The 'Joe the Plumber' I know, why he's referred to as 'Just Joe,' and Congrats to The Tampa Bay Rays

Yes, there is another Joe the Plumber out there. Shocker. Picture Chunk from one of my favorite '80s movies, The Goonies, and you get Joe. Sometimes, he'll do a spit take, because he talks so fast. It's a mouth moving with words coming out at warp speed.

Like the Joe the Plumber from Toledo, OH, bless his heart, he means well but just throws information out there at times. I visited Joe and his wife with my then-girlfriend a few months ago in Helen, Ga. At one point, Joe was just wrong about a point he addressed.

"Military cooks don't have to know how to use a gun when they go over to Iraq. I know a guy back in Augusta who just came back who told me that."

"Joe, they all have to successfully get through basic training. All of them have to prove they can proficiently use a gun," I retorted.

"No, they don't. Man, I'll prove it to you and call him right now. He'll tell you the same thing."

"Then, he's lying to you, Joe."

"Joe, if they come under fire, they're expected to defend themselves," my then-girlfriend added. Like Joe, she's also a military brat who lived in Germany.

I first met Joe 14 years ago, a year after I moved to Augusta. We worked together when I got my first job at Burger King. It was fun. We threw food at each other, took whoppers out of our bin, ate them behind the broiler or freezer, talked to customers on our headsets after sucking down some helium, and enjoyed working around some unique individuals. I quickly learned Joe liked to exagerrate for gaining acceptance. This was either a low self-esteem problem or lack of attention he felt he was receiving.

There was another time when another friend of ours joined us. Joe said his uncle worked at NASA and said the film Independence Day is close to the truth. He added his uncle works in a facility that houses alien lifeforms. Wow. A few minutes later, he said his uncle helped design the Nintendo game system. Oh, boy.

"Is this the same uncle who worked at NASA?"

"Yeah."

"Those are two different trades, Joe."

"O.k. So, my uncle doesn't work for NASA, but he did help program some of the games for Nintendo."

So, it went from his uncle working around aliens to creating Nintendo to helping design a few of the games. Joe is still a good friend today. Like the other Joe, he didn't have a license for a long time. He finally got it over a year ago and does make good money working near Atlanta. Albeit his tendencies to stretch the truth, he's a good guy with a great sense of humor and hard worker.

'Just Joe'

My friend and I conjured up the nickname Just Joe every time I've spoken to Joe. A former World Wrestling Entertainment character was dubbed Just Joe. His role wasn't really one of grappling in the ring but one that spread outrageous false rumors about a wrestler backstage. The rumors eventually were discovered by that wrestler and naturally his veins were about to burst. Just Joe would meet this wrestler and say, "Whoa. Don't shoot the messenger. This is just what I've heard from (any name can apply here)." So, Joe really personifies this WWE character. He's just the messenger who doesn't know better when he brings up some outrageous story and additionally, addresses a current or historical topic he is ill-informed on.

I've had serious talks with Joe after catching him tongue-tied at times in these fabrications. Each time, I tell him he doesn't have to say these things to impress me or anyone else. That's not why I'm friends with him. Unfortunately, old habits for some don't die.

Hard to swallow but Congrats to The Tampa Bay Rays

I wouldn't be writing this if my Boston Red Sox lost to The New York Yankees. The Sox lost a hard fought game last night that featured outstanding pitching and opportunities squandered. This Rays' team is resilient and appeared to be ready to pack it in. However, they seized upon the few opportunities given to them. This proved to be the difference.

The Rays are a team that just goes out and plays each day. Their manager stresses to his team they treat a playoff game just like a regular season one. His low-key, optimistic treatment of his players is reflective in their performances. They're great athletes who appear to be a contender for years to come. And what does America love the most -- an underdog. This has been the ultimate underdog story. Since 1976, the inception of free agency, this team has the lowest payroll of any other to make it to the World Series. I love what their manager said on how his team approaches overcoming adversity: "We seem to be at our best when everything seems to be at its worse."