As our nation reflects on what we are truly thankful for, it might seem that sports is quite a ways down on your list. I can understand and agree with that assessment, as there are so many other things that are more significant.
That aside, I would still like to take this opportunity to offer my gratitude for a few things in the sporting world that I am truly thankful for.
For starters thanks to our Indiana Pacers for reaching out this Thanksgiving season and feeding some 700 people in their annual “Come to Our House” dinner which this year was hosted by David West and his family. While some will point to West’s appointment to an NBA All Star team as a high point in his career, I would say that pales in comparison to how tall he stood recently while helping those less fortunate.
Kudos to our Colts as well, as they have taken the grace and determination of coach Chuck Pagano and begun several initiatives to raise money and awareness for fighting leukemia.
Thanks to Pagano for showing us the definition of courage and resolve. You are so much more than a football coach and we look forward to your imminent return.
I am thankful for IU football coach Kevin Wilson, not just for the interview he gave me earlier in the year, but for his no nonsense approach to the game. He is indeed just what they need in Bloomington. Thanks certainly are in order for Tom Crean as he has made IU hoops relevant again, and that makes talking to the throngs of IU fans I encounter both personally and professionally much more tolerable.
My thanks to Matt Painter and Danny Hope at Purdue as well as they continue to guide the Boilermakers.
I am also thankful for the good people at Victory Field who continue to provide our community with a picturesque gem of a ballpark, one that allows families to afford the joy of baseball.
I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for the Hulman-George family and their stewardship of the greatest racing facility in the world. Every May I stand high atop the track and watch the biggest race in the world begin and it never gets old. Thank you Mary Hulman George for preserving it all for us, as well as the future generations of fans.
My sincere thanks to all the talented and competitive young athletes in the grade school and high school ranks who distinguish themselves both in the classroom and the playing field. We all are grateful for the unbridled enthusiasm you share with us and we look forward to following your careers at the collegiate and professional levels. I also salute the teachers, coaches and administrators who have shown you that academics are more important than the sports you thrive in.
Last but certainly not least, I thank all of you who read the Indianapolis Recorder, especially those who reach out from time to time via telephone or by email to remind me that I am off my rocker regarding something I wrote. I cherish your sentiments.
It is a privilege to communicate with you weekly and I am proud to be a miniscule part of the only newspaper in town that maintains a social conscience and continues to foster change for a better community.
I hope all of you will reach out and touch someone this holiday season and make an impact that will be everlasting for someone less fortunate.
Danny Bridges, who is thankful for a father who threw him into the world of sports at an early age, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
