As we close one year and open a new one, a few thoughts on retractable roofs.

In June, the first Wimbledon tennis match was played indoors, thanks to a retractable roof installed over centre court at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. Not only does the structure repel rain, it reflects light — allowing matches to be completed after dark for the first time in the 87-year history of the stadium. Cowboys Stadium, the Jerry Jones tribute to largesse that debuted in August, features something reminiscent of the curious hole in the roof of old Texas Stadium, except the gap in the new ceiling — 292 feet above the playing surface — can be sealed shut.

All things considered, it's been a pretty decent decade for retractable roofs, with convertible stadiums coming online in Milwaukee (2003), Phoenix (2006) and Indianapolis (2008). Fans in Houston can sit comfortably indoors (or out) at both Minute Made Park (2000) and Reliant Stadium (2003).

Wikipedia counts 36 operational or proposed retractable-roofed stadiums worldwide, and the list is destined to expand. In October, the British Columbia government announced a deal had been struck to replace the air-supported dome on BC Place Stadium with a $458 million (Canadian) retractable roof.

But teams still struggle to make an open-and-shut case for such technology. In Minneapolis, the Twins and Golden Gophers have opted to step out of the Metrodome's dark ages and into open-air stadiums, while the Vikings vie for their own new playing venue — preferably one with a retractable roof. (Barring that, the team may find its new home in balmy Los Angeles.) TCF Bank Stadium debuted this fall on the University of Minnesota campus to rave reviews, and the Twins will open their 2010 Target Field schedule April 12 (average Minneapolis temperature: 46 degrees Fahrenheit) — to the delight of purists who appreciate panoramic views and a perceived cold-weather home-field advantage, but much to the chagrin of folks who travel from as far away as the Dakotas to see their favorite team play in person.

My home team plays Major League Baseball a mere 40-minute drive away, under a retractable roof. But my first impressions of Miller Park during that inaugural 2003 season were not good. Sitting behind the visitors' dugout, I felt like I was watching baseball inside a coffee can — and that was with the lid open. The Brewers took the 10 minutes necessary that night (and after every home game that year) to move the five fan-shaped panels into closed position simply to show the process off.

The novelty has since worn thin, the roof has suffered countless glitches (I witnessed leaking as recently as 2008), and it is closed for far too many games (even ones played on otherwise non-threatening, 60-plus-degree days in Milwaukee). That said, I've come full circle in terms of the retractable roof's practicality. Tailgating in a steady mist is a scenario made much easier to swallow knowing full well that it will be "game on" regardless of outside conditions.

I've also tailgated outside Lambeau Field (two hours to the north), had beers freeze before I could finish the bottle, and then sat on a metal plank in Green Bay temperatures that never exceeded minus-3. Ideal? No. Would I have preferred to watch the Packers play for (and eventually lose) the 2007 NFC Championship in enclosed 70-degree comfort? Not on your sorry lives, Vikings fans.

One year removed from being named coach of the year by his peers, Texas Tech University head football coach Mike Leach is out. Today, Tech fired the man who "60 Minutes" — on the heels of the Red Raiders' 11-1 2008 regular season — labeled "unorthodox and successful." As CBS correspondent and Tech alum Scott Pelley pointed out, sportswriters had taken to calling Leach the "mad scientist of football."

Well, Leach's latest experiment appears to have blown up in his face. According to widespread reports, the coach twice forced one of his players, Adam James, to stand in a dark, confined space known as "The Shed," a building housing electrical equipment that is located adjacent to practice fields, during team workouts two weeks ago. On Monday, the university suspended Leach, who then sought a court injunction in the hopes of coaching the 8-4 Red Raiders against Michigan State in Satuday's Valero Alamo Bowl.

James, the son of ESPN analyst Craig James, alleges he had suffered a concussion and was subsequently mistreated by Leach — the rare coach who never played college football himself (he's a trained lawyer). As inevitably happens (Leach represents the second Big 12 coach this season to lose his job over student-athlete treatment), several players and coaches came to Leach's defense, portraying James as short on Division I ability or just plain soft. In fact, one former wide receivers coach says he disagreed with Leach over offering the lightly recruited James a scholarship in the first place. Others expressed relief upon learning of the coach's dismissal.

