&quot;Gimme Red Nose,&quot; said Santa Claus on Christmas Eve,
thereby introducing a certain reindeer to stardom &mdash; and
its perils. "Gimme Red Nose," said Santa Claus on Christmas Eve,
thereby introducing a certain reindeer to stardom — and its
perils. (Associated Press file)  NORTH POLE — There were studs
all over the stable. He was the afterthought of the
afterthought. Poor Rudolph. How bad did it get for this
reindeer? Shoot, they didn't even let him play in any games.
But the old man saw something in him. Er, on him. The old man
was a visionary, a risk-taker who flew by the seat of his ever-
expanding pants.  It was the big night, conditions were foggy.
So he fiddled with his red hat, scratched his white beard, and
then made the call.  "Red Nose," he whispered. "Gimme Red Nose."
We all know what happened next: Love from his peers. Shouts of
glee. Talk of his historical significance.  Rudolph was a star.
On the morning of Dec. 26, he was a different reindeer. He had
emerged. He pranced around Prance