Obviously, my favorite Yost is Ned, the skipper of the Milwaukee Brewers. Some day, his son, Ned IV, who is floating around the club's minor league system, may become my second favorite Yost.

But for now, the second, third and fourth best Yosts are those on the new HBO show, "John From Cincinnati."

Like a lot of what HBO turns out these days, "John From Cincinatti" is a multi-layered and complex show. It centers around a surfing town in Southern California and the lives of three generations of gifted surfers. Flanked by a talented (albeit surprisingly so) supporting cast, including Luis Guzman, Ed O'Neill, Luke Perry and Rebecca De Mornay (stop laughing, those latter three really are good), the show dabbles in the supernatural in a loving but dysfunctional family.

The Yosts are Mitch, Butchie and Shaun, all played with conviction and emotion. It's a confusing plot, so unless you have HBO on Demand, you might as well wait till the reruns start up to begin watching, but trust me, it's good. Five episodes in, this latest offering reaffirms why HBO continues to put out the best shows on TV.

The irony here? Ned IV recently hurt himself body surfing during an off day with the Brevard County Manatees. On the show, the youngest Yost, Shaun, nearly died in a surfing accident. I'm happy to report that they both pulled through and are doing well.

Is it art imitating life or the other way around?