Happy Birthday, Willie.

April 29th is the birthday of one Willie Hugh Nelson. The Red-Headed Stranger never made it any further as an athlete than a stint as a halfback for Abbott High in Abbott, Texas. But that isn't going to stop this sports blog from acknowledging his many accomplishments, including:

• Writing "On the Road Again" while actually sitting on an airplane with Sydney Pollack.
• Settling his $32,000,000 federal tax debt in part by releasing an album called The IRS Tapes: Who Will Buy My Memories?
• Being sewn into a bed sheet and beaten with a broomstick by his wife.
• Performing "Up Against the Wall, You Redneck Mother" with First Lady Rosalynn Carter in concert at the White House.
• Living parts of the year in a sustainable compound in Maui where he plays poker with neighbor Owen Wilson.
• Releasing roughly 70 studio albums (or more, depends on what day it is). And . . .
• Making a hit country song with Julio Iglesias and writing with Snoop Dogg because why the hell not:

Happy birthday, Willie. Until later . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!