At the Intersection of Sports and Real Life

Someday your name will be called, your number will be up, and the call will arrive. In that moment, everything that came before will make sense and seem like due process. Watching Greg McElroy get selected in the 7th round of the NFL draft with his family and Trey Wingo of ESPN fighting back tears, brought that home. (Inspired by the newest member of the New York Jets, at the intersection of sports and real life)

She made us cheer with her infectious smile. She made us gasp with her winning ease. Heroine, tragic figure, mother of three, and newly resurrected athlete. Marion, thank you for catapulting my own running career and to those who would have her crucified, how many of us have never lied to save our lives, with stakes no...t even close to being as high. (Inspired by M. Jones, at the intersection of sports and real Life)

In case you need confirmation that life is full of second chances, look no further than Michael Vick. I mean, where does he get that athletic ability to begin with? Once lost and now found, redemption is called turning your life around. (Inspired by the Eagles' starting QB, at the intersection of sports and real life)

An Iowa wrestler is ridiculed for defaulting at the state meet when it was revealed his next match would be against a girl. Where do we draw the line with equal rights, Title IX, and feminist propaganda? I was taught that a man should never lay his hands on a woman other than to make her feel loved. Any male athlete worth his “weight in class” would forfeit the title, especially in a sport where groping/grappling is the name of the game. (Inspired by Joel Northrup, at the Intersection of Sports and Real Life)

What's the difference between a man with nothing to lose and a well-balanced athlete with added perspective on life? The former is unbeatable, the latter is INVINCIBLE. Despite losing in a sudden death playoff on Sunday, pro golfer and family man David Toms was philosophical in defeat: "Winning here would not alter my life one way or another." (Inspired by the PGA Tour, at the intersection of sports and real life)

Let's not pretend that a man can hoist a trophy without the saving graces that accompany inspirational performances. While personifying perseverance, athletes like Bozella (the boxer) and Robles (the wrestler) were aided by the wind beneath their wings. For the latter it was the support of a mother in distress. And for the former it was the love of a woman behind bars. (Inspired by the ESPY Awards, at the intersection of sports and real life)



The character assasination of Jay Cutler reveals how public perception is fueled by appearances. Be careful you don't blink, stutter, or have a bad hair day because people will size you up in an instant, disgruntled Bears fans being just one segment of the population. (Inspired by the NFL playoffs, at the Intersection of Sports and Real Life

Now I have something in common with stalwart WR Randy Moss and it's not a big mouth or 4.2 speed. After being traded to the Vikings and later to the Titans, Moss still talks about his years in New England as if they were his best. And who knows, maybe the Patriots also miss that guy who could break open a game with one big play down the field. ( Inspired by #84, at the intersection of sports and real life)


On the eve following Andre Dawson's Hall of Fame induction speech, allow me to reverberate his scintillating words: "If you love the game of baseball, the game will love you back." Now in a world where such is seldom the case, sometimes the only way to make it through is by playing catch, putting on a uniform, or like ...me, going the distance. ( Inspired by Cooperstown 2010, at the intersection of sports and real life)

There are legends and all-time greats in every sport. And then there's Derek Jeter. Ony a demi-god could date Jessica Alba AND Jessica Biel, collect over 3,000 career hits, and still retain such poise and humility. Screw running! I want to wear #2, play shortstop for the New York Yankees, make $20 milion dollars a year, and go to work everyday to this introduction by Bob Sheppard and the crowd's ovation.


There are some things in life we just can't come to terms with. Maybe because we refuse to make peace with it or maybe for lack of an ultimate justification. We may submit ourselves to treatment, it may go into remission, but the heart is all but healed. Coach George Karl below knows exactly what I'm talking about. (In...spired by personal misfortune, at the intersection of sports and real life)

Ashley Judd, in describing her husband as a "gentleman racer" had this to say about Dario Franchitti: "I know I always have a parking spot reserved for me in his heart." Very well, then, but how about we make that an all-access permit with exclusive priviledges for the women we love. (Inspired by the Indianapolis 500, at the intersection of sports and real life.)


How many climbs will it take to break you? How many surges will you counter-attack? Go for broke, gamble, bid for glory on that weary summit, lest you should find yourself cracked and half-beaten, lacking in both strength and fortitude. Let us ride, then, with the courage of men with strained faces who will live to lov...e another day. (Inspired by the Tour de France, at the intersection of sports and real life)

I was going to criticize Lebron's tweet - Now or Never - before realizing that a similar ultimatum - This or Nothing - has been endorsed by me. We mean what we say in the sincerest of ways, every ounce of its raw, unfiltered emotion. Play hard or go home. Love passionately or renounce and fold. (Inspired by the heart of a champion, at the intersection of sports and real life)



Quite often, life’s anticipated moment comes not during regulation, but after 90 minutes of heartbreakingly close calls, near misses, and a war of attrition. Prepare for overtime with bated breath and saddled loins, because the difference between winning it all or losing what matters most is far from a bygone conclusio...n. (Inspired by the World Cup, at the intersection of sports and real life)