The Fourth of July means different things to different people. There are fireworks and parades and barbecues -- and baseball, of course.

But let's not lose sight of the historical significance of Independence Day.

With thanks to Wikipedia and several other sources to refresh my memory from Miss Sebelius' high school history class, the second Continental Congress actually declared independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776.

John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, the next day, declaring July 2 would go down in history. He was off by a couple days, but the words he wrote are stirring.

Part of Adams' letter follows:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.

It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

On July 4, the Declaration of Independence, whose principal author was Thomas Jefferson, was adopted by the Continental Congress. Some changes were made to the original text, and some sections were taken out (including one condemning slavery). Most delegates did not sign it until August 2.

In part, it reads: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. ..."

Ironically, Adams and Jefferson, two of the founding fathers, died on the same day: July 4, 1826.

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For those interested, the HBO miniseries on John Adams gives good insight to the events of that period. The musical "1776" also is entertaining. An offbeat tribute to the founding fathers can be found from the TV series "Family Ties" starring Michael J. Fox. In an episode which aired in January of 1985 (I still have it on tape -- somewhere), Alex Keaton is working on a term paper on Thomas Jefferson when he falls asleep and dreams about the Constitutional Convention. In TV.com's synopsis, Alex's father is Thomas Jefferson and has just turned down John Adams' request to write the Declaration of Independence.

So it's up to Alex to convince him to do it.

I remember being moved by the episode, whose theme was how lives, history, everything can be changed by the things we do -- or don't do.

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Where were you 10 years ago? On July 4, 1999, the U.S. women's soccer team won in the semifinals of the World Cup, then beat China in the championship game on July 10. That was the match won on Brandi Chastain's PK, with her celebrating by taking off her shirt and revealing the world's most famous sports bra (I have those matches on tape somewhere, too). It was, and still is, the most-attended women's sports event in history with an attendance of 90,185 fans in the Rose Bowl.

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For soccerheads, a book coming out on July 14 by Grant Wahl ("The Beckham Experiment") details David Beckham's arrival to MLS. "Sports Illustrated" runs an excerpt in this week's issue, and paints not a pretty picture of Becks.

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"The Sporting News" lists this week the MLB parks in order, from best to worst. Coming in a pleasantly surprising sixth was the Royals' Kauffman Stadium. The top five by TSN: Fenway Park (Red Sox); PNC Park (Pirates); Wrigley Field (Cubs); Camden Yards (Orioles); AT&T Park (Giants).

Least favorite? The Rays' Tropicana Field. I am a ball park nut, with books on old, long forgotten parks, and get a calendar every year with paintings of MLB parks.

I am looking forward to seeing the Twins' new field next spring, and the Marlins get a new home (finally) in 2012.

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The Baltimore Ravens excelled in stopping the run under defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, now the head coach for the Jets. In a recent story, Ryan bragged his defense could stop anybody's running game, and it was a top priority.

As Fort Hays State University enters the 2009 season, the Tigers return several key players from a defensive unit that was one of the top run-stoppers in the MIAA the past two seasons, according to a release from the school. While true the Tigers lose two-time all-MIAA selection Ty Brunswig, they will have fifth-year senior Charlie Carr, who enters the season with a 28-consecutive starts streak, anchoring the line.

"Charlie is the heart and soul of our defensive line," said Tiger coach Kevin Verdugo in the news release.

The other two regular starters returning from last season are juniors Jacob Crossman and Garrett Nikkel. Nikkel led the team in sacks last year with three.

The Tigers also are counting on other players to contribute on the defensive line. Verdugo likens it to a hockey team.

"That defensive line is like a small hockey team," Verdugo said. "The second group is banging the boards over there for a shift change. Those guys fight for time over there. There's great competition."

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There are only two TV shows that I regularly laugh out loud while I'm watching. They are re-runs of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" on weeknights on ABC Family Channel and "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS on Monday nights. I never watch re-runs of current shows. The exception is "The Big Bang Theory."

Oh, there is another time when I laugh uncontrollably while watching TV, but enough about the Chiefs.