Patriots to offer free exchange on Hernandez jerseys

The New England Patriots seem to understand the difficulty some of their fans may be having with arrest of former Pro Bowl tight end Aaron Hernandez on murder and weapons charges. They also appear to understand the affect all of this may be having on parents who have to explain to their child why they can't wear the #81 jersey they got over the holidays anymore.

An NFL team can only do so much, but the Patriots are making an effort to ease the situation for parents with a unique offer. The following statement was posted today on the team's website:

The New England Patriots ProShop will offer a free jersey exchange of any #81 Hernandez jersey purchased at the Patriots ProShop or online at PatriotsProShop.com for a new Patriots jersey of comparable value. The free jersey exchange will be available exclusively at the Patriots ProShop the weekend of Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7. 

“We know that children love wearing their Patriots jerseys, but may not understand why parents don’t want them wearing their Hernandez jerseys anymore,” said New England Patriots spokesperson Stacey James. “We hope this opportunity to exchange those jerseys at the Patriots ProShop for another player’s jersey will be well received by parents.”

What do you think of the team's decision? Is this a class move by a team looking out for kids or a PR move by an organization trying to distance itself from a bad situation?

Read More

Aaron Hernandez Case: What happens when you're the wrong people?

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in connection with the death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. Who knows how the case will play out and what the evidence authorities have will show?

Hernandez has a checkered past and pundits are asking the seemingly age-old question: Why can't successful athletes leave their pasts behind when they reach the pros? Discussions about Aaron Hernandez quickly dovetail into stories about other athletes who couldn't let go of their old lives. Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Adam "Pacman" Jones and others come to mind.

The people these star athletes grew up with and continued to associate with are often characterized as "the wrong people," "a bad crowd" and "poor examples." These phrases imply that million-dollar talent and poor character have an inverse relationship. In plain English - the ability to catch touchdowns must negate the desire to shoot someone, right?

Success in professional sports is among the most random of happenings. Athletic talent is God-given. We can all maximize what we get, but it mostly comes down to who your parents are. It's that luck of the draw that makes many athletes appreciate the tremendous gifts they've been given and others think the world should worship them like deities.

Our societal obsession with elite-level athletics makes the athletes themselves believe they are invincible. Hero worship feeds the narcissistic monster. We overlook their character flaws because they play so well. Aaron Hernandez was arguably the best tight end in the country coming out of college. He was a First-Team All-American at the University of Florida.

He won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end in 2009. Hernandez played on SEC and National Championship teams with the likes of Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. Yet, he was drafted in the 4th Round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

The Patriots looked past his alleged involvement in a previous shooting and his admitted failed drug test to give the kid a shot. He had first round talent and they were getting him at a huge discount. Hernandez delivered big for New England on the field. He and teammate Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski gave defenses fits with record-setting performances and runs deep into the playoffs.

New England rewarded Gronk and Hernandez with contracts worth $53 million and $40 million respectively. Hernandez was never far away from what appears to be his true self, though. In addition to the murder of Odin Lloyd, Hernandez is now being investigated for another double murder which occurred in 2012.

Winning isn't everything. Talent can't be above all else. Everything that glitters ain't gold. A new pair of handcuffs give off a blinding glare against sunlight. Sometimes, the wrong person, the bad influence, the shady character -  is the guy in the mirror.

Read More

Girl dismissed from football team because of potential 'lustful' thoughts by boys

Maddy Paige is a football player. She was the starting defensive end last season for Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove, Georgia as a sixth grader. The now 11-year-old was looking forward to trying out for Strong Rock's middle school football team. Strong Rock will not allow Maddy's to tryout this year, though. Why? Maddy Paige can't tryout for the middle school team because she's a girl and the school's afraid the boys might notice.

Seriously, Strong Rock's CEO told Maddy's mother that the boys on the team would start "lusting after Maddy." I'll give everyone a second because I threw up in my mouth a little bit, too. They're kids. They don't know what lust is. For the sake of keeping down our lunches, I'll replace lust with like for the remainder of this post. The situation presented here is the textbook definition of excessive adult interference. Have a look at the 11 Alive story below (email subscribers click here).



