PAY IT FORWARD. HELP OUT THE CLYDE FAMILY.

I don't know the Clyde family, but that really doesn't matter. What does matter is that
they  could use a little help. On December 27, they came home in Holliston,
Massachusetts to find it gutted by fire. Faulty heating equipment in the basement
ignited the flames and destroyed their home.

The Clyde's were extremely lucky that the blaze didn't bring down their house while
they were asleep. But now they must deal with the shocking and stark reality of starting
a big part of their life over from scratch. Nearly everything they owned was torched by
the flames. Priceless photos, family keepsakes, clothes, computers, files, and records.
and every Christmas present left under the tree, gone. You name it, it went up in flames.
I can't imagine the feeling of waking up the morning after the nightmare and saying,
"What the hell do we do now?" Trying telling your two young kids that everything
is going to be all right when deep down inside that just getting to being "all right"
is a long, long, ways away.

I'm sure it was much like the state of emotions the people in New Jersey and parts
of New York experience after Hurricane Sandy rinsed away everything they had.
Think about what an inconvenience it was not having power for a week where you were
challenged in trying to getting a shower to and your next meal. Now imagine attempting
to do that when you have just the clothes on your back.

Losing a home is a life-changing tragedy. A person's will and resolve are stretched
to its limits and the emotional scars take a significant time to heal. A lot of people
often ask, "Won't insurance take car of them?" Yes, it will, but as many of us know,
insurance doesn't cover everything and one doesn't always get reimbursed quickly
And it's not like the AFLAC duck swoops in, hands a family a wad of cash to get
by, quacks AFFFLAACK! And then leaves. It's not that simple.

The good will and spirit of the Holliston community and the surrounding areas
took over and helped the Clydes get back on their feet. Donations came in the
form of clothes, gift and meal cards. The gesture overwhelmed the Clydes
and they are very thankful.

But they still need help and I'm writing this story to help "pay it forward." When
people are in dire situations and in need of a hand, hug, or a hundred dollars,
we've seen a lot of people in this country become very generous. More than
$400 million was raised for Hurricane Sandy victims. Millions of dollars poured
into the the fund for the families of the Newtown tragedy. There were stories of
children breaking their piggy banks to send a few dollars to help out the families
who lost children as young as themselves.

This story touched me because Mike Clyde works at NESN where I was employed
for two years from 2004-2006. It's a great and wonderful place where I have great
memories and met truly amazing people. John Martin, Pat Gamere, Chris Del Dotto,
Paul Scannell, Gary Roy, Brian Zechello, and Peter Morton are among the many
special people who work there. I've been told Mike is a great guy, too. Please
help him and his family with a little act of kindness.

Donate something to the Clydes. It's a great feeling when you know you're
helping others who are in crisis or less fortunate. Send $10 or more to help
out the Clyde's. Give up a week of Starbucks coffee to help their cause. It
truly is much better to give than receive. Follow the golden rule on this one
and do one to others as you'd want others to do to you.

There is a Facebook page for the Clydes. Check out there story. Make a
small donation. You'll be glad that you did.

https://www.facebook.com/LovingTheClydeFamily

NEWTOWN: STUPIDITY FOLLOWS TRAGEDY

Newtown, Connecticut wants to grieve and try to recover, but it just can't. Every

time it moves an inch towards clearing a small hurdle on the road to normalcy,

somebody drives a stake into the gaping wound the entire community suffered

on December 14. 

The people in that quaint, New England town appreciate the well-wishes that have 

come from around the world, but they don't want their tragedy to turn into the 

longest-running sympathy sideshow there has ever been. Unfortunately, the stupidity

of others is preventing that from happening.

On Thursday, the Stamford Advocate, a newspaper circulated less than 30 miles

from the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, ran an article about the opening

of the new Sandy Hook Elementary School. Trouble was, the paper tagged a  rather
large advertisement for an upcoming fire arms show in  Stamford, on the same page
right next to it. That's right, 26 people were killed by an arsenal of weapons, but be
sure to see the East Coast Fire Arms Show on January 5th and 6th!

