ST. LOUIS -- He threw it like a man who believed things can fly -- balls, dreams, even underdog teams. Mateen Cleaves, a one-time quarterback, cranked his arm and heaved the ball almost the length of the floor. It soared over the heads of all those celebrated Kentucky players, who raced desperately to reach it before Cleaves' teammate, Andre Hutson.
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted the spoons." -- EmersonThe people who run the Olympics have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.Inside are goodies such as free trips, jobs for children, college scholarships and an old favorite, cash.These goodies were offered by cities hoping to host the Olympic Games. Since the Games and all their tourism dollars come only once every two years, you can see how, as the competition swelled, so did the pot.
My experience with tattoos began and ended with the kind you licked. Remember? They came in cereal boxes and were cartoon characters, like Mighty Mouse. You slurped one side with your tongue, then pressed it against your skin as hard as you could. When you peeled it away -- ta-da! -- you had a tattoo.
It could have been a night to forgive the sins, to embrace boxing once again. Instead, when the decision was announced, you realized why you threw this dumb sport out of your house in the first place.
MILWAUKEE -- I sat about 10 feet from Mateen Cleaves' mother Sunday afternoon. At one point, in a wild and noisy game the Spartans trailed much of the way, Mateen complained to a referee about a foul, and an opposing fan yelled, "Aw, Cleaves, stop your crying!"At which point, Mom let him have it.The fan, not Mateen."YOU MIND YOUR BUSINESS!" she yelled. "HE ONLY TAKES DIRECTIONS FROM ME!"
Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.