New Respect

I don't know if you've read the story or heard about it, but the Pittsburgh Steelers did something that makes me smile and proud to be a football fan.  They are benching one of their best players to save his life.  Safety Ryan Clark has a rare blood disorder associated with sickle cell.  Due to this condition, he is at high risk when he plays football to begin with.  It heightens when he's in high altitudes, such as Denver, Colorado.  Denver is the site of the Steelers' Wild Card game.  Imagine having to go without one of your best players when he's perfectly healthy and can move just fine.  Coach Mike Tomlin says that it's just a football game, and that a man's life is not worth a game.  I wish more people thought this way in life.  I've seen parents and coaches of high school and even younger players take games like this with such seriousness, that you'd think it's a matter of national security.  I used to live in a city where adults would absolutely lose their minds, blame referees being paid off, and pretty much bet their children's college funds on a HIGH SCHOOL football team.  They expect to win every game, and if they didn't, there was a weird black cloud that kind of floated above the city.  What happened to "for the love of the game" that people preach so much about.  I hate to brag about myself, actually no I don't, but when I coached youth basketball I promised myself that it would be about the kids having fun.  I made it a purpose to have my teams smiling and happy to be on the court enjoying themselves.  I know that professional sports is a different animal in that paychecks are a big part of how you play or don't play people.  That's what makes what the Steelers did all the more awesome.  To care about a person's life more than a game just tells me that Mike Tomlin gets it.  He understands that this man has a family that loves him.  A family that wants him to be around when he's retired.  High class Pittsburgh.  Kind of makes me feel bad that my Packers whipped you in the Super Bowl last year.   Actually, no that was still awesome.