Really? How stupid and insensitive can you be? They could've run that promotion
on any of the other 120 pages of the newspaper, but it runs next to an article
dealing with one of the worst shootings in school history? Paul Osmundson, editor
of the Stamford Advocate, in the understatement of the year, called it, a "terrible
mistake."

Oh, I'm sure someone will try to blame it on a miscommunication, being overworked,
or perhaps, ADD. Whatever. None it is going to fly. Mistakes happen, I know, I've
made a ton of them. But how the hell does anyone make a mistake like that?

Jean Henry, a staffer on the state of Connecticut medical exam team made a mistake
by letting her husband view the dead body of gunman, Adam Lanza. Yep, Henry
called her husband into what essentially became a crime lab to look at the the guy
who shot and killed 20 small children and seven adults, including his mother. She
showed him off and seemed to be proud of it. Good, grief. Reports surfaced on
Thursday that  Henry was placed on administrative leave. How do you think the
parents of all those dead felt after reading that? Haven't they endured enough?

I thought enough was enough when I saw that Irv Pinsky, a New Haven-based
lawyer, filed a lawsuit against the state on behalf of the parents of a child who was
lucky enough to survive the massacre. Pinsky claimed the state was negligent for
not protecting his client against "foreseeable harm."  He even put a figure on it to
the tune of $100 million. How insensitive and how utterly stupid is that?

Did Pinsky think he was going to gain sympathy or accolades from the public for
representing a child and parents who were "traumatized" by the shooting? Two
weeks after the unspeakable tragedy, Pinsky and his clients seemingly wanted to
run to the front of the line to make sure they get "theirs" first.

Folks from around the country let Pinsky know how they felt, showering him
with about 50 death threats, according to him. Pinsky withdrew the lawsuit in
order to "calm the divisiveness and tremors." Yeah, the ones you caused by your
own stupidity. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Can't everyone just let Newtown grieve. Can't we all just let them be.

2012: THE WORST YEAR EVER?

I was never more anxious to hop in the shower as I was this morning. It wasn't so
much that I wanted a fresh start to the day, as it was about scrubbing off and rinsing
away the slime and grime that had built up over the past year.

2012 was just plain filthy and nasty. It was like a Fondu feast where just about
everything on our country's plate was dipped not in cheese or chocolate, but rather
dunked and drowned in a cess pool of scandals.

In the world of sports, the child sex-abuse scandal at Penn State broke in November
of last year, but tore the seal off 2012 with sordid details and a cover-up that eventually
painted Joe Paterno and others university officials as leaders who were more concerned
about protecting their image than saving little children from a predator named Sandusky.

There were scandals everywhere in 2012. At Arkansas, Bobby Petrino was fired
after hiring his 26-year old mistress for a job in the football department. Three-time
Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton, who built her own girl-next door image, turned out
to be a girl who spent the last year working as an escort. The Chinese badminton team
intentionally tanked games in the Olympics, the NFL had it's bounty-gate, and Lance
Armstrong finally got outed as a drug cheat. Can I get another shower, please?

We learned that hate and racism is still very much alive in 2012. Carl Crawford, the
former Boston Red Sox who was on a minor-league rehab assignment in New Hampshire
last July, was screamed at by a man attending the game. Crawford was called a "Monday,"
a derogatory term for blacks because it's associated with being the most hated day of the
week. Incredibly, the man, who is white, turned out to be a police officer. He was
subsequently fired.

Ron Parker of ESPN got off much easier after calling Robert Griffin III, the Washington
Redskins quarterback a "cornball brother" on "First Take." Parker, who is black, questioned
whether or not RGIII was "one of us." ESPN tagged Parker with a 30-day suspension.

Hate and anger blew through Kansas City in November when Chiefs linebacker Javon
Belcher shot the mother of his 3-year old child before turning the gun on himself. Belcher
apparently went into a rage over the spending and late-night habits of his girlfriend,
Kassendra Perkins, and felt shooting her was the answer to fixing those problems.

Scandal and unimaginable acts didn't just permeate the sports world. General Petraeus,
a highly-decorated and respected leader of our military, had an extra-marital affair
with Paula Broadwell, ending his career and soiling his once sterling reputation, as well.

