Tipster19 Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 It might be a nice change of pace of hearing a positive side of a football player. There has been way too much negative publicity on players getting arrested for DWIs, drug charges, spousal abuse and just flat out poor character and/or dumb decisions. I just recently saw on television a real heartwarming story on Kobe Bryant. He was genuinely bubbling over with joy and smiling from ear to ear as he was spending the whole day at the hospital with a 15 year old boy who suddenly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I must admit, seeing him giving so sincerely really changed my opinion of him. It made me wonder how many times we just hear the negative and not the positive on people. It wasn't just this boy that he reached out and touched. He interacted with 70 or 80 different people who has one kind or another affliction. It would really be nice to hear some real heartwarming stories on these athletes who reached out and made an impact on someone's life who really needed some uplifting. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamrock Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 It might be a nice change of pace of hearing a positive side of a football player. There has been way too much negative publicity on players getting arrested for DWIs, drug charges, spousal abuse and just flat out poor character and/or dumb decisions. I just recently saw on television a real heartwarming story on Kobe Bryant. He was genuinely bubbling over with joy and smiling from ear to ear as he was spending the whole day at the hospital with a 15 year old boy who suddenly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I must admit, seeing him giving so sincerely really changed my opinion of him. It made me wonder how many times we just hear the negative and not the positive on people. It wasn't just this boy that he reached out and touched. He interacted with 70 or 80 different people who has one kind or another affliction. It would really be nice to hear some real heartwarming stories on these athletes who reached out and made an impact on someone's life who really needed some uplifting. Thanks. 717135[/snapback] Pat Tillman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albany,n.y. Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Years ago there was Joe Delaney, a RB for the Chiefs who died trying to save someone from drowning and drowned himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrite Gal Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 In some ways this question is ironic as the truly best humanitarian acts are done ithout publicity, notice, or expectation. I love what Warren Buffet just did because it was a great piece of advocacy (his point counters the greediness of those who rant about the "death tax" and his own rant about beiing totally opposed to dynasties based on wealth accumulation was a not so subtle dig on the Bushes which was probably lost on many people). However, though it is one of the huge and potentially efficient gifts to humankind ever, I think there is some uncertainty about dubbing this a humanitarian act as he has devoted his life to wealth accumulation and this is dumping off this wealth to someone else to do something with it. It is a humanitarian act if you do effect a bunch but interact little with other humans in taing this action? I also think of Babe Ruth visiting a sick kid in the hospital and then "allegedly" pointing toward where he was going to hit a homer and doing it. If true, a pure sports act on behalf of another human. The act clearly inspired many folks. But why did he do it, did he do it and what were the results? I like the direction taken by the person who suggested Pat Tillman. He passed up athletuic wealth he had in hand and paid the ultimate price for his cause of protecting you and me. Still this overparsing on this issue rases questions about whether he did this with some long term McCain esque goal in mind, to prove something to himself and not for you and me and really questions of whether these two questions are even relevant to thinking about humanitarian acts. Maybe Bob Kalsu was a greater humanitarian act. Jim Brown walked away from the game at the peak of his athletic achievement (bu by doing so walked into the arms of Raquel Welch in the movies) but since then has been directly involved with community improvement activities, negotiating and raising issues with LA gangmembers to stop killing (and beating his wife also apparently). Should we point to humanitarian acts or lifestyles as impressive? What role does past histoy and bad acts play in this (pretty much any charitable act by Kobe Bryant has been made suspect in my mind by the rape accusations against him and more so by him in essence buying his wife off with a big diamond- I hope he keeps all his charitable acts quiet and between himself, the cause and whomever is around because if he has some intent to rehabilitate himself while the charitabgle acts are great in themselves there is little he can do to not make himself a Jay Leno joke in terms of relating to other people. He should count himself lucky simply to not be in the slammer. Overall, I think that this post reflects far more thought being given to this issue than i useful, but this topic is about something far more useful that pro football so it deserves having time wasted on it more than the time I waste on TSW talking football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mile High Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Warrick Dunn, one of the good guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopsGuy Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Randy Moss, known for punk-like acts throughout his career, gives a great deal of time to kids in Minnesota. He participates in a bass tournament that raises money for disadvantage children with treatable mouth problems. That fact that he did this sort of thing for years without any publicity makes it noteworthy as a selfless act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Roberto Clemente.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Warrick Dunn, one of the good guys. 717203[/snapback] I'll second that....all the help he provides to single mothers is pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 It might be a nice change of pace of hearing a positive side of a football player. There has been way too much negative publicity on players getting arrested for DWIs, drug charges, spousal abuse and just flat out poor character and/or dumb decisions. I just recently saw on television a real heartwarming story on Kobe Bryant. He was genuinely bubbling over with joy and smiling from ear to ear as he was spending the whole day at the hospital with a 15 year old boy who suddenly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I must admit, seeing him giving so sincerely really changed my opinion of him. It made me wonder how many times we just hear the negative and not the positive on people. It wasn't just this boy that he reached out and touched. He interacted with 70 or 80 different people who has one kind or another affliction. It would really be nice to hear some real heartwarming stories on these athletes who reached out and made an impact on someone's life who really needed some uplifting. Thanks. 717135[/snapback] Positive stories don't get good ratings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamrock Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Check out Craig Johnson, former soccer player for Liverpool in the 80's. At the height of his career and before a team's championship his sister got really sick and needed 24 hour care. Craig retired to provide that care at age 28, at the heights. He also raised a small fortune for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, where 96 people died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Chris Spielman giving up a season of football for his sick wife. I guess you could argue on whether this was a humanitarian thing to do or it was something that he as a husband was supposed to do. Either way, I will never forget that moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamrock Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Chris Spielman giving up a season of football for his sick wife. I guess you could argue on whether this was a humanitarian thing to do or it was something that he as a husband was supposed to do. Either way, I will never forget that moment. 717345[/snapback] Glen McGrath, Aussie cricket player- missed a season about 5 years ago for his wife whom had been diagnosed with breast Ca and missed a season last year as his wife was diagnosed again with breast Ca. He's a spokemanm for breast Ca, supporting his wife... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tomcat Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Dominick Hasek giving a Million dollars so kids in Buffalo could play hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBob2232 Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Latrell Spreewell for feeding his children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBTG81 Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Pat Tillman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yall Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Josh Reed. He gave me and a buddy a lift when we were stranded! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Tedy Bruschi. He died for our sins, then rose on the third day to play football again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Tedy Bruschi. He died for our sins, then rose on the third day to play football again... 718363[/snapback] Haha! Funniest shiznit I've heard all week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draconator Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Pat LaFontaine having his mini-van loaded with new hockey helmets to drive over from the Aud to Ft. Erie for a youth hockey camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloWings Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Albert Pujols. He befriended a young girl in St. Louis who was pretty sick (I think MS, not too sure) then developed his own charity foundation to raise money for that disease. Then he paid for the girl's entire family to go to Disneyworld. Right now, he's one of the truly good guys in MLB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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