Prize drawing at the 10th tee. Bob Plager, Bernie Federko, Jack Clark, Jim Hanifan and Ben Bishop have played through already. #starpower
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
I never thought I would be writing this post any more than you thought you'd be reading it. Barry Bonds. Yes, that Barry Bonds went to bat in a big way for two kids whose father suffered a severe beating on opening day at Dodger Stadium. If you're not familiar, Bryan Stow is a Bay Area resident and lifelong Giants fan who was attacked seemingly for wearing his Giants jersey to a Dodgers game. Stow has been in a coma for most of the last two months and his long-term prognosis is uncertain. Scores of people have reached out to the family offering well wishes and much-needed funds. Stow is not just a father of two, but he's a single father of two. His being in a coma places not only an emotional burden on the kids and extended family, but a financial one as well.
Bonds visited Stow in the hospital last month. However, he gave no indication to anyone what he would do next. Stow's family recently filed suit against the Dodgers. In the NBC Bay Area interview below (email subscribers click here), the family's attorney provides an explanation for the lawsuit as well as the nature of Bonds' gift.
Bonds visited Stow in the hospital last month. However, he gave no indication to anyone what he would do next. Stow's family recently filed suit against the Dodgers. In the NBC Bay Area interview below (email subscribers click here), the family's attorney provides an explanation for the lawsuit as well as the nature of Bonds' gift.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Levell was born in Chicago and is a huge Bears fan. Her family moved to Morgantown, W.Va. two years ago. Thomas lives in Morgantown and was a standout linebacker at the University of West Virginia. The two finally met and after signing a few items, Thomas heard some heart-breaking news from Levell. The eighth-grade dance was coming up and she didn't have a date. Every boy she asked to the dance turned her down. Thomas hugged her and told her everything would be OK and enacted his own plan. He went through the proper channels - asking Levell's parents as well as the school if it would be alright to escort her to the dance. Levell was overjoyed with Thomas' invitation. She said to NFL.com, "After so many people turned me down, this was so big, especially because he asked me instead of me asking him."
This story would have been good with just Thomas taking her to the dance, but the Bears rookie added some real class to the evening. He rented a black Chrysler and arrived at Levell's house with a bouquet of roses and a corsage - the way a gentleman should. Leading up to the dance, none of Levell's friends believed her date was a hometown hero and NFL draft pick. She was far and away the life of the party. Levell had what she called the best night of her life. Thomas' agent, Michael Giorgio told NFL.com this about his client. "He didn't do this to score any points with anybody or with the Bears or to get any attention. This is who he is. He's got a big heart." If Thomas' game turns out to be as big as his heart, the Bears may have a pro-bowler on their hands. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Monday, 23 May 2011
What?! Seriously, Ray. If I didn't see his lips move and hear the words come out of his mouth, I wouldn't have believed it. Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens actually said that crime would increase if there's no NFL next season. I know you don't believe me, but have a look at his ESPN interview (email subscribers click here).
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
Like I said, I hope Lewis doesn't mean this. People have lost their life-savings, jobs, homes and endured high gas prices in this economy and not resorted to crime. How does three hours without football turn the average fan into a menace to society? Examples like this remind us of the difference between sports and real-life. As someone who makes his living in sports, please know that sports is not life. Sports is a part of life that has its place and time along with everything else. Please make sure you tell your kids the same thing. Look, we'd all love to see NFL games in September. However, in the event there is no pro football, I'm sure we'll find something positive to do before becoming fugitives. Maybe we'll all go outside and actually PLAY football with our kids. Imagine that. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
Like I said, I hope Lewis doesn't mean this. People have lost their life-savings, jobs, homes and endured high gas prices in this economy and not resorted to crime. How does three hours without football turn the average fan into a menace to society? Examples like this remind us of the difference between sports and real-life. As someone who makes his living in sports, please know that sports is not life. Sports is a part of life that has its place and time along with everything else. Please make sure you tell your kids the same thing. Look, we'd all love to see NFL games in September. However, in the event there is no pro football, I'm sure we'll find something positive to do before becoming fugitives. Maybe we'll all go outside and actually PLAY football with our kids. Imagine that. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
In this episode, Frank helps Big Sol discover the true meaning of Team Player. Watch and enjoy (email subscribers click here). Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
To join the other 47 organizations who have become Team Players, click on this link.
