Holiday

And while you're watching some of that foozeball (which is the devil!), here's a highly recommended read as today is the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of Sean Taylor.

Honoring

Sports, despite the controversies that stir within, serve as the world's greatest distraction. For us as fans, they prove to take us away from the insanity of the every day by attending, listening or watching the games and focus on something else. This has been proven thoughout our written history; during wars, economic downturns, natural disasters, assasinations and other global catastrophies.

For the participants, they can be the salvation from what hurts them off the field of play. A ball in hand and a mind numb from their personal pains, the games are more than jobs, but actually become therapeutic in dealing with their problems. Some of sports' greatest players and teams had inspiring performances under personal duress as Michael Jordan, Brett Favre or recently, the Washington Redskins after the murder of Sean Taylor.

Yet, it is something to witness how sports are a galvanizing force in the collegiate ranks.

Eleven months ago, we witnessed what seems to now be a new genesis of campus murders. For those who do not recall that fateful Monday April 16th in Blacksburg, 33 people - including the gunman - were gunned down at Virginia Tech in the deadliest school shooting in United States history.

No more is this evident these days than in college campuses around the country. With the murder of student body president Eve Carson days ago, the University of North Carolina finds itself in mourning while it prepares to celebrate its seemingly annual NCAA tournament appearance. Their beloved Tar Heels took on their biggest rival, the Duke Blue Devils, in Durham. For just a few moments, the hatred between both camps was set aside as the Cameron Crazies had a moment of silence for the 22-year-old. Of course, as Carson or every other UNC supporter would have asked for, the game itself played on with the same exact intensity as all of the previous 224 matchups between them.

Though this may be the most known instance of sports as healing instrument so far this year, it isn't even the first killing of a college student as there have been two other tragedies this year, both occuring on campus. While little coverage of the Louisiana Technical College shooting has not lend itself to a call of rememberance outside of Baton Rouge, the only sports connections anyone may be aware of comes from Northern Illinois. After four students were killed at the Dekalb school, the shockwaves shook further east in Blacksburg. Students at the Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech men's basketball game wore "Hokies for Huskies" t-shirts. Chicago White Sox General Manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen wore the school's caps during spring training in tribute. The Blackhawks have worn decals on their helmets. More importantly, just as the Tar Heels and the Hokies before them, the Huskies' athletic teams played on with heavy hearts.

Mourning in professional sports is equally profound, but not necessarily in the manner that it does in college. Whether it is UNC or Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois or Marshall or even your own alma mater, these are relatively small, insulated communities with young adults largely on their own for the first time in their lives. Unlike the real world, these students look over their shoulders to see one of their own almost ninety-percent of the time. In some ways still feeding off of their tumultuous teenage years, college students - especially those who live on campus - revel in their youth though all of the social outlets their schools offer, including their sports. Yet, when a piece of the less sanitized real world enters the tranquil and ideally free college campus, it can shatter the spirit of the student body.

Or it can strengthen it.

The countless tributes both on and off campus tell these students that society at-large empathizes with their pain. While the every day murders of people across the globe may invoke nothing more than a shrug, the interruption of ideal collegiate innocence actually pauses society, if only for a small moment. Yet, at times when a college or university may reassess its security - literally and figuratively - their athletic programs serve as symbols that show the world that the victims are remembered though every basket, every pass, every pitch, every save and every game played.

Forward (I)

Before going any further, I wish the best to all of you as 2008 gets underway. 2007 represented a year of progression for me professionally as well as personally. It seemed as if ’07 was a year of redemption and resurgence from the black hole that was 2006. Despite some bumps in the road regardless of the date on the calendar, I am fortunate to have family and friends who continue to support my endeavors and passions. I believe deeply that 2008 will work from those building blocks for me and, more importantly, those around me.

I extend a hearty thanks to those of you who follow my work on Scribe as well as in the traditional world through WHCR and the New York Beacon. 2008 will be an expansion of those efforts to provide you with so much more than before.

That said, the new year bring about new questions in sports. Instead of a rather lengthy entry, this will be a series called Forward that will stretch into January 8th. Today, the series starts with the National Football League.

Our bodies and mental states will still tell us that 2007 was moments ago, though the calendar has changed throughout all time zones. It’s hard to say “last year” when you say anything without realizing that 2006 is no longer that point of reference. Yet no matter how much joy or pain that came between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007, we all hope to move forward and prepare for the next 366 days.

Moving forward from what had been a very exciting, but simultaneously troubling 2007 will involve answering the most daunting questions sports have faced in recent memory. It will also involve trying to bring the focus to the fields of play themselves with captivating play, flirtations with history and the emergence of new stars.

The questions in this series do not range in a specific order of importance or timeliness. Rather, they come from somewhere beneath the glitz, glamour and gluttony of snarky BS around us.

NFL: How can we protect our investments? Today marks the dawn of a new year, but it also serves as a reminder of the first major story of yesteryear. The murder of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams just hours after his team was eliminated from playoff contention still rattles the minds of so many players and likely Denver residents. The Broncos franchise also dealt with the passing of reserve running back Damien Nash weeks later. The New England Patriots also dealt with loss; Marquise Hill, a reserve defensive end who had devoted much of his time helping residents rebuild in a post-Katrina New Orleans, died in a jetski accident shortly after saving the life of his friend.

The NFL had never dealt with the passing of active players in this magnitude. While it was evident that the league had been making a push to distance itself from the Michael Vick saga, its officials have always been trying to find a way to protect players without completely restricting their personal freedoms. Outside of Nash’s death (collapsing while playing basketball at a charity event in his brother’s honor), the deaths of the other players spoke to the biggest fears of athletes and extracurricular activities. Professional athletes tend to be the biggest targets of the shadiest bunch, whether it’s from jealousy or a desire to attain some power. You hear about incidents at a nightclub with famous individuals rather than the ordinary individual and this alarms general managers, owners and commissioners alike.

