THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Diamond on the sideline — Paul Mortensen has been a fixture on the Coeur d'Alene High football chain gang for 29 years

"I've always been active in sports," Mortensen said recently, on the visitors' sideline just before a Viking home game. "I was a baseball umpire for over 20 years, but I never wanted to officiate football. But I have always been fascinated by chain crews, so I wanted to be on the chain crew."