The Universe is so letting the sports world be great this week. Has anyone else noticed how many fascinating sports stories have been appearing in this week's news cycle? If not, no worries, I compiled a list of featured sports-related stories.
Yahoo! News reported yesterday that Ruth Frith, from Brisbane, broke the world record for being the first 100-year-old woman to throw a shot put 13 ft. 4 in. Um, wow. First of all, I remember back in the day when my fellow middle-school track teammates couldn't even jump 13 ft., let alone throw a ball 13 ft. - and these were twelve and thirteen-year-old teenagers!
This great-grandmother trains 5 times per week, lifts weights, doesn't eat vegetables (because she doesn't like them), and doesn't drink or smoke. In addition to throwing the shot put, Frith also throws the hammer and javelin. I tried to throw a javelin in college and basically sucked at it.
Ruth Frith is awesome. Period. She's also another reminder that I really need to stop coming up with lame excuses to avoid hitting the gym every day.
In other not-so-awesome-news, ESPN senior writer, Wright Thompson recently wrote a reflexive-expose, Seats of Gold: Yankee Stadium's Legends Suite Was Sparsely Populated at Times This Season - A Sign of What Greed Does to Loyalty about the high price of being a sports fan. His story centers around the brand new Yankee stadium, chock-full of luxurious amenities that service the most elite & over indulgent fans. If you're simply a 'normal' sports nut whose into Ball Park Franks and beer in plastic cups, then you're better off staying at home; you're not wanted in these parts.
Thompson was invited to watch a Yankee game from the Legends Suite, presumably because he's a sports writer. While he admits feeling the 'perks' he couldn't help but recognize a sad reality within professional baseball: greed. Wall Street brokers and wealthy Yankee baseball fans have had a long and, yes, corrupt past. Thompson details this lustful relationship in the article. But the Yankees isn't the only team gripped by corporate greed's stronghold, Thompson's commentary speaks to a larger, more tragic phenomenon happening within all major professional sports teams in the US. Thompson notes:
"A recent poll discovered an unsettling trend emerging for the first time. American families whose household income is $75,000 or less now have zero dollars of discretionary income. According to Luker, that means about 75 percent of the country can never responsibly afford to go to a live professional sporting event . . . The reason sporting events cost so much now, Luker's research shows, is because they are designed to be affordable only to those making $150,000 or more a year."
Professional pollster, Rick Luker adds,
"We have the first true sustained evidence of less interest in sports than there was 10 years ago . . . in general, sports will not be what it is today. We're burning out the love of sports."
Professional sports teams are pricing themselves into oblivion and losing tons of loyal and young fans along the way.
Thompson piece is honest and insightful. He struggles with being a loyal fan and objective sports writer while temporarily participating in the lavish luxuries of the Legends Suite. Somewhere between his charming and witty written descriptions, you realize Thompson unearths a complex relationship between the love for the game and the power of greed. Being part of the elite at Legends Suite has a moral price, one in which Thompson and thousands of other die-hard fans end up paying.
After leaving the game, Thompson writes: "Something important was lost in the transfer of money for services. The game happened. I loved it. Now it's over. People file out of every exit, disappearing into the night. They walk to subway stations, to cabs, to parked cars. Some of us won't ever come back."
(Wow, I'm totally realizing that this mid-week round up is depressing.)
Few high school coaches have the mystical association with greatness that Coach Bob Johnson has. He has coached NFL greats in their early days such as Brock Berlin, Tim Rattay, Marques Tuiasoosopo, Carson Palmer, and Mark Sanchez, to name a few. He is known in the sports world as the "Quarterback Guru" - having an uncanny ability to pick out and train tomorrows great Quarterbacks.
In his 41 years as coach, he has won 7 League Championships and 4 CIF Championships as head coach, and for the past 8 years has chosen the 11 top college prep quarterbacks for Elite 11 QB Program. His son Bret was the LA Times "High School Quarterback of the Decade" who went on to be the first freshman to start for UCLA in 40 years, while his other son Rob was the Quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills and led his team to the Superbowl Championship.
How does he do it? Obsessive determination? Bobby-Knight-style discipline? Pact with the Devil? Nope. "Keep him humble and hungry, he's only in high school once."
Coach Johnson is old school.