Whether Leach was too hard on James is sure to be the subject of future debate (the coach's attorney promises "the fight has just begun"), but I can't help but wonder whether universities are being too hard on today's coaches. I'm reminded of a book I gave my dad for Christmas many years ago. It was written by Jack Conner, who played for Frank Leahy at Notre Dame during the 1940s. In Leahy's Lads, Conner recounts how Irish players looked forward to Saturdays, given that game day represented a welcome break from practice week. Conditioning and contact were emphasized constantly during Leahy's workouts, where quarterbacks took snaps until their hands bled. You can question such extreme measures, but the results speak for themselves: Leahy, who had played for the legendary Knute Rockne, led Notre Dame to national championships in 1943, '46, '47 and '49 — the most successful stretch in the school's storied gridiron history.

Coaches today — whether in South Bend, Ind., or Lubbock, Texas — face  undeniable pressure to win, and their compensation packages invariably reflect that. But schools have shown recently that they're willing to cut their losses, too. Earlier this month, the University of Kansas reportedly paid 2007 national football coach of the year Mark Mangino $3 million to make him and the allegations of player abuse swirling around him go away. Back in February, Texas Tech signed Leach to a five-year, $12.7 million contract. In a statement, Leach claims that his firing is in part related to lingering animosity resulting from last year's contract negotiations. That deal included the provision that Leach be paid a bonus if he remained at the school as of Dec. 31, so the university saves $800,000 in the short term, at least.

Tech can expect a lawsuit "soon," according to Leach attorney Ted Liggett. Maybe one day we'll  know who was truly mistreated this season in Lubbock — James or his head coach.

Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie and his latest bestseller Have A Little Faith, let AB Conference attendees in on the secret of happiness today. "What subject could be more important?" he asked during an engaging hour-long keynote address.

Well, according to Albom, none. By incorporating polished stories about Albert Lewis (the author's lifetime rabbi) and Henry Covington (the drug dealer turned pastor of Detroit's Pilgrim Church, which for years has been operating with a hole in its roof), Albom recited the only 16 words that Lewis told him are required to be happy: "Be satisfied. Be grateful for all that you have and all that God has given you."

Satisfaction, Albom went on to explain, is found more often in the search than the answer, in the journey and not the destination. But in some cases, the destination is nice, too: Thanks to a 10 percent share of all sales from Have a Little Faith and the generous donations from readers, the gaping hole in Pilgrim Church will be replaced in time for Christmas - with the names of every single donor emblazoned on a ceiling plaque. Now that's something to be happy about.  

In his session this morning titled "Burned Out or Fired Up!" Rick Hanetho, executive director of the Northbrook (Ill.) Park District, presented attendees with his C3+P6=Success formula. The Cs include contact, connections, these are the things that count. Passion, purpose, people, process and performance, planning and perserverance comprise the Ps. (Seems like seven Ps to me, but who's counting?)

Hanetho admitted, however, that nothing could have prepared him for the sudden noteriety he received after his park district at the time (in Schaumburg) hosted a dodgeball tournament, which spawned The National Amateur Dodgeball Association. Hanetho subsequently appeared on CNN, ABC News and Fox News (opposite Neil Williams of "The Physical Education Hall of Shame" fame) to defend the long-embattled school kid playground activity. Once he was interviewed by Time magazine, Hanetho was being quoted around the world by people he had never spoken to directly."You've heard of 15 minutes of fame? I had three months of fame," Hanetho said. "It was ridiculous. I'm no expert on dodgeball. I just happened to set up a tournament, and we were having fun with it."

Hanetho's Schaumburg staff took full advantage. They sent rulebooks to the producers of Ben Stiller's 2004 box-office surprise "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," and the sport found a new audience. Vanity Fair even ranked dodgeball the number-one party sport in America. "All because a group of park supervisors in Schaumburg decided to put together this National Amateur Dodgeball Association," Hanetho said. "Sometimes in life, you're put in situations that are unexpected."