{"id":275,"date":"2015-11-25T22:30:50","date_gmt":"2015-11-26T03:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.wpengine.com\/?p=275"},"modified":"2015-12-03T15:48:02","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T20:48:02","slug":"sport-column","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=275","title":{"rendered":"Sport Column"},"content":{"rendered":"

Katelyn Carney<\/strong>
\nNorth Pointe
\nGrosse Pointe North HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 2, News Writing
\nSports Columnist<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Twitter account has over 11.6 million\u00a0followers. Last year\u2019s Super Bowl game\u00a0was watched by approximately 11.5 million\u00a0people. The NFL says that 105.9 million\u00a0viewers watched week one games. Needless\u00a0to say, Americans are football fanatics.<\/p>\n

Being a fan, however, becomes much\u00a0more difficult when the superstars are donning\u00a0prison jumpsuits instead of shiny Nike\u00a0uniforms. Orange Is the New Black should\u00a0not refer to a team\u2019s running back.<\/p>\n

The recent slew of NFL players charged\u00a0with domestic violence would make one\u00a0believe that general managers are scouring\u00a0the prison yards to fill their 53-man rosters.\u00a0The truth is, until TMZ exposed the NFL by\u00a0airing Ray Rice\u2019s elevator knock-out punch\u00a0of his then-fianc\u00e9, domestic violence cases\u00a0in the NFL got less notice than a third-string\u00a0offensive lineman.<\/p>\n

TMZ, often criticized for its zany and\u00a0unconventional coverage, should be applauded\u00a0for drawing attention to this problem.\u00a0The video that TMZ aired (and the NFL\u00a0inexplicably could not), has everyone from\u00a0NFL executives, sponsors and the public doing\u00a0a 180 on this serious issue.<\/p>\n

Did we fall asleep? When did the game\u00a0become dominated by thugs who cannot\u00a0differentiate the sport\u2019s aggressive nature\u00a0on the field from everyday life? From the\u00a0Patriots\u2019 tight end, Aaron Hernandez, being\u00a0charged with multiple murders, to the\u00a0Vikings\u2019 running back, Adrian Peterson,\u00a0charged with child abuse for taking a tree\u00a0branch to his four-year-old son, to Heisman\u00a0trophy winner Jameis Winston yelling\u00a0expletives in the cafeteria at Florida State\u00a0University, the game has turned ugly.<\/p>\n

This behavior has unfortunately even\u00a0trickled down to the high school level. Cass\u00a0Tech\u2019s star quarterback, Jayru Campbell,\u00a0recently became a Youtube sensation when\u00a0he body slammed a school security guard\u00a0for having the audacity to ask him to follow\u00a0school rules.<\/p>\n

Apparently, NFL commissioner Roger\u00a0Goodell was satisfied with the status quo\u00a0before sponsors began to pull their advertisments.\u00a0It was only then that this multibillion\u00a0dollar entity gained a moral compass\u00a0and began to legislate serious consequences\u00a0for these violations of the law.<\/p>\n

Is this what it boils down to? Are we so\u00a0driven by dollar signs and blinded by stargazing\u00a0that we are willing to make exceptions\u00a0for our athletic heroes and sweep these\u00a0misdeeds under the rug? Does the cost of a\u00a0victory outweigh the price of morality?<\/p>\n

This is not a recent trend. Over the last\u00a0decade, there have been scores of domestic\u00a0violence cases against top NFL players,\u00a0while the NFL offices handed down no suspensions\u00a0whatsoever. Yet the league\u2019s history\u00a0shows that prior to multi-million dollar\u00a0contracts, the number of crimes was drastically\u00a0lower. Like the old adage says, money\u00a0is the root of all evil.<\/p>\n

I find it refreshing to be part of an athletic\u00a0program in which good sportsmanship is\u00a0mandatory, both on and off the field. The respect\u00a0and humility that composes a Norseman\u00a0shines through each of us, athlete or\u00a0not. The positive qualities which we absorb\u00a0now are what make us unique and what will\u00a0separate us from the crowd.\u00a0During the North vs. South game, our\u00a0student section never put down South with\u00a0demeaning chants, despite the intensity of\u00a0the rivalry. The good sportsmanship of the\u00a0girls cross country team is often recognized\u00a0by opposing spectators: last year, Stevenson\u00a0High School parents composed a letter to\u00a0Mrs. Murray to express their appreciation.\u00a0Even the act of taking a knee when another\u00a0player is injured demonstrates our teams\u2019\u00a0respect not only for opponents, but the\u00a0game itself.<\/p>\n

So, while our TV coverage may not compare\u00a0with the NFL\u2019s, and our skill set may\u00a0not yet rival the pros, our standards are\u00a0unwavering in spite of the challenges we\u00a0face in and out of school. Are we sometimes\u00a0tempted? Sure. But we know how to play\u00a0by the rules when the game is at stake, and\u00a0that\u2019s what will bring us success. In the end,\u00a0we\u2019ll be the only ones truly celebrating with\u00a0our own signature touchdown dance (one\u00a0that won\u2019t earn us a penalty).<\/p>\n

