Role Models

[Abominable Gorilla]

Just a small rant of mine...

The media really seems to enjoy reporting bad news with respect to professional athletes. Look at the Michael Vick trial and how can that possibily be as big in the national news as it was? I think it has gotten to the point where many view the professional athletes of today as the arrogant monsters who only look out for themselves. While those exist and maybe they exist in higher percentages in professional sports, there are also the good guys.

We've (us, not the media) turned professional athletes into role models. If we're going to turn a group of people into role models, then we had better start discussing the good with the bad.

My cousin, Mary, has a picture in her room. The two people standing next to her are wearing the mask and gown required to enter the room, but I was curious as to the identity because the picture was signed. It was Mike Alstott. He spent his Valentines Day with his wife at All Children's Hospital. With him, he brought several large boxes filled with the Build-a-Bear ingredients and built stuffed bears with the children. Because of the transplant, Mary couldn't go join the children, so he joined her. He didn't do this to fulfill the community service clause in any contract or to get his name in the paper. In fact, this wasn't even mentioned in the paper. He did it because he is a good person who is worthy of being a role model. This isn't the first time he's been there. In fact, he's been there often enough to know her by name.

There are others. Ronde Barber invited her to his birthday party and has given her his tickets to attend games (this was after the second bout), which is something he has apparently done regularly through his mom.

I'm sure many of you have similar stories of unreported good deeds. Feel free to share, but I really wish we'd talk about some of these things at the national level. If dog fighting is national news, then cancer fighting had sure better be too.

[DAWG DUDE]

My uncle pulled Warrick Dunn out of a ditch one time after he got stuck. He said he was one of the most genuinely nice people he has ever met.

[Abominable Gorilla]

Warrick Dunn is a great example. This guy builds houses for homeless people in his community.

[DAWG DUDE]

Danny Weurffel. Started up Desire Street Academy.
Tony Dungy is a great Christian role model.

[rabiddawg]

There are a lot of good deeds done by racers. Jeff Gordon gave 1 million to start a children's hospital. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...hospital_x.htm

Tony Stewart has donated 1 million to Victory Junction Gang. http://www.victoryjunction.org/aa_ca...1_mission.html

[StrayDawg]

Excellent point, AG.

I have some friends who grew up in Salt Lake City, and whenever you mention Karl Malone's name, they say the same about him. They say he was known to make anonymous contributions to families with large medical bills or people who were losing their homes. The vast majority of his donations were anonymous and it drove the Utah Jazz people crazy. They always wanted to know about it so they could publicize it, but Karl didn't want the pub, so he did things privately.

I have also heard the same thing about Mark Cuban. I think it is true with most pro athletes, because some of them had tough childhoods and they understand how important it is to give back. You make a great point.

[PawDawg]

http://www.rogerclemensonline.com/

This guy could use some good pub about now.

Great story AG!

[DAWG DUDE]

Charlie Weiss let a young boy with some kind of canser call the first play of the game..an out route to the right to Anthony Fasano and it gained something like 15 yards.