THE BEAUTY OF MALCOLM BUTLER

Every once in a while an athlete comes along who captures our imagination and
inspires people to do great things. They overcome tremendous odds, reminding us
that anything is truly possible.

Mo'ne Davis did that during the Little League World Series, showing us that girls
could not only play with the boys in baseball, but dominate them. She opened the door
for a nation of girls who once thought it couldn't and made them believe that, yes, it
most definitely can.

Michael Oher did that as well. The subject of the book and movie,  The Blind Side, Oher
not only played big-time college football, but become a star in the NFL against all
odds.

As a teenager in Mississippi, he was poor, homeless, and uneducated, but with
the help of his adopted family and a belief in himself, Oher lived his dream of
playing professional football.

Malcolm Butler is today's inspiration. As a player who went to a small-time college
in Livingston, Alabama, Butler didn't have much growing up and put on the pads
realizing that no player from the University of West Alabama had ever made it to
the NFL. They don't even give out scholarships at Division II schools and if Butler
got a new pair of cleats to last him his entire career, he'd be considered really lucky.

Last Sunday, Butler not only played in the Super Bowl, but won it for the New England
Patriots with a stunning interception at the goal-line with 20 seconds to go. It will go
down as one of the greatest plays in the history of the Super Bowl and one that's made
Butler a hero in New England forever.

The interception in the Super Bowl marked the first one ever by an undrafted rookie
free-agent in the sports biggest game. That's right, Butler had two great years at West
Alabama, but when you play the likes of Shorter, West Georgia, Stillman, Cumberland,
and Miles College, it's  tough to get get noticed and have any NFL team take you seriously.

The Patriots did.

Chan Gailey, the former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills who was
out of the league at the time, coached Butler in an all-star game recommended Butler
to the Patriots because he thought they were the one team that would evaluate and give
an opportunity to a player no matter what level of college he played at.

The Patriots scouted Butler and signed him to a free-agent contract after the 2014 NFL
Draft concluded.

That was all Butler needed.

The rookie impressed coaches and teammates in training camp with his work ethic and
ball-hawking ability. Tom Brady said after the Super Bowl that Butler intercepted him
so many times, he wondered out loud who the heck he was and where he came from.

Butler was like a sponge with the coaches and veteran players, soaking up all their
knowledge and instruction.  When his number was called in the biggest game of the
season, Butler was ready.

On his brilliant interception, he recognized the formation of the Seahawks from practice
and film study. Butler had an idea that they were going to try to use a rub or a pick play
to free the receiver and get him into the end zone.

Butler timed it perfectly and seized the biggest opportunity of his life. The pass by
Russell Wilson was right on target, but Butler made a play that's defined his 23-year
old life. He beat the receiver to the ball simply because he wanted it more.

Butler was hungrier for it and made an interception that no one in Seattle or New England
will ever forget. It saved the game for the Patriots and ensured their legacy as one of
the best franchises in NFL history. It also brought Bill Belichick and Brady their elusive
and defining fourth Super Bowl victory.

Malcolm Butler, a player who got kicked off his junior college team as a freshman
and spent time working in a Popeyes Chicken restaurant, was now a real somebody.
He went to Disneyland, a place where fairy tales comes true, for being one of the
stars of the game. Brady wants to give Butler the truck he won as the game's MVP.

None of us thought an undrafted rookie free-agent could ever make this possible,
but Butler sure did. He is proof that no matter where you come from or how small
the school is you play for, it's OK to dream big. It's OK to believe in yourself when
nobody else really does.

Nobody really cared about Butler during the draft, but when it was over, the Patriots
made sure Butler knew they cared about him and boy, did it work out for everybody.

Adidas might want to line Butler up and re-make those "Impossible is nothing" commercials
because he is living proof that it most definitely is.

THERE'S NO REPLACING MRS. TIMMIS

Everybody who met Kay Timmis, loved Kay Timmis. She could brighten up the darkest
of days  and turn a frown upside down with her mega-watt smile. In a world that often
asks "what  can you do for me?",  Mrs. Timmis was the first to help others and ask, "what
can I do for you?"

The entire community of New Canaan is now shedding a tear for the woman who gave it
so much while never asking for a thing in return.  On Sunday, Mrs. Timmis passed away
suddenly at the age of 82. Nearly everyone felt the same, a punch to the gut, followed by
the words, "Oh, no. I loved Mrs. Timmis. She was such a special and beautiful person."

Mrs. Timmis lived a life of giving, teaching, and trying to make everyone  happy, which
she did by just walking into a room. She had the warmest of hearts and a fertile and festive
mind. She encouraged many who passed through New Canaan to challenge themselves and
grow into the very best person they could possibly be.

