THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Time to kiss off for a couple weeks and warm up ... maybe

Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day. 

Give Snoopy a kiss. 

Now, beyond that romantic thought, there is actually news today. 

It’s not routine stuff, either. 

In fact, this would be more like getting surprised by a gorgeous meteor shower, or seeing the Northern Lights when conditions are just perfect. 

Here’s the scoop: I’m going on vacation. 

Now, I’d love to tell you that I’m headed to New Zealand, or that I’m booked on a haunting river cruise from Cairo down the Nile. 

Nah. 

My partner Melissa craves plain old sunshine here in mid-winter and frankly, I’m totally on board with that. 

Brrrrr. 

So, just like Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, we’re headed to Florida. 

We’ll probably skip Disney World this time around, though. 

It will be enjoyable enough just to look at some manatees, drifting along in some inland canal. 

Oh, and walking barefoot on the beach, letting sand fall between our toes. 

Simple pleasures. 

I honestly don’t need anything extravagant, like a guided tour of China with that often-postponed excursion to the Great Wall. 

Maybe that’s because I haven’t had a holiday in more than 10 years. 

It’s time to get away for a couple weeks, no? 

TO BE honest, I was lobbying for Arizona — and soaking up the sun at Mariners training camp. 

It would be fun to check out the army of prospects that the M’s hope will help form a new backbone to the roster. 

As much as everyone knows not to get all fired up about spring statistics, you CAN get a feel for a newcomer or two just by hanging around. 

It’s been a while now, but I’ve seen players in various camps that I was sure would make an impression in MLB, and I’ve been right most of the time. 

Can’t claim to have hit them all perfectly, but I have more wins than losses with these spring scouting impressions. 

Melissa likes baseball, too, which really helps. 

She wouldn’t object to a Mariner-centric vacation, but there are family and friends in Florida we haven’t seen in a bit, so Mariner camp has been moved back a year. 

We’ll hit Arizona next year, hang out with Julio and the fellas. 

I’m definitely not going to wait another decade without dashing off on some holiday. 

Among other things, I know from experience that it helps my work to get away and recharge. 

That’s another way of saying I’m shocked that I stalled so long before finally heading for some sun THIS year. 

We might pay a small price for our procrastination next week, matter of fact. 

The weather forecast suggests unseasonably cool days for the first week of our visit. 

Maybe some rain, too, which could wreck my golf plans. 

C’mon, Mother Nature, give us a break. 

I WON’T feel guilty about flying away for a couple of weeks.

Two reasons. 

First, I haven’t missed an assigned writing day at The Press in my entire tenure here (coming up to nine years). 

Oh, I did skip a little time while having life-saving surgery four years ago, but that was definitely an excused absence.  

Second, we’ve got some really interesting topics to be covered when I get back. 

The issue of name, image and likeness (NIL) and how it’s affected college sports will be front and center. 

You’re going to meet Kristi Dosh, who has written a book on the subject, called “The Athlete’s NIL Playbook,” which will be released in July. 

Kristi has become an unquestioned authority on everything related to the financial chaos in college athletics. 

Just as a teaser, consider her explanation about problems facing international athletes. 

“There are a lot of coaches, and even some administrators, who don’t realize all the restrictions on these athletes,” she said. 

“There are more regulations coming, but already they can’t earn NIL income on deals here in the States.” 

Kristi offered a fun story about that. 

See, these athletes ARE allowed to make money on any NIL deals that are struck outside the country. 

They just can’t promote any company or product, like on social media. 

Former Kentucky hoop star Oscar Tshiebwe (now with the Utah Jazz) was tremendously popular while he was in school, but the Congolese national faced losing his passport if he took NIL money in Lexington. 

So, his agents lined up a whole series of contracts, and when Kentucky went to play in the Bahamas, they did all the business during that one hurry-up stop. 

Yes, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an independent country. 

Spending time on a dreamy island, and getting paid handsomely for your trouble? 

I’d be up for that.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com 

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens. 

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”