The Adventures of Frank and Big Sol is a SportsmanshipTV original program.
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
To join the other 47 organizations who have become Team Players, click on this link.
The Adventures of Frank and Big Sol is a SportsmanshipTV original program.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa's has been dealing with a well-documented eye condition for some time now. His illness actually took him away from the team for six games. Part of that six game absence included a series last weekend against the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals and Reds have developed a heated rivalry over the last two seasons while battling for first place in their division. However, what a Cincinnati radio station did goes beyond poor taste. They not only made fun of LaRussa's condition. They attempted to make money from it. Have a look at the KMOV-TV story below (email subscribers click here).
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
I do commend the Reds organization for putting an end to this madness right away. This lesson goes beyond sportsmanship. It's basic human decency. You don't make fun of someone when their sick. I know I sound like a kindergarten teacher, but the actions of this station are that childish. Rivalries should be tough and competitive, but let's keep it respectful. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
I do commend the Reds organization for putting an end to this madness right away. This lesson goes beyond sportsmanship. It's basic human decency. You don't make fun of someone when their sick. I know I sound like a kindergarten teacher, but the actions of this station are that childish. Rivalries should be tough and competitive, but let's keep it respectful. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Monday, 16 May 2011
I've been simmering for days over this. Multi-time world boxing champion Bernard Hopkins allowed his mouth to write a check...well you know the rest. Hopkins held a staged media workout last week in preparation for his upcoming bout against light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal. Hopkins, a Philadelphia native, was asked by a reporter what he thought of former Eagles and current Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb. Rather than redirect the questioning toward boxing, Hopkins couldn't help but take verbal jabs at McNabb. Forgive me for being somewhat snobbish here, but Hopkins' statements are simply too ignorant to quote. I'll paraphrase by saying Hopkins made several references to McNabb's skin color. While both men are African-American, Hopkins suggested that McNabb is not as "black" as athletes like Terrell Owens, Michael Vick, and himself.
It would be easy to take this forum to cut down Hopkins' background, upbringing, and intelligence - but I won't do that. I will say this - because this is not the first time nor the last time that one African-American man will take cheap shots at another. Hopkins' comments reflect one of the lasting effects of slavery on African-Americans. Some slaves worked the fields while others worked in the house. Those in the field were sometimes jealous of those in the house. Those in the house had better meals and living quarters. House workers also sometimes "snitched" on field workers for various infractions. Field workers saw them as being treated better. So, a bitter rivalry developed between the field workers and house workers. That, my friends, is when you have a people truly enslaved. They literally fought each other over who was the more favored slave. Fast forward 150 years since the end of slavery and the rivalry is alive and well.
Now, the battle is largely intellectual. The educated vs. the uneducated and normal vs. dysfunctional make up the controversies of today. McNabb grew up in a two-parent household in suburban Chicago. He played college football at Syracuse where he earned his degree. McNabb has a wife and family and essentially lives a quiet life off the field. Many people see McNabb as a great athlete and role model for kids. To my knowledge, he has never made a negative comment about Hopkins. It seems that if your father was actually married to your mother, you somehow gained an unfair advantage. If your parents made sure you attended and graduated from college, you must be a sell-out. Unfortunately, it's a battle that almost all African-Americans fight. I still fight it.
In St. Louis, the big question everyone asks when they meet you is "Where did you go to high school?" You see, it's how we prejudge a person in the Gateway City. Your high school tells people how much money your family has, how smart you are, who you hung out with, etc. I am a proud graduate of Ladue High School - Class of 1994. For those not familiar with the area, Ladue is one of St. Louis' wealthiest suburbs. Million-dollar homes literally surround the high school's campus. So, when people meet me they think I'm a black man whose family was well-off and I have no idea about struggle. Quite the opposite is true. I attended Ladue through the desegregation program and spent most of my young life on welfare. Yes, we received food stamps when they still came in paper form. This doesn't make me better than anyone. Poverty doesn't make Bernard Hopkins better than Donovan McNabb nor does a stable household make McNabb better. It just makes us human. We have shared experiences along different paths, but we all can be a positive influence on others if we choose to be.
