AGENTS OF CHANGE MAKE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENCE

Agents of change make best Christmas presence

Real sports ‘heroes’ help Newtown cope with tragedy, while emotional

coaches call for everyone to act, not just talk about violence

This article appeared in today's Vancouver Sun sports section:

By Gord Kurenoff

Vancouver Sun

Twas the day before Christmas, when all through The Sun house, not a creature was stirring, except for me and my Mac mouse — and I got to thinking ...

As thinning sports departments across this wonderful nation strain brains trying to produce relevant and-or titillating stories which will hold the interests of a growing audience that prefers its “deep thoughts” in 140 characters or less, plenty gets overlooked or purposely omitted.

Competing for attention in a 24/7 media-fuelled world where people become famous for no reason — hello Paris Hilton, Kardashian sisters, cast members of Jersey Shore — or for all the wrong reasons — hello O.J., Charlie Sheen, NRA presidents, Elmo — sports scribes scramble to enlighten and educate, some without resorting to shock and awe, some less self-absorbed than others.

These wordsmiths find such stories and controversies in a wide world of sports densely populated by polarizing figures such as Tiger Woods, Graham James, Lance Armstrong, Gary Bettman, Ben Roethlisberger, John Tortorella and Barry Bonds.

Sports journos can ignite debate with complex offerings about post-concussion syndrome, doping, dog fighting, racism and violence. They can raise room temperatures sharing jerk du jour tales of people sending “junk” mail (hello Brett Favre) or insensitive tweets (hello Nik Lewis, Khalif Mitchell), or of brain-dead “fans” who email death threats to NFL quarterbacks for such atrocities as ruining their weekly pool.

We also read, sadly and repeatedly, about sports super heroes whose Kryptonite happens to be booze, drugs, infidelity, weapons, gambling, domestic violence, egotism or stupidity.

On one page we feature doctors and respected sports leaders calling for an end to violence, be it on the football field, lacrosse box or hockey rink, while on the facing page highlight the rising MMA star who insists tapping out while having your face and ears permanently disfigured is unmanly. It is an interesting time.

Much like the divisive topics of abortion, gun control, gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana that fills many news sections, the sports sandbox has its contentious subjects and personalities who ensure common ground will forever remain an oxymoron.

But every so often there are inspiring sports personalities who emerge to remind us kindness trumps all, even in the face of evil and unfathomable tragedy.

Such was the case last week where New York Giants’ receiver Victor Cruz — without prompting or PR handlers in-tow — paid a visit to Jack Pinto’s grieving family in Newtown, one day after they buried the six-year-old who was among the victims of the most deadly elementary school shooting in American history.

The Grade 1 Connecticut student, wounded beyond recognition, was laid to rest in a small Victor Cruz jersey. His dream, his crushed parents revealed, was to one day see the Pro Bowl receiver in action.

“There are no words that can describe the type of feeling you get when a kid idolizes you so much that they want to, unfortunately, put him in casket with your jersey on,” said Cruz, who spent almost an hour meeting with Jack’s grieving parents last Tuesday.

Coming off Superstorm Sandy’s devastation to his neighbourhood and the need to prepare for his NFL game with playoff implications on the line, Cruz had every acceptable excuse to pass on this gut-wrenching appearance, but elected to man up and make a meaningful difference.

Then there’s Derek Jeter, the all-class shortstop for the New York Yankees who has been the model athlete for doing the right thing since putting on the Bronx Bombers’ pinstripes.

When he heard that Sandy Hook teacher Victoria Soto — shot to death while protecting her horrified Grade 1 students — was a devoted Yankees’ fan, he called the victim’s mother, Donna Soto, a few hours before the funeral service.

James Wiltsie, a cousin of the 27-year-old teacher, said her love for the Yankees was part of the emotional eulogy and that nobody asked Jeter to call, he just reached out to offer his personal condolences.

“It was the only time I saw Donna smile. That call meant the world to a mother whose world had just completely crumbled ... it brings some comfort to know that people like Derek Jeter recognize Vicki as a hero. ... it brings more comfort to know that people like Derek Jeter exist.”

Then there’s Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, who one day after writing the names of every Sandy Hook victim on his cleats for a nationally televised Monday night game, called Jack McDonnell, the older brother of seven-year-old Grace by request of the grieving family.

“I lost my grandmother earlier in the year and just knowing how that feels. I just kind of wanted to do something to at least try to lift his spirits,” said Johnson, fighting back tears. “That was tougher than playing football. But I had to do something, I just had to.”

These stories, often left off sports pages to make room for police blotters, lockout updates and other silly screw-up of the week notes, need a more permanent home. For every Sean Avery bonehead move that makes news, there are generous gestures from real stars like Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

Perhaps the most impressive acts, however, came from basketball coaches Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Winthrop’s Pat Kelsey, the latter who used his time during a post-loss media conference last Wednesday to address the tragedy in Newtown and called for people from all walks of life to become difference makers, starting today.

“I’m going to personally be an agent of change with the 13 young men I get to coach every day and the two little girls at home that I get to raise.

“ ... Parents, teachers, rabbis, priests, coaches, athletes, everybody needs to step up now. This has to be a time for change, not just more talk.”

Boeheim, who declined last Monday to discuss his impressive 900th career victory so he could address gun control, offered: “If we in this country cannot get the people who represent us to do something about firearms, we are a sad, sad society.

“My 900 wins means nothing today when we are burying children who we failed to protect as adults.”

As Edmund Burke once said: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.”

Merry Christmas folks.