The country was angered and appalled by the Casey Anthony trial and subsequent
acquittal, leaving no one responsible for the death of Caylee Anthony, a beautiful 2-year
old girl. And the country is still clearly divided by the events surrounding the death of
Trayvon Martin.

We discovered that many miserable people value the lives of others, even less than
their own. In New York City, two men were pushed to their deaths off platforms in the
subway in separate incidents. The New York Post showed no respect or compassion
by plastering a picture of one of the men about to be run over by the train with the caption,
"THIS MAN IS ABOUT TO DIE." Selling papers was far more important to executives of the
New York Post than the feelings of a family who just had their entire world shattered.

If the moral compass of this nation wasn't already broken, the events of 2012 clearly
demonstrated that it's pointed due south. In Aurora, Colorado, a man walks into a
midnight screening of "Batman Returns" and unleashes his fury and hate with a semi-
automatic rifle, killing 28 people and injuring 58.

2012 was also the year where this country was stretched financially and deflated
emotionally. Hurricane Sandy devastated the Northeast, leaving a path of destruction
that was unprecedented. Not only homes were lost, but lives as well.

But the tragedy in Newtown, CT  may have been the unimaginable event that defined
2012 and made it one of the worst years in recent memory. 20 beautiful and innocent
children were killed on a sunny December morning. Six caring and selfless adults murdered
at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

They were in the right place at the right time except that evil showed up and took away
their lives for no good reason. It was an unspeakable tragedy that devastated a town
forever and sucked the spirit out of the entire nation during the holiday season.

Just two weeks after one of the most violent and horrific school shootings in U.S.
history, Irving Pansky, a New Haven-based attorney filed a lawsuit on behalf of
the parents of one of the children who actually survived the shooting. Pansky is
claiming the child has been traumatized by the massacre in the school. Traumatized?
Ask the parents who lost a child about being traumatized.

The lawsuit against the state of Connecticut is asking for $100 million dollars. $100
million dollars? The dirt on 20 of the smallest graves in Newtown is still fresh and
greed rears its ugly head. Greedy, insensitive, and just plain disgusting.

It really is quite surprising that the world did not end in 2012. I think I need to take
another shower now.

REMEMBERING FRIENDS WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2012

FRED TRUMPLER  April 5
Fred Trumpler died way too young on April 5. He was just 47 when he suffered a

massive heart attack while holding one of his children in his arms. Trumpler 

died as he lived, caring for and loving others. That's the kind of person Fred Trumpler

was.

During his days at New Canaan High School, he wanted to be everybody's best

friend and would not only give you the shirt off his back, but his pants, shoes, and

coat, as well. Trumpler expected nothing in return. His friendship was unconditional. 

Trumpler loved football. Actually, lived for it. He wasn't blessed with extraordinary

talent, but he played with heart and a burning desire to win. Trumpler didn't care

about personal accolades as much as he did of being part of a great team. All he 

wanted in his football career was to say he was part of state championship team. 

Trumpler's dream came true in 1983 when New Canaan High School won it all.

I often wondered if he slept in the state championship letter jacket he received.

Trumpler wore it all the time, even as the calendar turned to late spring and the 

temperature hit the 80's. Trumpler was so proud of it and he always considered it

his greatest accomplishment in football.

Fred Trumpler was a true character in football and in life. He is missed by the 

many teammates and classmates he came across and touched in his own special

way.

ROBERT TROUP  November 12
Robert Troup was a fixture at just about every sporting event the New Canaan
Rams played. Sporting his long, camel-hair coat with a scarf draped around his
neck and often a resting place for his flowing white locks, he stood on the sidelines
and supported every team in town.

Nobody really knew what Troup did for a living and I never really cared. It added
to his character and intrigue. A World War II veteran, Troup appeared as if he
had seen it all, which he probably did. He was friends with movie stars, actors,
politicians, and just about everybody in New Canaan.

