Postcard from London: Rebels fodder for Palace humor

Go figure. That episode of "I Love Lucy" ruined it for everyone.

You haven’t been able to get close to a member of the Queen’s Guard outside Buckingham Palace since the late 1950s because annoying tourists (guilty) tried to mimic Lucy and cause the men in the giant furry hats and red shirts to elicit some sort of reaction, preferably a smile.

I’m not sure how smart it is to antagonize a guy toting a loaded assault rifle fixed with a bayonet, but I gave it my best shot.

A few jokes fell flat, but I could swear after yelling out “Southern Utah 41, UNLV 16!” one of those entrusted with guarding the royal residence flashed the smallest of grins.

I would have followed with a few of the UNR-UNLV football scores of late, but Queen Elizabeth II might have fired the poor guy on the spot for excessive laughter.

(Ed Graney is covering the Olympics in London for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney. More Olympics coverage can be found at lvrj.com/olympics.)