Steve Spurrier, a Heisman Trophy winner and football guru, said, “I don’t want to coach too far into my 60s. By then, I’ll be playing golf four or five times a week.”

At the bridge table, you might have the choice of bidding a four-card or a fivecard suit. Look at today’s North hand. After partner opens one club, would you respond one diamond or one spade?

In the old days, responder always bid the longest suit first. If partner had a fourcard major, he would show it and a 4-4 fit would not be missed. These days, showing the major first is in vogue. A columnist recommended bidding one spade, not one diamond, with that North hand.

As you can guess, I disagree. I think bidding the major first is right if two criteria are satisfied: The responder has below gameinvitational values and a good-quality major. This hand, with 10 points, two aces and a five-card suit, is worth a game-invitation. And that is not such a great spade suit.

In this admittedly constructed deal, if North responds one spade, South will raise to two spades (which might be with only three-card support and a singleton somewhere), and what would North do then? Probably three diamonds, but it isn’t clear-cut with only four spades.

If North bids one diamond, South will rebid one spade, and four spades will be reached.

Note that four spades by North fails after East leads the heart queen. The defenders take one spade, two hearts and one club. But four spades by South is makable. West’s best lead is the club queen. Declarer wins with dummy’s ace, takes the two top trumps, then plays on diamonds, discarding a heart on the fourth round. He loses only one spade, one heart and one club.