NEW YORK -- Say what you will about John McEnroe, the Prince of Pout, the Court Crybaby, the No. 1 male tennis player in the world. If nothing else, he is a fighter. And on center court at the U.S. Open, when your survival is on the line and it's about a million degrees and you're losing bad and 20,000 New Yorkers are screaming at you and a Swedish robot across the net is picking you apart, well, being a fighter is what it's about.
NEW YORK -- Say what you will about John McEnroe, the Prince of Pout, the Court Crybaby, the No. 1 male tennis player in the world. If nothing else, he is a fighter. And on center court at the U.S. Open, when your survival is on the line and it's about a million degrees and you're losing bad and 20,000 New Yorkers are screaming at you and a Swedish robot across the net is picking you apart, well, being a fighter is what it's about.
And then, depression set in.What else was left? The Lions had just been penalized, tripped, whacked, rushed, fooled, intercepted and, finally, beaten in the closing seconds, 24-17, by the Cincinnati Bengals. Three defeats in the last three weeks. Their best hope for the playoffs is now TicketWorld.How did they lose this? Let me count the flags.Second quarter, Lions driving deep into Cincinnati territory. Eric Hipple back to pass -- and it's complete, a first down!What's that yellow thing?"PENALTY. ILLEGAL USE OF HANDS."
I'm starting my own hall of fame. For hoopla. I call it The Hoopla Hall Of Fame. It will be truly amazing and unbelievably fantastic.All the BIG NAMES will be in it. You know. The sports heroes the media have decided you cannot live without for more than five minutes.William (The Refrigerator) Perry will be in my Hall of Fame, posing with a GE Frost-Free. Boris Becker will be there, too. Right next to Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.
And then, depression set in.What else was left? The Lions had just been penalized, tripped, whacked, rushed, fooled, intercepted and, finally, beaten in the closing seconds, 24-17, by the Cincinnati Bengals. Three defeats in the last three weeks. Their best hope for the playoffs is now TicketWorld.How did they lose this? Let me count the flags.Second quarter, Lions driving deep into Cincinnati territory. Eric Hipple back to pass -- and it's complete, a first down!What's that yellow thing?"PENALTY. ILLEGAL USE OF HANDS."
I'm starting my own hall of fame. For hoopla. I call it The Hoopla Hall Of Fame. It will be truly amazing and unbelievably fantastic.All the BIG NAMES will be in it. You know. The sports heroes the media have decided you cannot live without for more than five minutes.William (The Refrigerator) Perry will be in my Hall of Fame, posing with a GE Frost-Free. Boris Becker will be there, too. Right next to Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.
EDMONTON, Alberta -- "Hey, how does this machine work?" Greg Stefan hollered. He was with several teammates inside a subway station. They were heading to a morning practice at Northlands Coliseum. But the ticket box kept spitting back Stefan's quarters."Drop them a little slower," suggested Mel Bridgman. "Like this. See? Give it a chance to settle, and it works."Stefan let the coins drop more slowly. And out came his ticket. He grabbed it, marched ahead to his teammates, and fell into their pace.
EDMONTON, Alberta -- "Hey, how does this machine work?" Greg Stefan hollered. He was with several teammates inside a subway station. They were heading to a morning practice at Northlands Coliseum. But the ticket box kept spitting back Stefan's quarters."Drop them a little slower," suggested Mel Bridgman. "Like this. See? Give it a chance to settle, and it works."Stefan let the coins drop more slowly. And out came his ticket. He grabbed it, marched ahead to his teammates, and fell into their pace.
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.