Since the 1970's, Mrs. Timmis walked into many school rooms in the New Canaan district
as a substitute teacher. Whenever a teacher was needed, Mrs. Timmis was always there in
a pinch. Short notice or hardly any notice at all, she would drop everything to do what
she truly loved to do and that was to teach the kids in her town.

She taught her friend's children and eventually their children as well. She was known by
everybody and universally loved. When Mrs. Timmis walked into your class everybody in
attendance knew it was going to be a great day. When word spread the great Mrs.Timmis
was substituting that day, students actually arrived early to class and were disappointed
when the bell sounded, which sent them on their way.

Mrs. Timmis was the matriarch of a bright, caring, and sometimes very entertaining clan.
There was Scot, Chris, Jeff, and a true character in Chan, who I played baseball with,
sharing many a laugh and a few great moments with. Then there is Kim, who for a short
time, followed in her mother's footsteps as a teacher at the high school. She is like her
mom in so many ways, giving Mrs. Timmis more than a few reasons to have that
perpetual smile on her face.

It's almost ironic Mrs. Timmis was a substitute teacher for so many years, on-call to
fill in for those who her were sick or had to take a personal day.

Yes, Mrs. Timmis was a substitute teacher, but she is the one who truly can never be
replaced. Never.

Everybody loved you, Mrs. Timmis. Everybody.

MEDIA AND WHY THEY'RE WRONG ABOUT THE PATRIOTS

 

If I had a dollar every time I heard someone in the national media say Deflate Gate is
a 'major distraction' for the Patriots heading into the Super Bowl, I could buy Tom Brady's
house in Brookline with straight cash.

They never learn.

No franchise is sports is better at dealing with 'major distractions' than the New England
Patriots. They don't fold under the weight of them, but use it as fuel to drive them.

Remember SpyGate? After the first game of the 2007 season where they thrashed the
New York Jets, who in turn turned them in for videotaping their signals, the Patriots
didn't blink.

Everybody outside of New England hated and branded them as cheaters. Yeah, I
guess that was a 'major distraction', but they went on to win every game during the regular
season. A perfect 16-0 and most of the games weren't even close.

Remember Aaron Hernandez? Oh, yeah, their all-pro tight end was arrested for allegedly
gunning down one of his friends in cold blood. Sure, that happens everyday in the NFL.
A team loses one of their best players who turned out to be a sociopath they shared a locker
room with.

How did the Pats deal with that 'major distraction?' They went 12-4 during the regular
season and made it to the AFC Championship game.

Did the media forget about 2008? Tom Brady had his knee shredded in the season-opener
and Belichick turns to Matt Cassel to quarterback the team. Cassell, who never started a
game in college at USC, leads the Patriots to an 11-5 record. Matt Cassell? Really?

Belichick doesn't allow the team to use injuries, murder, or scandal to disrupt the
cohesiveness and success of the team. Never. I covered the team nearly every day for
two years and I saw first-hand the type of players Belichick brings in. They all have
the same DNA: mentally tough, smart,  focused, committed, and men who put the team
in front of everything else. Always.

Oh, sure, he whiffed on Hernandez, but that happens. What doesn't happen? Being distracted
by 'major distractions.' It just fuels the Patriots even more.

Remember when the Patriots got blown out by Kansas City on September 29? They
never looked that bad during Belichick's tenure in New England. Trent Dilfer, NFL analyst
for ESPN, went so far as to say, "The Patriots just aren't any good anymore."

The media in New England doubted and vilified them as well, saying Belichick can't
draft, sign quality free-agents, or give Brady, whom many said was getting old before their
eyes, enough weapons to work with. It was absurd.

How'd that turn out? Yeah, the Patriots are pretty good, Trent Dilfer, playing in their
sixth Super Bowl during the Belichick era.

There is nothing, not scandal, not murder, or any other 'major distraction'  that will make
this team come undone and lose focus. They become more focused and use it as fuel.

Deflate Gate will not stop this team from winning the Super Bowl, only the Seattle
Seahawks can do that. However, after this injection of fuel for the Patriots, I don't think that
will be possible.

THE DISSECTION OF JIM TOMSULA

With his first word at his introductory press conference, the critique of Jim Tomsula was
on. Everybody in 49ers nation hung on his every word, gesture, and facial twitch trying to
figure out if he was the right choice to replace Jim Harbaugh as the new head coach of the
storied franchise

In this social media and talk radio world, everybody had an opinion of Tomsula's first
press conference and one-on-one interviews with the media. He was dissected like a frog on
the first day of a biology class. Some of the 'experts' said he was awkward as a public
speaker and his long pauses and non-answers gave people cause for worry.

