Michael Jordan cheered for his son Marcus...

...recently as he and his school, Whitney Young, won the Illinois state basketball championship. Apparently, Jordan had tears in his eyes as he watched his son's last high school game. As a father I can certainly relate to that. I've never been one to cry easily but I could imagine my eyes welling up at an emotional moment like that.

It reminds me of another story of a famous guy crying. In December of 2007, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney appeared on Meet the Press and said that he...

...wept with relief when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon church, announced a 1978 revelation that the priesthood would no longer be denied to persons of African descent.

His eyes appeared to fill with tears as he discussed the emotional subject...

“I was anxious to see a change in my church,” said the Republican presidential candidate, appearing for the full hour just two weeks ahead of the crucial Iowa caucuses.

“I can remember when I heard about the change being made. I was driving home from — I think it was law school, but I was driving home — going through the Fresh Pond rotary in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I heard it on the radio and I pulled over and literally wept.

“Even to this day, it’s emotional,” Romney went on.

I wonder if it really happened that way. I'm having trouble picturing it for some reason. Did Romney cut across traffic and SCREECH the tires as he pulled over and skidded to a stop? Did he put his head down on the steering wheel? For how long did he cry? A few seconds? A few minutes? Longer? Did he need to pull out his handkerchief or did he just use his hands to wipe away the tears? Did he weep quietly or did he rear back his head and cry REAL LOUD? And did he have one of those little bubbles coming out of his nose? He didn't say if there were other people in the car. If so, what were they thinking? I can just imagine them looking at each other.

"What the ..."

"Are you okay? Is there something you want to tell us?"

"Was it something you heard on the radio? Was it the weatherman? Did he say this cold snap was going to last longer than he thought? Tell us Mitt!"

"Was it that thing about the Mormon Church? Oh yeah, you're a Mormon. I forgot. That must have been it. What did he say again? Are they going to let blacks be priests, or something? Is that good or bad? Was that it, Mitt? For the love of God shake your head, YES OR NO!"

Maybe that's how it happened. Maybe I'm just too cynical.