Friday, January 9, 2015

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.

ROB KONRAD: 'UNBROKEN' OR UNBELIEVABLE?



Almost as soon as Diana Nyad completed her 112-mile swim from Cuba to Florida two years
ago, the marathon swimming community came out in full force and raised doubts about the
64-year-olds journey and whether or not it was legit.

So, when news broke Friday morning that former NFL player Rob Konrad swam nine miles to
shore in Florida after falling off his boat, there were more than enough haters who think there is
something fishy to Konrad's story. For an untrained swimmer to go nine miles in rough, choppy
50-degrees waters in the middle of the night, would fall into the 'superhuman' category.

However, we do know this about the former fullback out of Syracuse and the last player to
wear the famed number 44 at the place where Jim Brown, Floyd Little and Ernie Davis
wore it: the guy is tough, determined, resilient, and smart. Is it possible that he could've
survived nearly 10 hours in shark-infested waters with no food, water, and more than a
touch of hypothermia? Yes.



First accounts of breaking news are often filled with misinformation and exaggerations of the
truth. It happens. Remember all the incorrect facts that came out of Newtown and 9/11? I prefer
to hear from Konrad and get all the facts before rushing to judgment.

Konrad is a clean-cut, intelligent, all-American type who doesn't appear to be the kind of
guy who would make up a story like this. Unless, he is gunning for a reality show and flat-out
misses the limelight he captured at Syracuse and with the Miami Dolphins, I will give him the
benefit of the doubt, I think.

I just find it strange that he would be fishing by himself  when nightfall is just around the
corner. Athletes and former athletes tend to do things with friends or in groups. I mean,
if you caught a huge fish, you'd probably want someone to be there to see it. Maybe I'm
wrong because in this day of selfie-obsession, all it takes is one click of your iPhone and
you have a great story to last a lifetime.




Then there is the distance, nine miles. That is a long, long way for someone who didn't
train for it. I finished a five-mile open water swim in a river after training and there
were people in kayaks with water if you needed it. The swim was a bear. Now, think
about doubling that distance in real cold salt water, with no food or water, at night, with
no compass, and without much training. IT...WOULD...BE...NEXT...TO...IMPOSSIBLE.

Nine miles.

However, we have learned that the mind is a powerful thing, especially from the book
and movie, "Unbroken". Louie Zamperini survived 47 days on a raft with very little
food or water, then was battered and beaten for two years in a prisoner of war camp.


The one thing Zamperini and Kornad have in common is they were elite athletes for
much of their lives. Konrad flourished and survived in the most mentally and physically
demanding sport: football. He had an iron will and the mental toughness to play
in the NFL. He endured physical punishment and trained him mind to overcome
obstacles.

There is a good chance this story is NOT too good to be true and Konrad refused to
be 'unbroken.'  But then again....

Sunday, January 4, 2015

THE LESSONS OF STUART SCOTT



Whether you liked Stuart Scott as a sportscaster is irrelevant. We live in a world where people
judge and make snap decisions about others based on how they look, dress, talk, and act even
though they don't take two minutes to find out for themselves what a person is really like.

It's sad, but that's just how most people in our society operate.

Not everybody liked Scott or his schtick on ESPN. Some people like to get their sports
without the "boo-yeahs", "bams", and pillows that are always cooler on the other side.
There isn't a person who walked this earth or worked in television that's universally adored.
Not even Stuart Scott. Using his own words, he had "his haters".


However, nearly everyone should admire Scott for the path he blazed, the doors he opened,
his passion for his job, love for his daughters, but most of all, we should respect and remember
Scott because he never gave up and refused to quit living as cancer was ravaging his body.

As Tim Robbins' character, Andy Dufrane,  said in Shawshank Redemption, "you can either
get busy living or get busy dying."

That quote came to mind when I saw video of Scott doing mixed martials arts and working
out hard just hours after going through brutal chemotherapy treatments. It would've been
so easy for him to say, "I'm going home to lay on the couch all day", but he didn't.



