more NFL, MLB, basketball, etc.

Hi again! Here's the second post for the weekend. First, some articles on Colts head coach Tony Dungy deciding to return for at least one more year (Yeah!) last Monday. Here's a quote about how Dungy came to his decision:

During the past several days at their Tampa, Fla., home, the Dungys weighed the pros and cons of being divided, of Tony being a thousand miles away in Indy while Lauren looked after four kids in Tampa.

They talked, prayed, sought advice from their pastor and some of Dungy's current and former players.

Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080122/SPORTS03/801220374/1247/NLETTER12.

The other two articles are about Colts associate coach Jim Caldwell, a Christian, who will become the Colts coach when Dungy does decide to retire. Here's a quote from him about why he decided to do what he did:

Over the past three years, Jim Caldwell has spoken with Buffalo, Minnesota, Arizona, Dallas, Baltimore and Atlanta about their head coaching vacancies. They called because he was an attractive candidate.

He was shrewd enough to recognize an attractive job. Home was the place to hang his hat.

"Typically you go into a situation where you have to restructure, rebuild, etc.," Caldwell said Monday, when he was formally introduced as the Indianapolis Colts' associate head coach. "Here's an opportunity that doesn't come along very often, so I really feel blessed."

Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080122/SPORTS03/801220350.

The other article has some more on Caldwell: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Ak6id1n7I35Jx5ngf3kib_B.T4h4?slug=ap-colts-caldwell&prov=ap&type=lgns.

Here's an article on recently retired Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs, a Christian, who's back to working with his family NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing. He formed the racing team after he retired as Redskins head coach the first time, and one of his sons took over control of the team when Gibbs went back to the Redskins. Here's a quote from him about returning to racing:

``The whole time I was in football, we knew football was going to be for a limited amount of time,'' Gibbs said. ``And we knew, hopefully and Lord willing, racing was going to be forever. We want this to be something we continue into the future.''

Here's the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AgjMJpH2xG7lW5AeuziW3fB.T4h4?slug=ap-nascar-gibbs&prov=ap&type=lgns.

Next, an article on retired Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell, a Christian, who celebrated his 90th birthday last Friday. Here's a quote from him about what he thinks has allowed him to live so long:

When it comes to his longevity, how high is fitness on the list of important factors?

"That would be in the top one or two or three, I would say," Ernie says. "I'd say diet and physical fitness and mental attitude would be the three top things."

Any big dos or don'ts on diet?

"My biggest don't is I don't eat a lot of fats and sugars," Ernie says. "But I have a tendency to break over once in a while and have a dessert.

"I don't drink alcohol because I don't like it that much and I don't want to expend all my calories on it. It's sort of an empty kind of thing as far as nutrition is concerned.

"I stay away from bread as much as I can. My big bugaboo is going to a restaurant and they bring out the bread and butter before they serve you. It's a great temptation to load up on that before they bring the entrée."

As for attitude, Ernie says, "The greatest thing is my trust in God. I know that whatever happens is for the best, and I try not to worry about anything, because worrying is a sin and He's going to take care of me."

Here's a quote from him about keeping busy since he retired:

These days, Ernie is more than fulfilling what he said in his farewell to his radio audience on the final day of the 2002 season, moments after he called the Tigers game that marked the end of his run as a full-time announcer:

"I'm not leaving, folks. I'll still be with you, living my life in Michigan, my home state, surrounded by family and friends. ... Now God has a new adventure for me. And I'm ready to move on."

Here's the article (including a video): http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080122/SPORTS02/801220365/0/COL01 (originally found at: http://apps.facebook.com/sportsuperfan/teams/news/113). Also, here's a link to his website: http://www.eharwell.com/ (originally found in Sports Spectrum's Power Up!).

Here's an article about Virginia high school wrestler Nathan Shuler, a Christian, who's following in the footsteps of his dad and two older brothers in wrestling. The four of them have gone on wrestling mission trips to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. Here's the article: http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA/MGArticle/LNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173354306184&path=!sports.

Also, an article about the MLB Players Trust giving time and money to help out the victims of Tropical Storm Noel in the Dominican Republic: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080123&content_id=2353697&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp.

Here's a touching article about Northwestern forward Kevin Coble, who set out the first semester to be at home in Arizona with his mom while she was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. He came back in time for their first Big Ten Conference game in January, and has been their leading scorer. Here's the article: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/bigten/2008-01-22-Coble_N.htm?csp=34.

Next, another touching article, this one about how the New York Giants have been inspired this season by an injured army veteran. Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, who is still undergoing treatments for injuries that he suffered in Iraq, spoke the team early this season. The team was so inspired by what he said that it helped turn around their season and they've kept in touch with him. He and his son were on the sidelines when the Giants beat the Packers last Sunday. Here's the article: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-twoquestions012308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns.

Here's an article about MLB free agent Mike Sweeney, a Christian who has spent his entire career so far with the Royals, being awarded the Hutch Award which "is presented annually to the MLB player who 'best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire' of the late Fred Hutchinson, a former Major League pitcher and manager from Seattle." He was also taken on a tour of the Hutchinson Center. Here's a quote from him about it:

"I work out and go to church regularly with a couple of previous Hutch Award winners, Mark Loretta [2006] and Trevor Hoffman ['04], so I pretty much knew what this award is all about," Sweeney said.