But there was nobody in that tony, little New England town quite like him. Nobody.
He was a true original. Our paths would often cross on Main street, at a game, in
church, or the coffee shop. It often started with, "Hey, devils, what's shaking?",
and  quickly progressed to frequent and hearty laughs.

I always left our meetings with a huge smile on my face and feeling better than the
moments before I had seen him. That was one of Troups many gifts: making people
feel better about themselves.

CARL BEANE  May 9
Carl Beane waited his nearly entire life to get his dream job. At the age of 50,
Beane won a competition to be just the fifth public address announcer in the
history of the Boston Red Sox. It's safe to say, there was nobody in the organization
who loved his job more than Beane.

In May, Beane had a heart attacked and died while driving just outside of
Boston. It seemed so wrong and so unfair.

Beane proudly wore his two World Championship rings and seemingly walked
on sunshine to his perch high atop Fenway Park. With great pride and respect
for his job, Beane would announce all the hitters before they strode to the plate.

Beane wasn't blessed physically, but God gave him a powerful voice that he
used to land one of the most coveted jobs in baseball. I'm sure he standing at
the gates of Heaven announcing the beautiful people like himself, when they
come walking through.

GENERAL SCHWARZKOPF COULD'VE BEEN A GREAT COACH

Norman Schwarzkopf was a general straight out of central casting. Big, sturdy,
and intimidating, he was what a leader of the military was supposed to look like.
Even his nickname, "Stormin' Norman" given to him by his aides and subordinates
for his fiery temper and in-your-face style, was perfect.

When he came out for his first press briefing on the Gulf War in 1991, I said to
myself, "With a general like that, this war is going to be over quickly. He was
part John Wayne, part George Patton.  I looked at the guy and said, "This guy means
business. He's going to kick ass and take no prisoners."

Schwarzkopf gave every American the confidence and feeling that Operation Desert
Storm would be well-planned and decisive. It was. The coalition forces drove Iraq
out of Kuwait in just 44 days.

Schwarzkopf was reportedly irate that President Bush ended the mission before
capturing Saddam Hussein and finishing the job. Americans agreed with the general,
and we loved him for it.

Norman Schwarzkopf died of on Thursday due to complications of pneumonia. He
was an American hero and a man who gave a good chunk of his life helping to protect
this country. There was nobody in the history of our military quite like him. He was
a true patriot and a tough, brilliant soldier who was a masterful strategist.

I often felt that Schwarzkopf would've made for a great coach in sports along the
lines of Vince Lombardi, Bear Bryant, and Bobby Knight. He had a temper like
Mike Ditka and the ability to game plan like Bill Belichick. He would've commanded
respect in a sports world that had gone soft and filled with prima donna's and divas
like T.O., Ochocinco, and Randy Moss. Schwarzkopf would've put those guys in
their places quicker than he did the Iraqis.

Scharzkopf would have been a dream for NFL Films with their boom and wireless
microphones. You could imagine how entertaining"Stormin' Norman" would've been
on the sidelines:

"Prime Time, what the hell are you dancing for after making a tackle?"
Cut the crap and play like a man, not like your auditioning for a spot
with Danny Tarrio and the Solid Gold dancers. Good, grief, Deion."

"Hey, T.O., get your candy ass back on the field. If you don't agree
with the program, then get the hell out of here."

"I'm tired of all this 'Manny being Manny' nonsense. We pay the guy
to hit home runs, not to be a freak show in the circus."

If he was doing an interview with Stephen A. Smith, I could've envisioned the general
interrupting the mile-a-minute mouth of the ESPN criticizer and asking, "Now, what
exactly does the 'A' in Stephen A. Smith stand for? Does it stand for what I think it
stands for?"

Man, it would've been fun to see Schwarzkopf as a head coach. But it sure was
comforting to see him in the role of  commander of our military. He was big, brash,
and bold.  We felt safe and secure with General Norman Schawarzkopf out in front.
He protected  all of us and the entire country.

Thank you, General Schwarzkopf, we are very grateful for your service
to the United States.

REMEMBERING NEWTOWN ON CHRISTMAS DAY

There are few things more heartwarming than seeing a child rip open presents on
Christmas Day. The pure, unbridled joy that washes over their faces is enough
to put a smile on your face for an entire year.