(And I really mean old school - he doesn't use the internet!) And he wants kids to play many different sports and not specialize, he rejects the profit-obsessed nature of the sports industry, and he praises high school benchwarmers as much as starting NFL quarterbacks. In Coach Johnson's sphere, leadership and hard work reign. Check out what he has to say:
Don't forget, you have untill September 21 to submit your coach to Play It Forward!
There has been recent speculation on the future of Michael Vick. He was allowed back into the NFL with a conditional re-instatement from Commissioner Roger Goodell. The conditions of his re-instatement include Vick being allowed to participate in practices and the final 2 pre-season games, also as of right now he is not allowed to play in any regular season games until Week 6. The thought of signing a Quarterback that can't play until Week 6 is driving most teams away. Goodell has the choice to shorten or increase the suspension. The upside for Vick is that Goodell may potentially shorten the suspension to Week 2. If this happens I find it hard to believe that an NFL team won't sign him. Vick has great talent and could help a number of teams, he also seems committed to making the most of the second chance that has been given to him. I believe that Vick is very focused on continuing his football career and gaining his reputation back. His new view on the way he should lead his life along with his obvious talent make him a good player to sign. With the recent news of Brett Favre's decision to stay retired may open up a spot for Michael Vick. My question is whether or not you think Vick should be signed by an NFL team and whether or not Goodell should shorten Vick's suspension from the regular season games. Also any suggestions of teams that should sign him.
The sun was out in full force over Douglas Park in Chicago, spilling its rays over fields of freshly cut grass. It was about ninety degrees in the last week of June; perspiration soaked through hair and soccer jerseys, yet no one wanted to dip out of the game in exchange for a cool spot in the shade. After a quick 5-min water break, the kids of America SCORES ran back to the field in hot pursuit of a checkered ball. Now that's what I call passion.
These kids ran with the America SCORES Chicago summer soccer program. They meet five days per week to play soccer, but the program teaches much more than just a game. Health education, community service, juvenile crime prevention, and literacy skills are also part of the program curriculum.
SCORES is "the only non-profit after-school program that combines soccer with poetry to inspire health and literacy in urban youth." The program draws an impressive collection of dedicated staff and volunteers who want to see the kids succeed while having fun. In the process of challenging youth to be stronger athletes, amazing poets, and thoughtful community members, the staff and volunteers also end up having a total blast.
See for yourself -
Like what you see? Get involved! America SCORES Chicago needs volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities by improving the lives of urban youngsters. Check out the America SCORES website and blog.
Don't live in Chicago? You're in luck; America SCORES programs operate in 13 other cities around the country. Check the website to see if there's a SCORES program in your neighborhood.
This week I had a chance to interview Malaria No More representative John Logsdon about his recent trip to Barcelona, where he attended a kickin' soccer event in support of the global fight against malaria.
First a bit of background, courtesy of John:
"In 2008, Malaria No More and FC Barcelona launched “More Than A Club: Kick it to Malaria”, a campaign to rally the global soccer community to raise awareness and funds for the fight against malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that still kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds.
[Left: FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta hands out mosquito nets in Mali]
In August 2008, the FC Barcelona players wore the Malaria No More logo on their jerseys during their summer tour of the United States and, in partnership with Malaria No More, orchestrated a charity tournament in New York City to raise awareness and funds for life saving mosquito nets.
In March, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta and player Seydou Keita traveled to Mali, Keita’s native country, to distribute mosquito nets raised through the “More Than A Club: Kick it to Malaria” partnership. 1,000 nets were provided to children at the FC Barcelona Foundation’s new XICS Center in the capital city of Bamako.
[Right: Keita holding his More Than a Club shirt]
“Growing up in Mali, it was difficult to access to a mosquito net,” said player Seydou Keita. “Now, I am able to help deliver nets to kids in need throughout Africa to protect themselves from malaria and spend more time on the football field.”
FC Barcelona continued its tradition of support for the fight against malaria during their April 22nd, 2009 match versus Sevilla FC."
John, could you tell us a bit about what happened in Barcelona?
During its April 22nd match, FC Barcelona took the field with a dual mission…beat Sevilla FC and raise awareness for the fight against malaria and World Malaria Day (April 25th). The team accomplished both tasks in fine form, educating the 76,000 supporters at the match and a substantial television viewership about malaria, while orchestrating a spectacular 4-0 victory!