"But it's different when you actually go to the Center. The research being done there is amazing."

A five-time American League All-Star, the 34-year-old Sweeney has been active in Kansas City's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, and also started the Sweeney Family Foundation, which encourages people of Catholic faith to work with youth and families through a variety of urban-outreach missions, including youth baseball camps.

"I have always done my best on the field, but what I do off the field is just as important," he said.

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080123&content_id=2354075&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Lastly, an article about former Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron, a Christian, being hired as the Ravens offensive coordinator: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AnCSyynhRXV3N4xbVs7bjto5nYcB?slug=ap-ravens-cameron&prov=ap&type=lgns.

more Coach Hep and Barrett trade

First, some more articles about IUfootball coach Terry Hoeppner. The first article is about his son and his fight for life in his last few days: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/SPORTS0601/706200506/1004/RSS02.

Here's another good article on Hoeppner: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/SPORTS0601/706200504/1247/SPORTS.

Next, an article on the IU football players reaction to Coach Hep's death. Here's a quote:

Hoeppner usually was accompanied by his wife, Jane, following his initial surgery in December 2005. Several players said their bond was evident long before that.

"I thought he had an awesome relationship with his wife and the rest of his family," [last year senior safety Will] Meyers said. "You could see how much they cared for him and loved him."

Senior tight end Nick Sexton remembered a saying Hoeppner would use in practice when the Hoosiers would try a new drill the players weren't exactly crazy about.

"He would always say, 'Variety is the spice of life except when it comes to your wife,' " Sexton said with a laugh.

Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/SPORTS0601/706200497/1069/SPORTS0601.

Here's an article about Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald and how his team dealth with the death of their coach Randy Walker last summer: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/SPORTS0601/706200455/1069/SPORTS0601.

The last article on Coach Hep, for now. It's about the people that he worked with and caoched while coaching at Miami of Ohio as an assistant coach and then head coach for 19 years before coming to IU before the 2005 season. Here's a statement from Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who he coached while at Miami:

"Coach Hoeppner has inspired me to be who I am today," Roethlisberger said. "He has been a second father, a teacher and a friend. He believed in me, and I owe everything to him for where I am in life. I hold the deepest love and respect for him, his wife, Jane, and their family. He has been a role model for so many young men. I aspire to be as honorable and touch as many lives as Coach Hep. I will miss him more than words can describe."

Here's the article: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/SPT0103/706200399/1062/SPT. (For some reason, the whole article isn't accessible from the main article, but only from the print version.)

Here's some articles about the Cubs/Padres trade earlier this week where Cubs catcher Michael Barrett (a Christian) was traded to the Padres for their cactcher Rob Bowen trade from both the Cubs and Padres viewpoints. Here's a quote from the first article from the Cubs website (Jake Peavy is a Christian too):

...Barrett also is close friends with San Diego pitcher Jake Peavy, the league's ERA leader.

Here's the article: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070620&content_id=2038291&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc.

Next, an article about the Cubs players reaction to Barrett being traded. Here's a quote from another Cubs catcher Koyie Hill about Barrett:

"He was a great teammate," Koyie Hill said. "[The first day in Chicago] I get out of the cab at Wrigley and he gives me a big ol' hug. You play the same position and there's always a little bit, not animosity, but, 'Hey, this is my territory.' He was never like that."

Here's an article: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070620&content_id=2039168&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc.

Lastly, an article about the trade from the Padres point of view. Here's a quote from Barrett during the press conference before his first game with the Padres:

"It's unfortunate some of the things that have happened to me have happened," Barrett said. "I'm looking forward to starting here as a member of this team and put all that behind me. Some of the things that happened weren't part of my character.

"I play on the edge ... a lot. Controlling myself is something I take pride in. It just seems like the last couple of years, things have happened that aren't what I'm all about. I hope to show the Padres fans and the team that this is how it is."

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070620&content_id=2040148&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd.

MLB, Artest, and Coach Hep

First of all, an article about last Saturday's Braves/Indians game, where Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, a Christian, pitched against his good friend Braves pitcher John Smoltz, also a Christian: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1182069630259601.xml&coll=2.
(originally found at: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070618&content_id=2033971&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp)

Here's a quote from the Kings Ron Artest while speaking to some kids at summer camp that I'm just going to say is interesting:

"Outside of family and God, education is the most important thing," he told the campers. ". . . I still make mistakes, but rather than put my head down, I try to get better the next day."

Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070619/SPORTS04/706190380/1062/SPORTS04.

Lastly, some more articles about the death of IU head football coach Terry Hoeppner. I'm sorry if this a little bit of overload on these. First, here's a good quote about him:

"I called my wife, told her, then closed my office door and cried for about 10 minutes," said Mark Deal, a Varsity Club employee who has known Hoeppner since 1980. "We've had people here for 20 or 30 years, and Terry Hoeppner did more here in two years than most people do in a lifetime."

Here's the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070620/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_obit_hoeppner.

Next, some statements made about Coach Hep from several in the college football/athletics, including all of the head football coaches in the Big Ten and some mid-majors in Ohio: http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061907aad.html. (originally found at: http://www.wishtv.com/global/category.asp?c=1507)

Laslty, an article about the passing of Hoeppner this year and Northwestern football coach Randy Walker last summer: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=2909527.