Purple Pennings

Writers block. It hit me pretty hard this week. I spent a great amount of time on my futon watching ESPN and trying to get inspired, but nothing sparked my interest. I started pestering my friends and begging anyone I knew to give me something I could write about that would be informative and entertaining. Finally, one of my friends said, "What about Trevor Wikre, the guy who cut off his pinky?" At first, I was skeptical. Sure, it is an interesting story, but I didn't really know how I would be able to write something that would not sound like the same awe-filled story that sports fans have undoubtedly heard on multiple occasions since Wikre told his doctors to amputate that pinky a few weeks ago. Then, however, I read David Fleming's 30-second column on ESPN.com and, for the first time, heard the story from this perspective:

"At this point, I'm not really sure who's a bigger idiot here: a kid who would actually chop off part of his hand so he wouldn't miss the ultimate, once-in-a-lifetime gridiron challenge of playing against teams like the Colorado School of Mines, or a sports culture so ridiculously lacking in perspective that it would actually glorify and celebrate an act of what is essentially self-mutilation?"

Harsh? Maybe a little bit. True? Well, I won't speak for you, but I can't help but agree with Mr. Fleming on this one. Think about to your years in high school. I am sure you can remember at least one young man or woman who sacrificed their body to injury in order to continue playing their sport of choice. In my tiny, 400 student, all girls high school, I can think of three examples. One girl decided that she would rather have swollen, achy "cankle" for the rest of her life so that she could play every game of her soccer season instead of letting it heal properly first. One girl refused surgery on her shoulder so that she would not miss her senior year of basketball. The last girl pushed off surgery on her back (which she needed because without it, she ran the risk of paralysis) so that she could dance in her last recital before graduating.

No, none of the girls in my high school cut off a part of their bodies, but all of them made a conscious decision to suffer in greater pain than needed, for the rest of their lives, so that they could do the thing they loved for just a little bit longer. Was Wikre's action brave? Yes. Was it heroic or worthy of special praise? No, I don't think so. I don't think that any of their actions and sacrifices should be belittled, but I do think they should be taken with a grain of salt.

If you want a real hero from the sports world, consider someone who did something in hope that others would have the chance to play the sport they loved for just a little bit longer. Each year, tickets are sold for three, high-profile college basketball games to benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The "V" stands for the last name of James Thomas Anthony Valvano (Jimmy V), an inspirational college athlete, coach, and broadcaster. Jimmy V helped lead his college team, Rutgers University, to finish third in the NIT Tournament. As a Varsity Coach at John Hopkins, Bucknell, Iona, and NC State, he won two ACC Tournament Championships, including a last second victory over number one seeded University of Houston who had previously been on a 26 game winning streak. Though all of these achievements are noteworthy, his recognition grew dramatically in 1992 when he was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer and shared this news openly with the media.

Jimmy V was unafraid to let the public see him deteriorate in order to promote awareness for cancer research. He dedicated the rest of his life to being a cancer advocate and, therefore, was able to announce that he, with the support of ESPN, was able to found the V Foundation for Cancer Research in his acceptance speech at the ESPYs in 1993. The foundation's motto would be, and remains, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up". Shortly after, in one of the last interviews before his death, he preached that he wanted to help every single cancer patient that he possibly could. Jimmy V faced an obstacle, just as Wikre did, but through his actions, he has given hope to countless people throughout the years. He worked so that others would have the chance to pursue their dreams, not just so he could pursue his own; that is sports icon to truly consider a hero.

*Note: Visit jimmyv.org for more information about the foundation or show your support by simply watching one of the following basketball games of the Jimmy V Classic this year: Dec 9th: Davidson vs. WVU, 7:00pm on ESPN (men) Dec 9th: Texas vs. Villanova, 9:00pm on ESPN (men) Dec 8th: Rutgers vs. Georgia, 7:00pm on ESPN2 (women)