In the case of Hill, it could be somewhat reminiscent of several athletes who own seemingly dangerous vehicles like ATVs, motorcycles (former Chicago Bull Jason Williams, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger) or jetskis. It shakes executives so much that they insists on clauses in player contracts that prohibit the use of those vehicles (for example, Jeff Kent of the Los Angeles Dodgers).

All of this came to mind prior to the most jarring moment in recent league history; the murder of Sean Taylor. As discussed in Profound, all of the players died at the age of 24.

Between guns and riptides, it had been a tumultuous 2007 for the NFL. Now as the playoffs loom and the league prepares for its grand celebration in February, there will be reflections on a season passed. There will be discussions of how the leagues machinations such as the competition committee may take a look at possible rule changes and how the former players will push the union and league for increased benefits. Yet, something that should be under further review will be how to strike a balance between a player’s freedom and a team’s investment. Athletes are human and are entitled to a night out on the town; however, a team shouldn’t have to worry about their players in the realm of the unknown. The question of how – or even if – still needs to be addressed.

Walkie-Talkie

Well, not exactly walking, unless you consider walking around the apartment with slippers on with a cellphone in your hand.

For those who listen to my New York Giants reports on WCHR's 'What's Going On', I spend a little more time on the show from time to time, depending on the topic. Today, we will continue the at-large discussion on the Sean Taylor case. Tune in today at 3:00PM on 90.3 FM or online at either whcr.org or myspace.com/whcr.

Say What?!?!: There are a few articles that I feel are worth the read in regards to this tragedy. If you have not read them, take the time to do so. From ESPN, Wayne Drehs finds some reactions from several NFL players who feel that pro athletes have huge bullseyes on their backs. Also Len Pasquerelli of the Worldwide Leader has one of the few articles that boldly deal with the reality of the situation for the Washington Redskins. Finally, another personal favorite, Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports wants folks to really think of the kind of year this as been for the NFL. However, do try to enjoy these games, if only for a moment.

Profound

Anyone who has ever dealt with the loss of a loved one can understand the greater plight of moving forward. It is a long and arduous march to some form of normalcy, even though that missing energy never returns. It is also something that can never just be understood from a distance. Unfortunately, the only way that someone can ‘get it’ is when he or she endures it. Yet, there are some deaths that are unique from others, though loss hurts all the same. In the realm of entertainment, one’s passing starts as a private moment within family and close friend before it is announced to the general public. It is at this point, fairly or not, where that passing seems extraordinary.

As the NFL deals with a second murder in 2007, there are questions abound on how players, coaches and managers will honor the life of Washington Redskins’ star safety Sean Taylor. Because of their occupations, the healing process differs in that before millions of people watch them take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, they have to spend the remainder of the week trying to prepare for the game. They can’t take days off during the week as we could. Add the rare instance of two games in a five-day span; the team must exert all of their being into what will be the most difficult – and emotional – period in franchise history.

Sean Taylor’s death has been and will be discussed at length for weeks to come in light of what has already been a challenging year for the NFL. He was the fourth active player to have died since the start of this year. Darrent Williams was killed after leaving a New Year’s Eve party in Denver. Nearly two months later, his Broncos teammate, Damien Nash, collapsed and died during a charity basketball game for his younger brother, a heart transplant recipient. In May, the New England Patriots lost Marquise Hill, due to a JetSki accident on Lake Pontchartrain (bordering his hometown of New Orleans). Besides their employer and their ethnicities, each man had one other commonality; they were all twenty-four years old.

As details about the circumstances of his death slowly come out, a fraternity of former teammates from his Pop Warner days to the University of Miami to Washington will strengthen through grief. The inquisitive and opinionated media will discuss how the Redskins will inevitably have to replace their best player as well as get ready for this challenging period. The fans will show up to mourn as a civic community, to question or appreciate how the team moves forward and to remind each other how today should be cherished as if tomorrow is never promised. This public process has no timetable, but it will raise concerns.

There have always been people who have asked why the death of an athlete should matter more than the death of an everyday Joe, Jaquon or Jane. Some will try to remind others that people die every second of the day and it’s a part of life. The issue with this train of thought is that it assumes that the masses believe the death of a public figure is more important, more significant and more meaningful than that of a private individual. This train of thought also falls in line of questioning why people celebrate these figures as opposed to lawyers, doctors and teachers in the first place. What isn’t said is that much of the reason that we slow down when an athlete dies is that we don’t fully know who the person was. Athletes are expected to be fearless and superhuman in their performances, but invincible and quiet when the lights are off. When those young athletes, along with Joe Kennedy, Josh Hancock and many other active players over the years passed on, it may have been the first time that we encountered anything to do with the human beings they leave outside of competition.

In discussing this with friends today, many sentiments were shared. A violent death of another young black male. His prior transgressions off the field. Potential starting to be realized during practice and game action. All of this rings true, but what should have jumped out from the start was that Taylor’s violent end stopped him from turning the corner away from the game. In a short amount of time, he became one of the few people in the world that could perform - let alone excel - at his job, be rewarded handsomely and yet, still have time to become better. More importantly, from all accounts of his colleagues, friends and family, he was beginning to make right with his previous wrongs. Becoming a father last year was singled out by all who reflected on his personal growth. No one knew how far exactly he was moving away from his run-ins with the law in his early seasons. No one knew the kind of player he was going to become as he was eschewing those poor decisions that led to warnings and fines from the league. Yet, regardless of how closely we pay attention or quickly we dismiss it, we can all understand that Sean Taylor didn’t have enough time to let us know.

Say What?!?!: From the Washington Post.