———<\/p>\n

At an early age, a young man realizes that he is\u00a0blessed with athleticism and a keen mind. Supported\u00a0by loving parents, he begins to work hard\u00a0to develop an athletic prowess.<\/p>\n

Bless you boys.<\/p>\n

This baseball superstar is so talented that he\u00a0is drafted by the Chicago Cubs straight out of\u00a0Maine South High School. However, he is wise\u00a0enough to know that education is a ticket to a\u00a0better life in the long haul. So he opts for a scholarship\u00a0to Illinois State University, where he is\u00a0given the opportunity to pursue athletics in addition\u00a0to a degree.<\/p>\n

Bless you boys.<\/p>\n

He continues to blossom as a baseball player at\u00a0Illinois State, where he is voted MVP in 1973 and\u00a01974, named an All-American outfielder by the\u00a0Sporting News and later ends his college career\u00a0with a .4366 batting average.<\/p>\n

Bless you boys.<\/p>\n

Getting a second chance, he is drafted by the\u00a0New York Yankees and then goes on to win a batting\u00a0championship and the title of league MVP in\u00a0his first two minor league seasons.<\/p>\n

Bless you boys.<\/p>\n

Over the next six years, he plays on three major\u00a0league teams, rarely getting much playing time\u00a0but never complaining, understanding how few\u00a0are blessed to have an opportunity to get paid to\u00a0participate in a recreational child\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

Bless you boys.<\/p>\n

On March 24, 1984, he is a part of a three-team\u00a0trade that sends him to the Detroit Tigers.<\/p>\n

He becomes a vital member of the Tigers\u2019 magical\u00a01984 season, where they win the pennant,\u00a0leading the division wire-to-wire after an unheard-of 35-5 start, eventually going on to capture\u00a0the World Series. The unbelievably fast start\u00a0leads to a local news station coining the slogan<\/p>\n

\u201cBless you boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

His contract affords him the ability to purchase\u00a0a beautiful home in an affluent East-side\u00a0suburb.<\/p>\n

His dedication, hard work, humility and ability\u00a0to disregard the limelight translates into a 19-\u00a0year major league career.<\/p>\n

The athlete, in retirement, uses the college education\u00a0he received to develop a successful business\u00a0while devoting his spare time to various\u00a0charities including (but not limited to) the Police\u00a0Athletic Committee (PAC), Caring Athletes Team\u00a0for Children\u2019s & Henry Ford Hospitals (CATCH)\u00a0and the Joe Niekro Foundation.<\/p>\n

Realizing how fortunate he was, wanting to\u00a0share his baseball knowledge, he founded the\u00a0RedBirds youth baseball organization, dedicated\u00a0to developing the lives of young men through the\u00a0lessons they learn from playing baseball.<\/p>\n

Bless you boys.<\/p>\n

In truth, it was us, the Grosse Pointe community,\u00a0who was blessed to have known that athlete\u00a0and call him our own. In the midst of milliondollar\u00a0contracts, ESPN highlight reels, steroid\u00a0scandals, domestic violence cases, salary arbitration,\u00a0free agents and all other topics that lend\u00a0a negative connotation to sports, Dave Bergman\u00a0was the polar opposite.<\/p>\n

He was a true professional who played for\u00a0the love of the game and realized how lucky he\u00a0was to be on payroll that enabled him to live his\u00a0childhood dream. Bergman never saw himself\u00a0as world champion, but as an ordinary guy who\u00a0stressed academics and respect and concern for\u00a0others while striving for athletic excellence with\u00a0a winning attitude.<\/p>\n

The world lost a sports icon, a truly professional\u00a0athlete in every sense of the word, on Feb. 2\u00a0when Bergman succumbed to bile duct cancer at\u00a0the mere age of 61.<\/p>\n

The sad thing is that few outside the Grosse\u00a0Pointe community realize what a hero he truly\u00a0was. How much better would the world be if all\u00a0our sports icons acted a little less like spoiled\u00a02-year-olds and a little more like him? Let him\u00a0lead as an example to all of what the meaning of\u00a0the game is.<\/p>\n

So bless the boys who seek more from the\u00a0game than the next \u201cW.\u201d Bless the boys who acknowledge\u00a0that ball isn\u2019t always life. Bless the\u00a0boys who don\u2019t expect to be the constant subject\u00a0of the public limelight. Bless the boys who keep\u00a0their morals above their achievements. Bless the\u00a0boys who strive to uphold the legacy this incredible\u00a0athlete left because he will not soon be forgotten,\u00a0as an athlete or as a role model.<\/p>\n

Bless you, Dave Bergman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Katelyn Carney North Pointe Grosse Pointe North HS 1st Place Division 2, News Writing Sports Columnist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,68],"tags":[48,21],"class_list":["post-275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-nw","category-sportscolumnist","tag-48","tag-division2","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kelsey Parkinson","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=3"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-4r","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}