospital, as did then current coach Bruce Arians and former coach Wayne Hardin. Their words meant a lot. (I suspect Mr. Shrier had a lot to do with those calls.)

I almost died before getting heart surgery.

Everything since then has been and will remain borrowed time.

Years later, I’ve gotten to know Paul better than I ever did as a reporter who kept objective distance when he was a player.

He’s a good man. Humble, especially considering all he’s done for his alma mater and always has time to talk to every Temple fan. He’s currently the radio color guy.

Maybe one day a Temple fan who criticizes him will win the best sports fan bus trip award in the state of Pennsylvania.

I doubt it. Until then, he should probably STFU.

Friday: Recruiting