The video below contains an interview with Hopkins (email subscribers click here). If you want to go past the boxing stuff, he "clarifies" his comments about McNabb at the 5-minute mark. I apologize to those of you who may be turned off by this topic, but I have a responsibility to address these issues from time to time. I often tell my daughter that responsibility means doing what you have to do so you can do what you want to do. Hopefully, athletes like Hopkins will be more responsible with their statements in the future. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
It would be easy to take this forum to cut down Hopkins' background, upbringing, and intelligence - but I won't do that. I will say this - because this is not the first time nor the last time that one African-American man will take cheap shots at another. Hopkins' comments reflect one of the lasting effects of slavery on African-Americans. Some slaves worked the fields while others worked in the house. Those in the field were sometimes jealous of those in the house. Those in the house had better meals and living quarters. House workers also sometimes "snitched" on field workers for various infractions. Field workers saw them as being treated better. So, a bitter rivalry developed between the field workers and house workers. That, my friends, is when you have a people truly enslaved. They literally fought each other over who was the more favored slave. Fast forward 150 years since the end of slavery and the rivalry is alive and well.
Now, the battle is largely intellectual. The educated vs. the uneducated and normal vs. dysfunctional make up the controversies of today. McNabb grew up in a two-parent household in suburban Chicago. He played college football at Syracuse where he earned his degree. McNabb has a wife and family and essentially lives a quiet life off the field. Many people see McNabb as a great athlete and role model for kids. To my knowledge, he has never made a negative comment about Hopkins. It seems that if your father was actually married to your mother, you somehow gained an unfair advantage. If your parents made sure you attended and graduated from college, you must be a sell-out. Unfortunately, it's a battle that almost all African-Americans fight. I still fight it.
In St. Louis, the big question everyone asks when they meet you is "Where did you go to high school?" You see, it's how we prejudge a person in the Gateway City. Your high school tells people how much money your family has, how smart you are, who you hung out with, etc. I am a proud graduate of Ladue High School - Class of 1994. For those not familiar with the area, Ladue is one of St. Louis' wealthiest suburbs. Million-dollar homes literally surround the high school's campus. So, when people meet me they think I'm a black man whose family was well-off and I have no idea about struggle. Quite the opposite is true. I attended Ladue through the desegregation program and spent most of my young life on welfare. Yes, we received food stamps when they still came in paper form. This doesn't make me better than anyone. Poverty doesn't make Bernard Hopkins better than Donovan McNabb nor does a stable household make McNabb better. It just makes us human. We have shared experiences along different paths, but we all can be a positive influence on others if we choose to be.
The video below contains an interview with Hopkins (email subscribers click here). If you want to go past the boxing stuff, he "clarifies" his comments about McNabb at the 5-minute mark. I apologize to those of you who may be turned off by this topic, but I have a responsibility to address these issues from time to time. I often tell my daughter that responsibility means doing what you have to do so you can do what you want to do. Hopefully, athletes like Hopkins will be more responsible with their statements in the future. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Sportsmanship is about creativity as well. Check out the first episode of this SportsmanshipTV original program (email subscribers click here). Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
SportsmanshipTV is the 24-7-365 online network dedicated to sportsmanship programming. This blog has been a tremendous vehicle for the sportsmanship message and will continue to be. However, it's impossible to write all day. Believe it or not - there's a ton of good content out there. Kids and coaches are doing the right thing all over the world and need as many media as possible to show their great work. SportsmanshipTV allows us to post indisputable video evidence of the lessons we need to teach our kids and relearn ourselves. We also have to be careful not to take ourselves too seriously. Remember, the first and most important principle of sportsmanship is fun.
