To manscape, or not to manscape, that is the question.

Recently, the subject of "manscaping" came up amongst mixed company and I have to admit that several points were made regarding the issue. For those of you lucky enough to be unfamiliar with the term "manscape", its the process of removing, plucking, trimming, or (argh) waxing hair from the male body. As it turns out, women do like a man to be groomed but, preferrably, not to the extremes some men are known to go to achieve the look of a paid model. That being said, Da' Man Cave has established the following rules regarding manscaping. Any deviation from the rules shall be at the risk of losing man-points!

1. PAID MODELS - If you have a body someone pays to see in a magazine, movie, TV show, or on a billboard... manscape. Its your bread and butter and pays the bills. Just make sure you belch and scratch yourself every once and awhile to remind everyone that you're still doing it for the money.

2. DO IT FOR YOUR TEAM! - This is definitely a case where manscaping can be an asset. It isn't very often a guy has enough hair on their body to shave the logo of your favorite team or the number of your favorite player clearly. You get extra points if you can shave the number AND name on your back. However, there is a small drawback. Your wife/girlfriend may require you wipe the "slate" clean to avoid embarrassment at the next BBQ or pool party. If you're single, rock it until the end of the season!

3. PLAY BASKETBALL? - If you play basketball or any other close-contact sport shirtless on a regular basis... manscape. You'll have an open lane to the basket if your back hair is matted down with sweat every time. You don't have to wax but trimming it down is always appreciated by the germ-a-phobe unlucky enough to pull guard duty on you.

4. KOJAK? DR. EVIL? - Da' Man Cave takes a stance against any type of waxing in the nether-region. Number one, it has to be the strangest look in the world (even for porn stars) and, number two, its got to hurt like hell to even think about doing it. Of course, any guy willing to endure the pain and discomfort of waxing the baby-makers earns props in the tough guy category... for awhile at least.

Why are you crying?!

At the end of last weekend's SEC Championship game between Alabama and Florida the network cameras began scanning the Gator crowd showing fans in utter disgust crying with faces in their hands. The next shot on the screen happens to be Florida quaterback Tim Tebow doing the exact same thing... except he was not covering his face. As time ran out, the cameras stuck with Tebow as the tears continued to stream down his face while his bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. I couldn't help but make a few comments at the screen (i.e.-Suck it up! Man up! People are watching!) before my wife surprisingly stood up for Tebow and announced that there's absolutely nothing wrong with an athlete showing some emotion and sensitivity. Emotion on the field? Okay. Sensitivity on the field? No... at least not in my coach's handbook. Seeing all of this estrogen-laden display at the end of the game made me wonder. When is it okay for men to openly display emotion and tears without losing man-card points? Well, I've come up with the Top 5 instances athletes are given a "pass" on public displays of emotion. It should be noted that funerals, daughter's weddings, and the birth of children are not included for obvious reasons.

#5 - CHAMPIONSHIPS - Winning a championship, even if its in your city bowling league, can qualify... but only the first time. When Michael Jordan won his first NBA Championship, everyone expected to see the waterworks because it was so meaningful... but after his 6th title, he should be able to reign it in.

#4 - GOLD MEDALS - When you're representing your entire country in a sporting event and you whip the ass of the rest of the world, yes, go ahead and cry. Standing up on the highest pedalstal receiving your medal during the national anthem is well worth it.

#3 - LOSSES - Although rare, crying after a loss is okay... only if YOU are the reason for the loss. Costing your team a championship, blowing it when everything is on the line and the only place to point the finger is in the mirror? Yeah, its okay to tear up because your disgusted teammates will make you if you don't.

#2 - RETIREMENT - When an athlete finally realizes that he has nothing left to offer the game he has played so many years, hanging it up is still the toughest thing to do. Playing a sport at a professional level and playing a sport at a professional level well are two completely different things. Peyton Manning can cry all he wants when his time is up. The guy that holds the ball for field goals?... not so much. Brett Favre is an exception to this rule... he's already cried enough for three retirements and he's still playing.

#1 - HALL OF FAME - I don't care if its the Ping Pong Hall of Fame, if an entire sport deems you worthy of recognition forever then its time to pull out the hankies. Many players can excel at a sport at any time but few can garner HOF recognition for their accomplishments. Its a select group of athletes that will be remembered as long as the game is played.

You're what?!

There are only a handful of phrases, comments, and words at a woman's disposal that have the ability to focus a man's attention to every single word that flows from her lips. "I'm pregnant." happens to be at the top of that very short list of phrases. I can't speak for other men but I can count the number of times I have heard those words on one hand. Each time, my heart would stop and the religion I had lost would suddenly reappear. Its impossible to truly describe the feeling that flows through your veins when dealing with a situation like that but its what happens immediately afterwards that means everything to the woman involved. This is what I dealt with last week during our Thanksgiving break.

When my wife and I married 3 years ago, we briefly discussed the possibility of having another child. Sharing the birth of a child is a special bond between a couple that can never be broken. Since we both had children of our own from previous marriages, we decided that it might be best to enjoy the freedoms that come with having older children and the financial benefits that come with middle age. I can honestly say that we became "set in our ways" over the next three years as she focused on Hannah's soccer, volleyball and basketball activites while I concentrated on Kendall's high school volleyball and getting Courtney into Baylor University. All of this on top of her pursuing her doctorate... so whats a 43 year old man to do when he hears those words when they are definitely least expected? You smile, you hold your wife, tell her you love her, and you pray for a boy.