Strong Rock's official position states that "middle school girls play girl sports and middle school boys play boy sports." Are the girls' uniforms pink and the boys' uniforms blue as well? And what should be done about math, science and social studies class? I'm sure there are boys in those classes with Maddy .

School officials are also in error because they allowed Maddy to play in the first place. They were fine with her sacking the quarterback from her defensive end position last season. Now, not so much. I know some readers will contend that Maddy may get hurt playing football with boys who are inching ever closer to puberty.

That would be a debate worth having, but the school doesn't seem to be interested in whether or not the boys will hurt Maddy. They're more concerned about whether or not they will like her. It's silly and insulting to all of the kids, their coaches and parents. If Maddy is good enough to make the team, she should play.

Removing girls from view doesn't make boys like them any less. Any boy who can no longer look at Maddy on the football field need only wait until 4th hour math - where he can gaze upon her until his heart's content. Yeah, I know. It's even sillier in print. Good luck, Maddy!

Read More

Hockey fails again...

I've been very critical of the fighting in hockey on all levels over the years. In response, angry commenters tell me I don't know the game or I should pay closer attention. Well, I invite everyone to pay attention to the following video about yet another incident of violence in hockey (email subscribers click here).



The parents were told by the league that "it's all part of the game" and the police are still investigating. The kid deserved to be assaulted on the ice for snowing the goalie. At no other time in life can someone throw snow on you and you are able to retaliate by giving them a black eye and a concussion without spending some time in jail - except in hockey.

Fighting does not help the sport. I guess if you beat up the other team's best players, that could help your team win. Other than that, what's the point? Hockey is a great game of skill, speed, strength and physicality. The game is good enough on its own. It doesn't need the sideshow of fights to make it more entertaining.

How many beatings does it takes to reach a reasonable level of common sense? The world may never know.

Read More

Sportsmanship is just over the (Blanchette) bridge

The Blanchette Memorial Bridge is the path most St. Louisans take when venturing into St. Charles. The historic structure guides travelers safely over the Missouri River and into the company of the Gateway City's closest westbound neighbor.

It takes a little longer to get to St. Charles these days, though. The bridge is undergoing some much needed repair work - which makes the lanes a little narrow and the speed limit somewhere between a brisk walk and a crawl. Nevertheless, the Sportsmanship Brigade will go wherever good character and respect for the game can be found.

Our most recent trip landed us at Sts. Joachim & Ann for an 8th grade softball matchup between the home squad and St. Elizabeth / St. Roberts. We were impressed with the stellar attitude of the Sts. Joachim & Ann team. It was a tough day for them, but they stood tall together. The young ladies encouraged each other and even gave a group hug to a teammate who was having a hard time on the mound. As you can tell by the photo below, these girls have a winning attitude.

Sts. Joachim & Ann 8th Grade softball

Not to be outdone, St. Elizabeth had its own pair of character twins. Cheyenne Thorpe and Bella Orlando showed tremendous leadership in cheering on their teammates and helping them maintain focus throughout the game. They also displayed great humility in making sure the visitor's bench was in better shape than when they found it. Cheyenne and Bella are certainly mature beyond their years and worthy of recognition by the Brigade.

Bella and Cheyenne

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130.

Read More

Radio hosts fired after mocking former player with ALS

Former New Orleans Saints defensive back Steve Gleason has Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. He is putting up a courageous fight while working with his Team Gleason Foundation on a cure and helping those who live with ALS.

Gleason was a guest columnist this week for Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback. He discussed his personal battle with ALS and how his family and others are supporting him. Gleason also wrote about his foundation's work and his refusal to allow ALS to defeat him.

There was nothing controversial about Gleason or his column. The controversy began when Atlanta-based sports talk radio hosts Steve "Steak" Shapiro, Nick Cellini and Chris Dimino decided to make fun of Gleason and his condition during their "Mayhem in the A.M." morning show on 790 The Zone.

Here is the full audio of the segment mocking Gleason (email subscribers click here):



Shapiro, Cellini and Dimino have all been fired by 790 The Zone and the station issued an apology addressing the behavior of its former employees and showed a good deal of humility and regret toward Steve Gleason and his family.

