Ask Sir Charles

Q: Charles, one of the things I've always appreciated is that when you talk about basketball on TV, you don't start every sentence with, "When I played . . . " Why do you think it's so hard for some analysts to refrain from constantly reminding us that they once played the game?

- A hoops fan in Haddonfield

A: Well, I know I played and the viewers know I played so to keep putting that into a sentence is a redundancy, in my opinion. Maybe some of the athletes need to boost their egos by constantly referring to their playing days because their careers weren't all that memorable.

Q: After a whole lot of complaining about being single, a friend finally decided to sign up for an online dating service. But now all she does is complain about the guys who express interest in her. They're all too short, or too blond or have some other stupid flaw. I'm happy that she is finally putting herself out there, but I think she's being a little unreasonable. How long do I let her complaint before I tell her that this may be why she's still single?

- A fed-up friend in Manayunk

A: How can she tell from an online dating site that the dudes are too short, too blond or too whatever for her to consider? Nobody tells the truth on those sites anyway. You think you're going out with Brad Pitt and the guy shows up with sweaty pits. Don't put too much faith in online dating. Nothing beats good old-fashioned socializing. You can still lie about yourself, but at least you can't hide behind your looks. Seriously, relationships aren't easy and you need to connect on many levels. Instead of discouraging your friend, you should be more supportive. That's what friends are for. And lots of people are happy being single.

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