"General"-ly Speaking: Pro Athletes Finally Step up to the Plate

By: Joshua P. Gaccione

Posted: 9/14/05

09/14/05 - Now what does it take for the sports world to realize that they are not the center of the universe, and for the sports writers to realize that the earth doesn't rotate around opening day or the big game? A natural disaster? Well actually, yes, that's exactly what it takes.

Four weeks out from the disaster left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the sporting world, both collegiate and professional, are going the extra mile to do their small part to aid in relief efforts.

Being the time of year for fans and athletes alike to follow the pennant races, gear up for college football, and of course, embrace the onset of the NFL season, its hard for most to concentrate on life outside of their Direct TV package, never mind what is going on half a country away. Not since the 9/11 tragedy has the sporting world been such a united fraternity working toward a common goal.

You would be hard-pressed to find any aspect of the sporting world not running some type of fundraising at sporting venues or charity events throughout the country. From donation buckets at Division III games to entire network broadcasts dedicated to raising money for the victims, the contributions being made are commendable to say the least.

Programs like Coaches Care (www.coachescare.org), an organized auction, put together by Virginia Tech University Head Basketball Coach Seth Greenberg and Georgetown University Head Basketball Coach John Thompson III are trying to involve coaches nationwide. Greenberg and Thompson are appealing to coaches nationwide to donate unique 'gifts', which are to be bid on, with all proceeds going to charity. Coaches like Texas Tech University's Bobby Knight donated an all-exclusive BIG 12 package including locker-room access with free hotel accommodations and University of Missouri's Quinn Snyder will accompany his highest bidder on a fishing trip near his home along the Mississippi River.

Other NCAA programs forgot their inter-conference rivalries enough to lend a helping hand as well. Tulane University for example, picked up and moved their football operations to Texas A & M, who gratefully opened up their practice facilities to the Green Wave athletic department. The Memphis Tigers football team, who also opened their facilities, welcomed the Ole Miss Rebels who returned the favor by shutting down the Tigers in their head-to-head season opener a week later.

On the East coast, Duke University Athletic Department supported a week of events, which featured a "Stuff the Bus" event in which students crammed as many bodies into a bus as possible to help raise funds for the Hurricane Relief Efforts.

However, this is not only a collegiate effort. Teams like the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in their general charity funds for hurricane victims. The Boston Red Sox went so far as to have players walk the track of the field with their ball caps outstretched taking donations from spectators.

The National Football League is also sponsoring the NFL Hurricane Relief Weekend kicking off with telethons on Saturday and Sunday, and closing with two Monday Night Football matchups, including the displaced New Orleans Saints who will play their home game at Giants stadium 'hosting' the incumbent New York Football Giants.

Other professional athletes are getting in on the act as well. Serena Williams is donating a cool grand for every ace she has for the rest of the year. Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts who are originally from areas in the south affected by Katrina actually assisted hands-on in humanitarian efforts. Even "Mr. Me" himself, Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks donated almost one million dollars to relief efforts.

Do these voluntary acts of kindness, by a mere fraction of the seemingly unappreciative sporting world, mean I'm willing to forget about the "I am not a role model" Charles Barkleys, or the "I just need to feed family" Latrelle Sprewells of the world? Absolutely not. Nor will it sway the opinions of most of the blue-collar, nine to five working fans who can't afford to take their families to the sporting events anyway. It is nice; however, to actually have something positive to say about the overpaid premadonnas who we seemingly let control our lives. I'd say "keep it up," but unfortunately when New Orleans is ultimately rebuilt it will take another 'disaster' for the sporting world to come on back down to earth.