A Retraction

I have to print a retraction to a statement that I made last night. Actually, I really just need to retract the statement from my wife since she is the only one that heard me say it. I was watching the coverage of the final 3 outs of the no hitter that John Lester threw last night and I simply said “that is what makes sports great”. Big deal right? Let me give you some context.

In case you missed it, John Lester beat cancer last year to return to the mound for the Boston Red Sox. Incredible story. To watch a man that has beat cancer complete one of the toughest things to do in baseball was inspiring and moving. His personal victory was on display for the entire world to see. That is why I made that statement. Take nothing away from John Lester. His achievement is incredible. Yet there are people that live right next to each of us that do the incredible every day. There just aren’t any cameras around to capture the moment.

That is why I must retract that statement. There are Husbands, Wives, Fathers, Mothers, Daughters and Sons that are fighting the battle of their lives. They face chemo treatments, surgeries, scans, tests and tough decisions. They work, raise families, support friends and find a way to persevere. Beating the odds, making a comeback and doing the unthinkable is not just what makes sports great. It happens every day. It happens all around us. It happens in hospitals, operating rooms, homes and offices every where.

Congratulations to John Lester. May his story inspire those that are fighting this same battle every day. May his victory remind us all that there are millions of people, many right next door, that are facing the same challenge each and every day. They just aren’t on ESPN.