Case closed, right? Relative to this particular situation, the answer is yes. When speaking about the culture in sports which allows us to say and do anything we want to a rival, the issue is far from solved.

790 The Zone is the flagship station of the Atlanta Falcons. Now, the Falcons had nothing to do with this radio stunt and have come out publicly denouncing the behavior of Shapiro, Cellini and Dimino. Nonetheless, the rivalry between the Falcons and Saints is well-documented and some people take rivalries too far.

Done right, rivalries are part of what makes sports fun. Some of the best games are rivalry games. The Chicago Cubs almost always give my Cardinals a good game no matter what the records are. Chicago fans come in droves to St. Louis and vice versa. Restaurants, hotels and local attractions all benefit.

Poking fun at your rival is even OK as long as it's team-oriented, light-hearted and not personal. Mocking Steve Gleason is very personal, has nothing to do with the Saints team and ALS is terminal. So, there's nothing light-hearted about this attack.

You can't just say or do whatever you want to a rival because they wear or cheer for the other uniform. I know what some of you are thinking. What about freedom of speech? What about it? Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. Translation: Atlanta P.D. can't arrest the hosts for what they said, but they can certainly be fired.

Moreover, the damage to their reputations may be irreparable. Rivals and enemies are not the same. Your enemy wants to get rid of you. Your rival simply wants to defeat you so the two of you can play again. Know the difference.

Read More

Charges dropped against coach accused of knocking out opposing player

Nathan Harris is a free man. Whether he should or shouldn't be is still a matter of debate among the many thousands of people who saw the video of him hitting and knocking out an opposing player. Nonetheless, a judge dropped child abuse charges against Harris last week.

The 38-year-old was a coach on a Salt Lake City area youth football team last season. An opposing running back seemed to break away from his defense for an easy touchdown when Harris delivered a blow under the boy's chin as he ran along the sidelines.

The story originally broke last October and it was even featured in our Worst Sportsmanship Moments of 2012 list. In case you missed it, here's the video again (email subscribers click here).



How did Harris escape jail time? Well, his defense argued that the boy he hit didn't suffer injuries as great as originally thought. Attorneys were able to produce video of the kid going back in the same game. I'm not going to use this page to argue evidence. However, those of us involved in sports know that athletes go back into games with concussions all the time.

The pros do it and they have doctors on the sidelines. Kids are lucky if someone remembers to bring the first-aid kit. Whether the boy had a concussion or was able to shake it off doesn't matter. A coach hit a kid in an attempt to stop him from scoring.

While the court has made it's decision, the youth football league in this case has one to make as well. Will it let Harris coach again? This is important because Harris seems eager to return to the sidelines. He told the Deseret News, "If they need me to coach, I'd be happy to coach. I don't think people should shy away from coaching just because of this story."

People should not shy away from coaching. People who hit kids should not only shy away from coaching, they should never be allowed near a field, court, track, mat, rink, ring diamond, pool or gym again.

Read More

Sportsmanship Scholarship applications due TODAY!

That's right. June 14 has arrived. The Sportsmanship Scholarship deadline is TODAY. If you graduated from a St. Louis area high school in 2013 and you have exhibited good sportsmanship on the field of play, then you are eligible. However, your completed application must be submitted to our office by the end of today.  You can email your application to salexander@stlsports.org. You can fax it to 314-621-1391 or bring it by 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 500, St. Louis, MO. Even if you've been a severe procrastinator, you can still download the application at sportsmanship.org. Enough from me already - get to work. Time is running out. Good luck to all of you.

Read More

Dodgers and Diamondbacks embarrass the game in silly brawl

I have openly criticized youth and high school teams for engaging in dangerous team brawls on the field. The potential for injury is great and the behavior embarrasses the sport. Last week, I wrote about a brawl during a softball game where a parent was arrested for assault.

Many condemned the softball brawl as shameful and lauded police intervention. What about the pros, though? What happens when they have a senseless brawl? What happens when the umpire does his job correctly and the teams feel the need to fight anyway? Judge for yourself after watching the following clip of Tuesday night's Dodgers-Diamondbacks game (email subscribers click here).