There are very few smiles in Newtown, Connecticut on a morning that we
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The people in that small and quaint New
England town are still grieving heavily and mourning the loss of 20 beautiful
and innocent children who didn't make it to this wonderful and glorious day.

There are presents still wrapped and hidden in closets, the ones that were going to
make Jesse Lewis, Noah Posner, Daniel Barden, Dylan Hockley, and Chase
Kowalski flash their megawatt smiles and melt the hearts of their parents who had
planned so carefully for Christmas Day.

Boxes with bows and wrapped with love, containing dolls, pink dresses, and
stuffed animals won't be opened for Charlotte Bacon, Josephine Gay, Ana
Maruez-Greeene, Madeline Hsu, and Catherine Hubbard, all very special little
girls who were in the right place at the right time, except that evil showed up
and took their lives away for no good reason.

Like the others, Jack Pinto had his whole life ahead of him. He was a six-year
bundle of energy who excelled in wrestling and football. Pinto dreamed of
being the next Victor Cruz, the New York Giants receiver whom he honored
by wearing his number 80 jersey.

Today, as we celebrate Christmas, be sure to honor Pinto, Olivia Engel,
James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, and Emilie Parker. Remember to include
Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richma, Benjamin Wheeler, and
Jessica Rekos and Alison Wyatt in your thoughts and prayers.

Keep the parents of all these wonderful wonderful children close to your hearts.
Think of the six adults who taught, served, and tried to protect the children
from harm and sacrificed their lives trying to do so. A deranged gunman snuffed
their lives out and sucked the happiness out of a village, a town, and a good part
of our nation.

On Christmas Day, be happy, be thankful, and feel that you are blessed. But
remember there is little joy or happiness in Newtown and Sandy Hook today.
Presents won't be opened and a nightmare is far from closing.

Take five minutes to say a prayer or think about all the beautiful and innocent
children who are now angels in heaven, looking down on all of us as we smile,
laugh, and celebrate Christmas Day.

CHUCK PAGANO IS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

The Christmas spirit seemed to be sucked out of the holiday season by the
tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. It's hard to think about celebrating the birth
of Jesus Christ when we are mourning the loss of 20 innocent children
and six caring adults.

But on the eve of Christmas, a little joy was pumped into a sports nation that
is still wiping away the tears from the pain caused by a senseless massacre
in a small New England town. Chuck Pagano returned to work for the Indianapolis
Colts, driving into the team's facility early Monday morning. The first-year head
coach spent the last three months battling leukemia, undergoing grueling rounds
of chemotherapy.

Pagano lost weight and his hair, but not his team, which provided the love and
support rarely seen in professional sports. Most them shaved their heads in a show
of solidarity for their head coach. Two cheerleaders did the same to raise money
for cancer research and show their love for a man who had worked and waited
nearly 30 years to get an opportunity to lead a team.

Chemotherapy treatments started for Pagano on September 26. In his absence,
the Colts played inspired football on their way to clinching a playoff berth, an
amazing accomplishment considering they not only lost their head coach, but
also because they had won just two games the season before. Bruce Arians
stepped in for Pagano and carried the torch  and team to the playoffs. On Monday,
the torch was passed back to Pagano, who has been cleared by doctors to
resume his coaching duties.

Understandably, Pagano was very emotional at Monday's press conference
announcing his return to the Colts. His eyes watered, his lips quivered, and
there were times when the lump in his throat kept him from talking. Pagano
thanked his wife, family, and the entire Colts organization for standing by
and giving him their love and support.

This wasn't about football, but real life. Cancer doesn't lose very often and if
it does, the scars, both physical and emotional, don't go away quickly. With
his comeback, Pagano is now an inspiration to other cancer patients around
the world. He is an inspiration to his team, giving them a lesson in perseverance
and iron will.

His appearance alone gave many the reason to smile again and help ease
the pain for millions who've been affected by the tragedy of Newtown. Pagano
smiled brightly at his press conference, knowing that he beat cancer, while
getting the chance to return to his second home and family, the Indianapolis
Colts.