[Below: Team players sport their More Than A Club t-shirts]
As a representative of Malaria No More and a FC Barcelona supporter I was left to have my cake and eat it too as I watched the team take the field in “More Than A Club” t-shirts, including FC Barcelona and Malaria No More logos, in a gesture of support for ending deaths from the preventable and treatable disease. In addition to the t-shirts, the official game program and the stadium’s large screens both included messaging about malaria awareness and how every individual can help end deaths. FC Barcelona also took the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for the winner of last year’s charity tournament in New York City that helped launch the “More Than A Club” partnership, Chris Schoenfield and his guest, Nate Houghteling. The two were awed by the experience and grateful for the team’s commitment to fighting malaria.
The team also took the opportunity to enlist the help of their three star West African players, Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Seydou Keita (Mali), and Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast), who all filmed key educational messages in their native French that will be used in public service announcements encouraging their countrymen to utilize mosquito nets.
[Right: Eto'o holds a mosquito net]
How did you get pulled into this amazing project?
When I signed on with Malaria No More over two years ago, I had no idea I’d be working in partnership with one of the preeminent soccer clubs in the world. But Malaria No More recognized early on that in order to achieve our mission to end malaria deaths by 2015 and accomplish our immediate goal of providing a mosquito net to every African by the end of 2010 requires good teammates. As FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta put it, “fighting malaria, like playing football, is a team effort.” The collaborative nature of soccer, a truly global game, serves as an example of how the global community must work together to achieve the goal of ending malaria.
We couldn’t have asked for a better teammate than FC Barcelona, which since its founding in 1899 has lived by the club’s motto- Més que un Club (More Than A Club), and extended that philosophy to embrace the fight against malaria, as evidenced by events like the April 22nd match and the March distribution of mosquito nets in Mali.
What was the coolest thing you saw on your trip to Spain?
There were actually two things that left an impression on me during my trip to Spain…watching the players take the field in More Than A Club shirts and hearing 87,000 supporters rise up at the game to applaud their team’s commitment to the “More Than A Club” partnership was a very powerful endorsement for what we’re doing.
The other cool thing was to witness FC Barcelona’s West African players, Seydou Kieta (Mali), Samual Eto’o (Cameroon), and Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast) rally in support of this cause and speak directly through the camera to their countrymen and women about the importance of utilizing mosquito nets.
On an unrelated note, I can personally attest that Barcelona has some of the best seafood in the world, and I took every opportunity to take advantage of that fact!
What are your plans for World Malaria Day next year?
Over the last couple years we’ve witnessed a tremendous surge of public and political support for the fight against malaria. Spurred by recent examples of successful malaria control programs in Zambia and Rwanda, we are optimistic that World Malaria Day 2010 will be cause for further celebration as we approach fulfillment of our goal to get a mosquito net to every African left vulnerable to malaria by December 31st, 2010.
How can others help this cause?
There are a couple simple ways people can join the team:
- Organize a malaria awareness and fundraising event with your local sports team. For fundraising tips and resources, go to MalariaNoMore.org/getinvolved
Anything else we should know?
Through FC Barcelona’s continued leadership and support we plan to continue our collaborative efforts well beyond the April 22nd match. In partnership with a larger group of organizations, similarly passionate about soccer and ending malaria, [we plan to] use the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a platform to bring together football fans around the world to join forces and ensure that every family in Africa has a mosquito net by the end of 2010.
Huge thanks to John Logsdon and all of the other Malaria No More advocates who have worked so hard to fight malaria and save lives around the globe.
The sun was out in full force over Douglas Park in Chicago, spilling its rays over fields of freshly cut grass. It was about ninety degrees in the last week of June; perspiration soaked through hair and soccer jerseys, yet no one wanted to dip out of the game in exchange for a cool spot in the shade. After a quick 5-min water break, the kids of 
"In 2008, Malaria No More and FC Barcelona launched “More Than A Club: Kick it to Malaria”, a campaign to rally the global soccer community to raise awareness and funds for the fight against malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that still kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds.
The team also took the opportunity to enlist the help of their three star West African players, Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Seydou Keita (Mali), and Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast), who all filmed key educational messages in their native French that will be used in public service announcements encouraging their countrymen to utilize mosquito nets.
