The wide world of sports in perspective

Published:  Thursday, October 2, 2008 (3 months, 1 week ago)
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How tough it must have been for Matt Bryant, the Tampa Bay kicker.
The day after burying your youngest child, a 3-month-old boy he and his wife found dead in their home Wednesday, you go out and kick in an NFL game.
Tell you the truth, I would not have denied him the right to say “the he– with a football game; I am mourning my son and grieving with my wife and children” and skipped that game.
I think we sometimes get the impression that the lives of professional athletes are rose gardens, with no thorns.
This just reminds you that many of these men and women are family people, that tragedies can and do strike them just like us “peons.”
Rest in peace, little one.
Another reminder of what I have written in the previous paragraphs: Jacksonsville OT Richard Collier is paralyzed.
He was shot — repeatedly — about a month ago by an unknown assailant.
His doctor told reporters Monday he will never walk again and also had to have a leg amputated.
How quickly it can ALL go.
Unfortunately, the games do go on.
Scott Linehan was fired Monday by the St. Louis Rams.
Lane Kiffin joined him Tuesday as an ex-coach, this time of the Oakland Raiders.
They won’t be the last.
Then there’s Terrell “Me-Me-Me” Owens and his latest idiocy; that the Cowboys didn’t give him the ball enough in their loss to the Redskins.
Oh, I guess throwing the ball to him 17 times — how many drops, TO? — and handing it to him twice just ain’t enough.
I hope this is not an omen of things to come with this windbag.
His effort on the field has never been questioned and can’t — he is a warrior. Off the field? Let’s just write that as a Cowboys’ fan — despite the shenanigans of one Jerry Jones and his motley collection — I hope this is also not an omen of things to come. A should-be Super Bowl will end up in disappointment; this can rip even a pro team apart.
It’s like he’s telling the rest of his team you stink and can’t win without me.
Maybe some of these “leaders” Jones has brought in — like Pacman? — should take him out to the woodshed!
Just like you wonder when Chad Ocho Stinko — listen, if you are going to change your name like that, you’d better back it up, even if you have ME at quarterback — is going to explode and go on a rant.
How about dose Bears? In the previous two weeks of my Pigskin Picks, I picked them and they lost double-digit leads.
So last week, against a superior team to the ones they couldn’t hold leads on, I go against them — and the scumsucking weasels stop the Iggles on the 1-yard line.
And you wonder why my hair is turning gray!!!
Who will be next to lose in college football after the mighty, mighty Trojans fell to Oregon State — which should make the Buckeyes utterly, utterly furious at themselves for the crapola performance in the Coliseum — and Georgia, among others, lost?
Could it be we have BCS chaos like last season — and the Buckeyes sneak into the national title game????
The Indians and Reds both ended disappointing seasons.
For the Reds, what’s new? This once-storied franchise has become used to it and seemingly has the same game plan every season — rebuild.
After trading Griffey and Dunn, they actually played decently.
They do have some young pups that show more than potential: Jay Bruce, Edison Volquez; and that finally, maybe all those previous fire sales are bearing fruit.
Still, depending on these sophomores next year might be dicey.
For the Tribe, what a difference a year makes! Going from being oh-so-close to the World Series to “ugh” is maddening.
It goes to show you the three things I — I’m not the only one but since this is my column … — always say you have to be to go anywhere in any sport at any level: talented, lucky (hey, you need a few breaks to go your way) and healthy. Throw in the hard work that underpins all of them and you have a champion.

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