During one interview with Comcast SportsNet, Tomsula was asked who he had in
mind as his defensive coordinator. His answer was short and spot on--he didn't name anybody.
Which was smart, not stupid. Why would he give a name of a coach who is still employed
by another organization? He didn't want to put anyone in an uncomfortable position. Still,
there are a lot of skeptics in the Bay Area who don't feel Tomsula is ready for the job just
becauseof his introductory press conference and how he answers questions from the media.

Good, grief.

Rex Ryan blows into Buffalo with his usual hot air about going to the playoffs and being
the 'bully' that nobody wants to play. The media in western New York eats it up and everybody
loves Rex. Trouble is, Rex had a team that went 4-12 last season and didn't bully anybody.
His Jet team that he coached didn't make the playoffs over the last four years. People want
to judge him on his press conference? Really?

Does anybody want to judge Bill Belichick on his performances during his press conferences?

As Bill Parcells once said famously, "You are what your record says you are?" He didn't
say anything about press conferences and public speaking, did he?

Calm down, San Francisco. Don't judge Tomsula on what he says, but rather on what he
does. What the heck does it matter how he acts in front of the media? Is it any indication
of his ability as a coach and a leader of men?

 

I heard one sports jock question why Tomsula wasn't on anybody's list for the rest of the
jobs that were open around the league. Well, how many people passed on longtime NFL
assistant Bruce Arians? He was never a 'hot' candidate anywhere at anytime despite having
a great track record. Teams like the Jets, Browns, Bills, Jacksonville, and St. Louis could've
had him for a song. Everybody passed. Everybody except Arizona.

Arians has been a two-time NFL coach of the year, resurrecting a Cardinals franchise that's
never had any sustained success. He's a great quote, but the man knows how to coach
and motivate his men.

An introductory press conference is like the NFL combine: you get picked, prodded, and
vetted over and over, but as soon as the first game is played, nobody gives a rats ass about
bench presses, shuttle runs, wonderlic test, or 40-yard dashes. It's what you do when the
pressure is on.

Who cares about a press conferences and what a coach says? It means absolutely nothing.
Belichick never says anything of substance with the media, why should Tomsula. I'm not
comparing the two coaches, that certainly wouldn't be fair, but let's be real, no coach should
be judged on what they spew or don't spew at a press conference.

There is no doubt Tomsula has a tough act to follow in Harbaugh, but judge him on his
record, not how he acts in front of the media. It means nothing. Absolutley, nothing.

TOP 5 GUYS TO PLAY ROB KONRAD IN THE MOVIE

 

Former NFL player Rob Konrad met with the media on Monday to discuss his harrowing
and heroic nine-mile swim to safety after falling out of his boat while fishing last Wednesday.
Konrad said he was stung by jellyfish and saw a shark circling him on a journey that lasted
an incredible 16 hours. This has all the makings of a made-for-television movie.

Here are the top 5 candidates to play Rob Konrad in the movie:

Ryan Lochte. Not the brightest bulb on the tree, but Lochte has star power and the sex
appeal that would drive the female demographic to theatres. Great endurance in the pool
should translate well to the Atlantic ocean.

Tim Tebow. Not sure he can swim, but the folks at the University of Florida are still convinced
he can walk on water. This could be the break out role the former Heisman Trophy-winning QB
has been looking for.

Brian Bosworth. He looks younger than his 50-years and has a good amount of acting
experience and the camera loves him as much as he loves the camera. The former
Oklahoma star linebacker is rugged, tough, and has experience getting knocked on his
butt (Bo Jackson anyone?) so falling out of boat should come easy to him.

Chris Long. The son of Howie has Hollywood good looks and the 'edge' casting directors are
looking for in a survival-type of movie. Long resembles Konrad a bit and certainly has the
NFL-pedigree.

Rob Gronkowski. The Gronk has star power to fit this role to a T. The film might set a
record for the number of cue cards issued to a man in a leading role, but Gronk should
get top billing in the Rob Konrad story. He's a beast.

OPEN WATER SWIMMING: A BATTLE OF SURVIVAL

The story of Rob Konrad swimming nine miles to shore has drawn a lot of skepticism and
traffic on all the social media networks. Some of us believe the former NFL player channeled
his inner Louis Zamperini and didn't break during his 10-12 hour swim through cold, rough,
choppy, and shark-infested waters, while others believe Konrad made the entire thing up.

The story piqued my interest because of my experience as an open water swimmer which
brings a myriad of mental and physical challenges during the course of an event. I have crossed
the Hudson River (3.1 miles) several times and completed a 5-mile event at the age of 45 in
a river just outside of Maryland.

