Chalk one up to guts

This year it seems as though we have lost so many famous people, perhaps a few more than usual. We have lost Bobby Murcer and Tony Snow along with others to cancer this year. Here's a story of someone that refused to lose. Doug Davis of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Doug was diagnosed with thyroid cancer earlier this year.

Anytime you mention the "C" word, it makes you cringe even if you aren't the one that has been diagnosed with this horrific disease. Doug took the news in stride and said I am going to beat this thing, and no one will stop me. Doug decided that before he went on the DL, he was going to give his team 2 more starts. Can you blame him? As far as he or anyone else knew, it could have been the last 2 starts of his career, or more importantly his life. He never hung his head in public. If he hung it in private, I'm not going to call him any less of a man.

Why I am writing about him tonight? Because yesterday Doug threw a masterpiece of a game. I know it was against an inferior team, the San Diego Padres, but last time I checked, they were getting paid to play the game just like Davis is. The other extraordinary thing that comes to mind is that Doug has a fastball, two different kinds, a cutter which moves both in and out to hitters, depending on how he holds it, and a change up that makes his average fastball 84-89 mph look like gas.

Doug went out an was absolutely perfect for 6 and a third innings before Brian Giles broke up his bid at Baseball history. Are you flippin' kidding me? A guy who is a little more than two months removed from thyroid surgery throws a gem like this? Last year John Lester from the Red Sox, threw a no hitter, but he had a little more time to bounce back from the bad hand life dealt him.

I could only wish for the courage I have witnessed this year from Doug. He thanks the main man above for his good fortune, and you have to give him credit for walking around the dugout a few days after his surgery showing off his scar. Yes he is a man's man, and yes, he is a hero.

When things seem like they couldn't be any worse, think about the deeds and courage that we witness on a daily basis from the people that take the field every day. No matter how bad things get, there is always someone out there that loves and cares for you. It is your job to keep your head up, and wait for the time when you can say, Ha Ha, I won.

Ahhhh the beauty of being a survivor.........God bless and be well.

Guilty until proven innocent

Not sure if you've heard the story of Dara Torres, but it is quite a statement for intestinal fortitude.

Dara is a 41, yes a 41 year old woman that has qualified for the Olympics in swimming for the fifth time.

Yes, not only is she a mother of a beautiful young girl, but she is an Olympic athlete. Unfortunately she has been under fire from her fellow swimmers because no one believes she can be that physically fit at her age without the help of performance enhancing drugs.

Dara is an asthmatic, that relies on her puffer to get through the day. She has also been cited for purchasing amino acids from a German company. What do I have to say about that? Who cares. Last time I checked, amino acids are perfectly legitimate, even by IOC standards. The best parallel that I can give you is that of Lance Armstrong. Another superior athlete that has never been found guilty of anything. Dara is being tested three times a week, and even volunteered to have her blood frozen just in case they develop tests that can detect HGH or other drugs that are undetectable at this time. We need to give her a break, and watch her perform magic at the upcoming games.

Swim Dara swim, and make your detractors eat their words.

It's Tough to Say Goodbye

This year has been tough one for celebrities. It seems as is if they have been dropping like flies. I wanted to take a minute and celebrate not only a fine baseball player, but an even better human being. Bobby Murcer was hailed as the next Mickey Mantle. A power hitting outfielder from Oklahoma. That is quite a tough role to live up to, but like everything else that came Bobby's way, he took it in stride.

While he never lived up to the billing that others gave him, he gave us plenty to cheer about. He was a seven time all-star, he had 1,862 hits, 1043 RBI's, 285 doubles and 252 home runs. Quite an excellent career by any one's standards. Will he ever be a Hall of Famer as a baseball player, no. Will he be a Hall of Famer as a human being, absolutely yes. I remember watching Yankee baseball games and Bobby was in the booth. You could tell that he was in a place of comfort and the role he played as announcer fit him like a well oiled glove. He always found the positives in a negative situation, and no matter what the outcome of the game was, I still remember feeling good about myself.

That character trait served Bobby well in the last year of his life. He was going through chemotherapy, and showed up in the booth one day. He spoke like it was just another day at the yard.

Bobby, thanks for sharing your life stories both good and bad with us. Thanks for letting us see the good in all people. Yet again I am jealous of God, because he always know when it's time for him to have a front row seat to one of the best ever.

Rest in Peace Bobby, this year's All Star Game would have made you proud. I hope you enjoyed your front row seats in heaven.

What defines a leader? Where are they hiding?

What defines a leader in a team sport environment? That's a really good question. Someone that many teammates are looking to for an answer when the team is down or not performing that way they should be. Someone that is consistent in their performance on a daily basis. Someone that comes to practice early and leaves late if their individual game needs work. Someone that when they walk into the locker room or clubhouse, everyone takes notice. Are there any more true leaders out there? Sure there are. The question is who are they and do the know they are leaders?

It is just important to understand that your teammates look up to you for support, understanding, and quite frankly a foot to butt if needed. I wold love to share with you a small sample of the athletes that I believe are leaders in sports today.

Baseball: Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Joe Mauer
Basketball: Shaquille O'Neal, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James
Hockey: Jaromir Yagr, Sid Crosby
Football: LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Strahan, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees.

Do you know that the biggest problem with my list is that so many sports and team do not have a leader in the club house. Either the individuals that should be leaders are too ensconced in their checkbooks to care, or they do not have what is takes to be a leader. I wish there were more leaders in professional sports today. It would be refreshing to see someone stand up for the team during the down times, not blame individuals, forget yesterday and focus on today.

I dare you to go ahead and look at your own favorite team no matter what the sport, and tell me who their leader is. I am going to tell you that being a perceived leader is way different than being an actual leader.

Not only that, but you can also understand why there are so many mediocre teams today.It has nothing to do with parity, it has to do with dishevelment. That is a direct cause of the lack of someone to steer the ship.



Ahhh thank goodness for the north star, or we would all be lost.