That being said, I am proud to introduce the SportsmanshipTV Movie of the Week. Wednesdays are tough for many people. You're more than halfway through the week, but still too far from the weekend to get excited. Well, I have a temporary fix for you. Each week about this time, you should tune in to SportsmanshipTV for the Movie of the Week. The film will not be presented in its entirety, but it will give you a very valuable sportsmanship lesson in the clip provided. And if you choose to rent or download the rest of the movie later - all the better. So, click on the following link for SportsmanshipTV and enjoy Kicking & Screaming. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
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| ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER! |
That being said, I am proud to introduce the SportsmanshipTV Movie of the Week. Wednesdays are tough for many people. You're more than halfway through the week, but still too far from the weekend to get excited. Well, I have a temporary fix for you. Each week about this time, you should tune in to SportsmanshipTV for the Movie of the Week. The film will not be presented in its entirety, but it will give you a very valuable sportsmanship lesson in the clip provided. And if you choose to rent or download the rest of the movie later - all the better. So, click on the following link for SportsmanshipTV and enjoy Kicking & Screaming. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Monday, 9 May 2011
At no point should a coach put his hands on an athlete. Roseville (Calif.) High School girls assistant swim coach, Geoff Cappell seems to have forgotten this very important edict. Cappell is a volunteer assistant and works under his daughter, head swimming coach Kelly Cappell. Cappell has resigned his position with the team and may face charges for what you'll see in the KTXL-TV report below (email subscribers click here).
Sunday, 8 May 2011
The Los Angeles Lakers have won the second-most championships in NBA history. Today, they may have shown the worst sportsmanship in NBA history. Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were frustrated. The upstart Dallas Mavericks were up 3-0 in their best-of-seven series and leading game four by 30 points. That's no excuse. You win some and you lose some. Watch footage of Bynum's flagrant foul below (email subscribers click here).
Extended coverage of the Lakers' sportsmanship debacle is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
Los Angeles has won the last two NBA championships. I don't recall anyone planting an elbow in Bynum's ribs out of jealousy. Don't let this attitude trickle down to your kids. Sure, you can be elated when you win and disappointed win you lose. However, don't resort to cheap shots because your opponent's best happens to be better than your best on a particular day. Sportsmanship is not a selective activity. Champions behave like champions with and without the trophy. Last time I checked, men polish trophies - not the other way around. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Extended coverage of the Lakers' sportsmanship debacle is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
Los Angeles has won the last two NBA championships. I don't recall anyone planting an elbow in Bynum's ribs out of jealousy. Don't let this attitude trickle down to your kids. Sure, you can be elated when you win and disappointed win you lose. However, don't resort to cheap shots because your opponent's best happens to be better than your best on a particular day. Sportsmanship is not a selective activity. Champions behave like champions with and without the trophy. Last time I checked, men polish trophies - not the other way around. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
Friday, 6 May 2011
Thanks to Sportsmanship blog subscriber, basketball coach, and friend of the Sports Commission - Dan Williams for sending this story. Watch the following story that aired earlier this week on KSDK-TV (email subscribers click here). The St. Louis Basketball Academy certainly came through in the clutch for Devin Williams and his family. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
We all want to know the answer to that question. Watch the following video and I think you'll gain a better perspective (email subscribers click here). Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video was produced by SportsmanshipTV - where actions speak louder!
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video was produced by SportsmanshipTV - where actions speak louder!
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
If a man holds his mom in high regard, then he probably is a good man. From ghetto to suburb - inner-city to out-state - mom is still mom. The toughest men always have a soft spot in their hearts for mom. She is the queen of our hearts and the closest thing to perfect we'll ever see. Derrick Rose won the 2010-2011 NBA Most Valuable Player Award yesterday. Watch the last two minutes of his acceptance speech (email subscribers click here). Rose gives his mom a present worth more than his entire contract...appreciation. Make sure you do the same this week. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available on SportsmanshipTV.
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video is also available on SportsmanshipTV.
Sunday, 1 May 2011
You have to reach people to be able to touch them. Sometimes when we're in the throws of preparing the National Sportsmanship Awards, we don't realize right away the reach that the sportsmanship message has. In the case of Kevin Dukes, his story reached all the way from tornado-ravaged Alabama to St. Louis. Talia Kaplan of KSDK-TV reports on a story of survival and sportsmanship (email subscribers click here).
This video and a full tweetcast of last night's National Sportsmanship Awards presented by Maryville University is also available at www.facebook.com/SportsmanshipTV. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
This video and a full tweetcast of last night's National Sportsmanship Awards presented by Maryville University is also available at www.facebook.com/SportsmanshipTV. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
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