Instead, Scott put on his workout gear and pounded heavy bags and a sparring partner until
he squeezed every ounce of energy he had in his cancer-ravaged body. He wanted to live as
he was clearly dying. Like Jimmy Valvano before him, Scott never gave up. He never, ever
gave up.

I met Stuart Scott when we were at UNC majoring in Radio, Television, and Movie
Production taking a few of the same courses in 1985. As my friends can tell you, I never
forget a face and I never forgot Scott. He was a different kind of cat. I got into the sports
television industry like Scott and ran into him covering events along the way. Scott always
made like he remembered me even though he probably didn't.


Scott dared to dream and dared to be different. He went against the grain and his style didn't
always sit well with the white-establishment in television. But Scott was a man of conviction
and he believed in himself and his style. Nobody at ESPN will ever forget him.

Life was short before Stuart Scott passed at the age of 49, but for all those who fall in the
same age range, it got a whole lot shorter today. You can be young, on top of your profession,
and living the dream like Scott was, and then boom. Your life begins to fall apart.

Tomorrow is not promised. The death of Scott today really made that hit home. But Scott
showed us that even when you're struggling or worse yet, battling cancer and facing death,
we should keep up the fight and keep living every single day.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

REMEMBERING NEW CANAAN FRIENDS WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2014

Whether you've lived in New Canaan, CT. for a day, month, year, or fifty of them, you'll always
be part of the now ritzy, but always special town in the southwest part of the state. It's a place
where people know everybody and the degrees of separation is far less than six.

In 2014, a few of those people who touched my life, as well as many others in town, passed away
and left us far too soon.

BOB SPALLER. In November, the 1981 graduate of the high school, Spaller, just 52-years-old
was killed in a single-car accident near his home in Massachusetts. Spaller was a gentle and kind
hearted-soul who marched to the beat of his own drummer. He was a salt-of-the-earth type of
man who didn't have any enemies. We were teammates for the Rams on the gridiron, which
made all of us who wore the red and black, brothers forever. I remember him as a player who squeezed every ounce of talent he had and left it all on the field every single game.



ROGER FULTON Fulton passed away in September at the age of 83. He was a staple of
the sports scene during his time in New Canaan and served as the athletic director on
a volunteer basis at the high school. A regal and classy man, Fulton was also the varsity
baseball coach. I moved to New Canaan as a sophomore and had the privilege of playing
for Fulton and being part of a team that advanced to the FCIAC playoffs. His son, Bob,
was the third base coach and the Fulton & Fulton team made quite an impact on all those
who played for them.


JEFF SMITH Smith never lived in New Canaan but as the owner of the Deli Bake on
Elm Street, he was part of the fabric of the community. He looked like the Marlboro
man and had the strength of a lumberjack. Smith, who died at the age of 70, was a
no-nonsense kind of guy who worked at a frenetic pace and non-stop. Smith
teamed up with his father, who was quite a character in his own right, to run the
popular deli in town. I worked for both of them after my senior year in high school
along with two of my friends, Tommy Towers and Rich Connors. We took the famous
sandwiches on the menu to a whole different level, piling them as high as those seen in
New York City. And with the amount of food we ate, I'm sure profits went down, but
Jeff and his dad didn't seem to mind very much, they actually got a kick out of us.


KELLY KRAUSER. I didn't know Kelly personally, but I was friends with other
members of her beautiful and loving family. A 1987 graduate of New Canaan, Kelly
died in December after a lengthy bout with cancer. She left this world far too soon.
Kelly was just 45-years-old.


CAROL "CHICK" LYTTLE. Talk about a well-educated and rounded man. The longtime
New Canaan resident went to Phillips Exeter, Princeton University, and Columbia Law
School. Lyttle was a member of the Congregational Church where he sang in the choir.
Lyttle was the father-in-law of New Canaan legend Steve Tonra. Whenever Tonra needed
a ringer for his paddle ball tournaments, Chick was always ready and willing to fill in, even
when he was well into his 70's. Lyttle was 85 when he passed away in September.