One of the reasons I enjoy open water swimming is because I see it as a battle of survival. No,
it's not falling off a boat like Konrad allegedly did, but completing a five-mile race in cloudy,
choppy waters is an adrenaline rush that leaves you with an incredible natural high. To know
you swam that far in the elements with virtually no support leaves you feeling as though you
really accomplished something and if you ever did fell into a situation like Konrad, you'd have
confidence knowing that you can swim rather than sink.

I see open water swimming as more of a test of will more than a demonstration of skill. Most
people can swim reasonably well, but open water endurance swimming tests your mind and
your heart.

You can spend hours doing laps in a pool, but it doesn't come close to swimming in a body
of open  water. There are no lanes to guide you, lines to hold onto, and in many cases, the
nearest volunteer you see is about a mile away. You don't know what lurks below you and
every  twig or branch you swim into causes your heart to race even more.

If you run into trouble, pass out, or start to drown, there isn't anybody around who will
be able to save you in time. It's all you against the elements of the open water. All you hear
are the sounds of the rushing, choppy water and the noises you make trying to find
the energy to barrel through the water that is sometimes so dirty, you can't see your hand
a foot in front of your face.

A million things go through your mind in a five-mile swim, I'm sure that number doubled
during Konrad's nine-mile journey. I often said, "What the hell am I doing?" which was
soon followed by "If I drown, I wonder how long it will take for somebody to find me?"

Konrad spent nearly his entire life as an elite athlete in the most demanding of sports. He
is wired differently than most of us. He endured tremendous pain and challenges to excel
at Syracuse and survive in the NFL for six years. I don't know Konrad personally, but I
it's reasonably to assume that he was mentally tough and someone who possessed a high-
pain threshold. Anybody who can be a stud player at the Division I-level and become
a second-round draft pick isn't the type of guy to wilt in the face of danger.

Kornad was an elite athlete just like Zamperini who survived 47 days on a small raft
in the ocean then endured two years of mental and physical abuse in a Japanese POW camp.
Zamperini and Kornad could've been wired just the same.

In a battle of survival, we've seen people do amazing things and overcome tremendous odds.
I'm hoping Konrad's story rings true and he is a man of incredible will and strength, not
another fraud in this world looking for another 15-minutes of fame.

I'm keeping an open mind about Konrad's open water swim. I'm hoping he does all of us
proud.

ROB KONRAD AND THE WILL TO LIVE

In this critic-filled, never got-in-the-ring to compete world we live in, it's easy to be skeptical
of Rob Konrad's story that he swam nine miles in cold, choppy, and perhaps, shark-infested
waters to reach safety.

We ask how a former NFL player with no competitive swimming background can fight
through exhaustion, hypothermia, not to mention the lack of food and water to make it
to shore at 4 a.m.

I guess after we got all got fooled by the likes of Lance Armstrong, Manti' Te'o, and
the Summer of 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit missiles into orbit at a
record rate, calling B.S. on Konrad's story is a natural reaction.

As of Friday night, Konrad, who starred at Syracuse as a bruising fullback before playing
in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, was in a West Palm Beach hospital being treated
for hypothermia. Much of the rest of the country was trying to figure out if what he did
was superhuman or just a super made up story.

I believe him.

I believe in the human will and the battle to survive. I believe in the power of the mind
and the determination to live. I read the book, "Unbroken" and saw the movie. A former
Olympic runner goes into the service and not only survives a plane crash, but spends 47
days at sea and withstands two years of physical and mental torture in a Japanese prison
camp.

Louis Zamperini proved that if "you can take it, you can make it."

What is so different in Konrad's story? Why don't people think he had could have an
incredible will to live just like Zamperini? Maybe Konrad read 'Unbroken' and saw the
movie and was inspired to stay alive and believed that he could. Maybe he believed in
himself.

Like Zamperini, Konrad was an elite athlete nearly his entire life. He was a beast who
excelled at Syracuse and was good enough to be a second-round draft choice of the Dolphins.
Konrad survived in the NFL for six years, nearly twice the average span of a player in
the league.

He had to be mentally tough to make it to the NFL. He had to play through pain and do
what he had to do to make it for that long in the dog-eat-dog world of the NFL. Konrad
was exceptional at what he did. He was far from average when it came to talent, toughness,
and iron will.

With that said, shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt? If you've seen the courage
and will of a double-amputee complete an Ironman, then you know the impossible is
nothing.

Zamperini used the power of his mind and believed that he could survive more than
a month at sea without much food and water. He had faith that God would help him
get through being beaten and humiliated in a POW camp. He refused to give in and
give up.

Apparently, Konrad did too. He wasn't ready to die. He didn't want his family and loved
ones to experience the gut-wrenching pain associated with death and a loss.

His story may sound too ground to be true, but I choose to believe him. I believe there
are people like Zamperini who are resilient, courageous, and indefatigable.

I believe in Rob Konrad.