“In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”
–Aeschylus, ancient Greek tragedian

Years ago, when I subscribed to Sports Illustrated, my favorite page was the last, where sportswriter Rick Reilly wrote a back-page column. Rick’s way with words and stories was compelling reading. Once, he wrote of an Arizona high school kid, Joe Kay–seemingly the All-American boy. Of his many […]

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.”
–Hélder Câmara, Brazilian Catholic Archbishop

It seems like every trip to the grocery store results in fewer bags brought home, but a higher credit card charge. If you’re like me, your default is to complain about the cost of food without considering the silver lining: Our nation is blessed with an abundance of food. You and I don’t […]

“Hockey is a metaphor for life. You have to be willing to get knocked down and get back up.”
–Mike Eruzione* (Captain of the 1980 Gold Medal-winning USA Hockey Team)

A friend recently introduced me to hockey. Talk about being late to the party, or the game, as it were. Hockey’s big in North Carolina. We have the NHL’s Hurricanes in Raleigh, and Charlotte has the Checkers, the American Hockey League’s development team for the Florida Panthers. Florida won this year’s Stanley […]

“If someone is gracious enough to give me a second chance, I won’t need a third.”
–Pete Rose, Major League Baseball’s all-time-hits record holder

For two baseball families and many baseball fans, there was big news last month. Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office removed Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson from the lifetime ineligibility list. Both had been banned due to allegations of gambling on baseball, a dagger to the heart of any player or manager who’s caught.

Rob Manfred, MLB’s Commissioner, […]