We Could be HEROES…just for one day

The dictionary defines the term “Hero” as a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, one who shows great courage. It is a term that has been way overused these days by many describing the stars of sports that we all enjoy watching compete. I myself am guilty of taking this word too lightly. Earlier today I was reminded of someone for whom the moniker of “Hero” fits perfectly, the late Coach Jim Valvano. Coach Valvano is best known to most fans as the man who lead the improbable championship run of the North Carolina State Wolfpack in 1983 and for his excited dash onto the court following the final buzzer looking for someone, anyone, to jump on and hug and share his overflowing joy with.

That moment is a recurring highlight that any fan of college basketball has witnessed hundreds of time throughout their lives on countless championship montages over the last 20 plus years and to many the most indelible memory of the wonderful man. However, for anyone who was fortunate enough to see Coach Valvano give a speech during the 1993 ESPY Awards while he was in the middle of the biggest fight of his life, his fight against cancer, there is only one memory of him that comes to mind and when confronted with that memory, only one word that seems fit to describe him, Hero.

Only a short time after delivering that moving speech and launching his foundation, The Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Awareness and Research, Coach Valvano succumbed to his illness and passed away leaving millions to mourn his death but more importantly leaving a legacy of caring and hope that still provides for so many now almost 15 years later. If you were lucky enough to watch this speech and listen to his words, then I am willing to bet that he touched your heart on that evening and left you with some of the best advice you have ever gotten. “Don’t Give Up….Don’t Ever Give Up”. Today, The Jimmy V Foundation is stronger than ever and what began as one man’s vision to help so many others has raised over 70 million dollars to do just that but that is just a small start and so much more is needed in the fight against this horrible disease. If you were touched by that speech on that night or even if you have never seen it before but have had a loved one inflicted with this illness and want to help further Coach Valvano’s dream that someday a cure may be found and no one else would have to suffer through what he did, please give what you can to help make that dream closer to a reality. Today is your chance to be a “Hero” to those who need ones the most.

To Donate : https://www.jimmyv.org/donate/donations/

Crashing the Net

Since I haven’t posted in a while here are a few thoughts I’ve had :

After two seasons of speculation on his future, Gold Glove centerfielder, clubhouse leader and fan favorite Torii Hunter has left the small market Minnesota Twins for the greener (and by greener I mean the color of money, money , money) pastures of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. On the heels of this heartbreaking (in the minds of many Twins fans) but not totally unexpected departure, comes news that the team is now in talks exploring the trade of the face of the franchise ace pitcher Johan Santana as he approaches the final year of his contract and impending free agency. For years the Twins have operated under the assumption that they cannot compete with the big market teams like the Yankees, Red Sox or aforementioned Angels and have had to build through the draft and scouting rather than go after big ticket free agents. To their credit, they have done extremely well as an organization being competitive (division titles) while keeping a low payroll however they have been unable to deliver playoff success through this acumen. Most observers will point to other small market teams like the A’s who have lost a laundry list of all-stars to free agency and escalating contracts and still remain competitive but I believe the Twins situation is totally different. The Twins have the opportunity to lock up one of the games top pitchers (some might say the best) in the prime of his career at a relatively cheap price (when compared to the horrible contract given to Barry Zito by the Giants last season) and keep him as a cornerstone of the organization with youngsters Joe Mauer, 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau and all-star closer Joe Nathan as well as No.2 starter and Santana clone Francisco Liriano who are all under contract for years to come. This quality young group affords the Twins the opportunity to spend on keeping their ace and franchise player while using their terrific scouting and well stocked system (Matt Garza anyone????) while building what could be a strong contender for years to come (like their division rival Indians apparently have). To give up Santana now, even for what would probably be considered a “Boatload” of young prospects (though mostly unproven prospects in most cases) would be a huge mistake for a franchise which is already stinging from the loss of one of its most trusted veterans and to a fan base which so fervently wants a reason to keep believing in it’s small market heroes.

Where are all the “experts” who spent the last two seasons calling for Brett Favre to “hang em’ up”????….Lately those same people who were telling anyone who would listen that it was time for the “Aaron Rodgers Era” to begin in Green Bay seem to be the first ones to anoint Favre as the winner in the “Best QB EVER” debate that has coincided with the rebirth of the Packers this season. First off, let’s leave all the “place in history” arguing until No. 4 finally decides he’s had enough on his own terms (which from the look of things could be a few more seasons) and secondly, no matter what these double talkers(Salisbury, Schlereth, Jaworski to name a few) try to pawn off on the public now as glowing praise for the job Favre has done so far, the true fans will not forget how quick they were to have him throw in the towel, no matter how much they would hope we would.