Thursday, December 18, 2014

PAT DEVLIN, DANGER MAN, SET TO ROCK STAMFORD



Veteran musician Pat Devlin, former lead singer of the world renowned, "Danger men" band, is
scheduled to play Friday in Stamford at the Castle Bar on Summer Street.. Devlin will start
pickin' it at 9:30 p.m.

When reached for his reaction to playing before a packed house under the bright lights of
Stamford, USA,  Devlin said, "It's cool. Totally cool. Hope everybody brings everybody they
know."



Devlin got his start  as a 6-year old , getting lessons at Rye Music. However, his career really
took off when his family moved to Lake Forest, Illinois where he became the king of Waveland
Avenue, playing outdoor concerts for the neighborhood that rivaled the ones at nearby Ravinia.

"Yeah, it was totally awesome out there", Devlin said. "I met these really cool dudes like Matt
Parker, Allan Simmons, Steve Gerlach, LT Swisher, Jon Tunney, we called him Tuna, he was
a big guy back then. And there was Andy  Peterson and Dan Jameson, too. Those guys loved
to jam. We'd jam all day and all night and sometimes drink in between," Devlin said with a hearty
laugh.


After two short but fulfilling years in Lake Forest, Devlin and his family moved back East to
New Canaan, CT. Have guitar, will travel and Devlin who took his electric one everywhere he
went, settled in and played with a variety of bands including "The Anchient New Cat Revival,"
"The Hurting Dog" band and the highly-popular "Uh-Oh" group.


Friday night at the Castle Bar in Stamford, Devlin, who listed Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, and
Jimi Hendrix as his musical inspirations,  returns to the stage for what promises to be
a world-class performance. Tickets are going fast. Only a few left on StubHub.com. Show starts
at 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Thursday, November 27, 2014

I AM THANKFUL.....AGAIN


I am thankful for my health. The groin pulls and calf strains may occur more frequently now
and the grooves around my eyes are deeper, but I'm thankful that I'm still upright and strong
enough to run marathons, swim across lakes, and complete an Ironman.





I am thankful that I have a job that I love and work with people who share the same passion, commitment and interests that I do. Love what you do, do what you love, and not have to worry about co-workers stabbing you in the back and throwing you under the bus is a beautiful thing.

I'm thankful I still have a lot of hair and women between the ages of 75 and 98 on Christian.
Mingle.com find me cute as a button.


I am thankful to have an unbelievable circle of friends. From Rye, New York to Lake Forest, Ill.
to New Canaan, CT. to Chapel Hill, NC to Atlanta, Ga. to Boston, MA, I have met some
great people who are loyal and just flat-out incredible.


I am thankful that God has blessed me with six incredible nieces and nephews who I treat
as if they are my own children. Wow. They touch my heart every time I see them.


I am not wealthy, but I'm thankful I've been enriched with opportunities that have made this
a truly wonderful life. Baseball at UNC, with the Red Sox, "Bull Durham", a sportscaster
covering Super Bowls, World Series, Olympics, Final Fours---yeah, sorry, but I do sometimes
feel like Walter Mitty. Oh, sure, I've had some serious hard knocks a long the way- been
fired, laid off, and thrown under the bus, but it's all been part of a wild and exciting journey.


Most of all, I am thankful for an incredible family. Kara is one amazing sister. She is filled
with so much love, thoughtfulness, and one giant heart. Those who know her, know she
was blessed with not only great athletic talent, but humbleness and a terrific sense of humor, too


Brother Pat is a beautiful human being. Has never uttered a bad word about anybody and
has become a great father and husband. We may not always see eye-to-eye, but we've always
been on the same page and he would do anything for me without asking anything in
return.



My mom. Wow. I am so thankful to have her as my mother and great friend. So selfless,
giving, and understanding. After my father passed away, she became the rock of the family.
Simply amazing. She took care of my ailing dad for five years, 24/7 and did it with
strength, courage, and such amazing dignity. I love and admire her so much for that. I
was truly blessed to have such tremendous parents.



I am thankful, truly thankful during this holiday season.

I wish you all and your families all the best during this most special time of the year.