This just has to stop. The pros must exhibit the same behavior we want on the youth level. Pro sports continues to be one of the few places where a person can commit assault without penalty of law. The umpire was correct in ejecting Ian Kennedy for beaning Zack Greinke and he did it immediately. What was there to fight about?

Maybe the L.A.P.D. officers on-hand could have come down and arrested Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, Matt Williams, Don Baylor, Mark McGwire, Skip Shumaker and others. Maybe if they had spent a night in jail cooling off, they would get the message.

Kids, parents and their coaches watch these guys and emulate everything from their swing to their right hook.  A parent gets arrested for biting, but pros can throw each other over the dugout rail without consequence.

Read More

April, May and June showers bring Sportsmanship

It certainly has been a tale of two summers for the Sportsmanship Brigade. In 2012, the St. Louis area couldn't buy a drop of water. Our grassy plains became unsightly, brown patches of dust. Fast forward to 2013 and communities all over are strengthening levee walls and seeking higher ground in some instances. St. Louis is the new Seattle. Rain has certainly been plentiful in the Gateway City.

As you may have guessed, this has led to numerous baseball and softball cancellations. Kids are a resilient bunch, though. If there's a chance to play, they'll gladly take it. Playing in the mud is nothing new for them anyway. It's the adults that get all freaked out. This brings us to last Saturday morning when the Brigade took in a 5th grade softball matchup between St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Immaculate Conception-Dardenne.

The following report was sent in to the Sports Commission by Brigade Captain Donovan Lucas:

We picked coach Jim Morrissey for Immaculate Conception and Brooke Piessner for St Elizabeth. Coach Morrissey greeted each player and high-fived every player when they left the field no matter how well they did. Brooke was the catcher for St Elizabeth. Brooke cheered her team, shouted encouragement, and gave the team instructions during the game. She was a positive force even when her team was down by a lot.  Both teams played hard and were good sports. We were especially impressed with St Elizabeth as they had only 8 players.

Brigade member Becky Limback with Brooke Piessner and her coach

Becky doing her best Where's Waldo impersonation with Immaculate Conception

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130.

Read More

Foundation Director issues challenge to local schools

I was on KTRS-AM on Wednesday morning with McGraw Milhaven on his show McGraw in the Morning. Milhaven and I discussed the St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Scholarship and the general frustration I was feeling from segments of the St. Louis area. If you weren't up at 6:30 a.m. listening, here's the interview in its entirety. (email subscribers click here).



Where is my frustration coming from? Well, it comes from where personal struggle and professional success intersect. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know I grew up receiving welfare and food stamps, attended St. Louis Public Schools through 8th grade and graduated from Ladue High School. You are also aware of my past as an educator and my current work at the Sports Commission. I'm asked quite often how did I make it when so many others I knew and grew up with did not.

My answer is always the same. Kids like me - and honestly kids everywhere - make it because of opportunities. Kids are smarter, stronger and more resourceful than we think. They just need opportunities. The Sportsmanship Scholarship represents an opportunity. Two-thirds or more of our scholarship applications come from private schools or what some may consider well-to-do public districts. The kids from those schools are great. Their parents and coaches are responsive and get things in on-time.

However, the number of applications from inner-city schools or what could be called disadvantaged districts is extremely low. That's not good...not good at all. While I cannot guarantee that a kid from the inner-city will win the Sportsmanship Scholarship if he or she applies, I can wholly guarantee one will not if they do not apply. We all know tons of good kids. We all know good kids who show great sportsmanship and character when they play their chosen sport.

Send me those applications. Tell me about those kids. Nine St. Louis area kids have received a total of $20,000 in the Sportsmanship Scholarship's four-year existence. One young man has graduated and eight others are well on their way. I am challenging every St. Louis area high school coach, parent, teacher and administrator to send me one kid.

Surely, among the thousands you teach, coach and raise, there is one worthy of the Sportsmanship Scholarship. Surely, one young person among you is deserving of this opportunity. Apathy and indifference are terrible burdens for a community to carry. Instead, let's rise to the occasion! The deadline to submit applications for the 2013 Sportsmanship Scholarship is Friday, June 14. The application can be downloaded by going to sportsmanship.org. If you have any questions, please email salexander@stlsports.org or call 314-345-5130.

Read More