Some players you just have to root for….Chris Osgood is one of those guys. The Detroit Red Wings goaltender is off to one of his best starts ever in what is probably one of the final few seasons of his long and mostly underrated career. A few seasons back, The Red Wings in an attempt to bring home a Stanley Cup went with the big name big ticket signing route ad brought in “The Dominator” Domink Hasek to backstop their team, invariably relegating Osgood to backup duty and eventually a ticket out of town. This rubbed some the wrong way as Osgood had backstopped the Wings to some very successful seasons over the prior few years. The Hasek experiment has never truly worked out as planned in Detroit and now years later Osgood has returned and is playing Vezina trophy level hockey behind a surging Wings franchise. Let’s hope this time the Wings franchise realizes the value of the future hall of famer they have between the pipes and treats him with the respect he has earned.

Tragedy Strikes Again

Less than one year after the entire NFL family was shocked and saddened by the drive by shooting murder of Denver Broncos’ cornerback Darrent Williams, tragedy has struck the football world again with the murder of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor. While no motive or explanation has yet to come forth, both fans and players alike struggle to understand why a young man and recent new father with seemingly everything ahead of him in his life has become the victim of what seems to be such a senseless act of violence. No matter what information comes to light over the coming days and months, hopefully bringing a resolution and answers to this case which leaves so many scratching their heads, the biggest question and one that may never be answered is who, if anyone and on what level, deserves blame for this young man’s ultimate demise.

No one will try to paint Sean Taylor as a saint. Like many of his brash young counterparts in the NFL, he was supremely talented between the lines every sunday afternoon while entertaining thousands of fans, however, when the game ended Taylor like so many others found it hard to leave the emotion it takes to play such an intense sport on the field and at times let it carry over into his personal life causing run-ins with the law as well as sanctions from the NFL itself. While fans of the Redskins recognized Taylor for his playmaking and his bone jarring hits, most casual NFL fans over the last two seasons would probably recognize his name more for his being in the news for the off-field indiscretions than for his inspired play on it.

Over the last year and a half, new commissioner Roger Goodell has dealt with many of the issues plaguing the “integrity of the league”, from the horrifc dogfighting scandal of Michael Vick to the myriad of player arrests for domestic violence and what seems to be a new charge every week against the NFL’s poster boy for wasted potential and bad behavior Adam “Pacman” Jones. For the most part, observers would agree that Goodell has done a good job of punishing offenders with stiff fines and in some cases almost career threatening suspensions (considering the short span of most NFL careers) but the question is, Does any of these attempts to curb this behavior truly make a difference?

Each season after the draft the NFL Players Association holds a rookie symposium at which they attempt to educate the newest players joining their fraternity about the pitfalls of life in the NFL and how to best handle their newfound fame and future wealth. The players are taught about how being a “celebrity athlete” makes them a target in the eyes of some only looking to exploit them. They are told to watch out for hangers on and those who are looking to use them for personal gain and to be careful about who they can truly trust. Most players understand these pitfalls and invariably will eschew these “newfound friends” for the tried and true family members and friends they have grown up with and have strong bonds forged over many years with. Unfortunately, the trouble with that scenario is that those same family members and friends, in many cases, are the same ones that playing football at such a high level helped keep these young men from getting in trouble with at a younger age. No one wants to be the one who “forgets where they come from” or forgets the “little people” who helped them reach their goals (and no one is saying they should do that) but it is becoming an alarming trend that these players, especially the ones who seemingly have a revolving door to the courthouse or commissioner’s office, are also the ones who surround themselves with people who are not ready or willing to let them grow as men and let them enjoy responsibly what they have worked so hard to achieve.

I’m not ready to lay the blame for the deaths of Williams and Taylor and the recurring problems of Vick, Jones and many others solely on their entourages because that would be a cop out considering these men ultimately have or had the choice on how and with whom they conduct their lives but it seems to me like this trend is growing with every new police report we witness splashed across the screen on ESPN. It seems to also spread outside the world of sports to the genres of music and entertainment as well, anywhere where young people are presented with large amounts of money and the freedom to act almost without fear of consequence. I think the commissioners have taken some good baby steps towards cleaning this up but I believe until the players themselves realize the risk, nothing will truly change. Today the entire sports world mourns Sean Taylor and his family and hopes in their hearts that this is the last time a young man loses his life so early but the truth is we all know that it probably won’t be.

R.I.P. Sean Taylor (1983-2007)