Thank You Mats

It's funny, I've never been a Mats Sundin fan. I've acknowledged his skill and the fact that he was probably the most talented leaf for over a decade. However, I don't think he should have ever been the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Why? Simply because he wasn't the gritty type of hockey player that the Leafs seem to need as a captain.

He had skill, size and flash but did he ever actually manage to lead the Leafs to a cup? Unfortunately no. Perhaps, though, the leadership he gave was that although the squeaky wheel gets the grease, it's better to just sit down shut up and do your job to the best of your abilities. Either way, the interesting point for Saturday night was: How will Toronto fans react to Mats. Will the cheer the man who led the Leafs for years on end, without ever asking to be traded? Or would they boo the player who declared he wanted to be a Leaf for life, loved being in TO, wanted to win a cup here, but who wouldn't lower his salary expectations to make cap room to pick up the extra star the leafs so desperately needed nor waive his no trade clause to try to help the team become better?

In the end, I'm happy to say the fans were what has come to be expected in TO from other places in the world. The fans said thank you Mats in their own way, kicked off by a video tribute during a commercial break and for the first time in my memory the stoic ex-Leaf actually showed some emotion.

So on the record, once and for all. Thank you Mats for all you did. Your skills, ability and leadership will be missed going forward but most of all thank you for not coming back as a Leaf. Not because you aren't skilled or won't be missed but because Toronto needs to have it's younger players step up and take the lead, while you need and deserve to win a cup before the end of your career. Here's to you Mats, may you find success wherever the hockey puck takes you.

Role Models, Sports Stars and the Everyday Working Hero

First some background: I'm a baseball player. I've played baseball every year from 1984 (another post on that year some other time) until 2006 and ached to play it in both 2007 & 2008. Some of my fondest, most cherished memories are from watching ball games with family or playing ball during the spring, summer and fall.

Given that information, it may be surprising to learn that I wasn't surprised at all to find out about the rampant use of steroids in the 1990s and early 2000s. The surprising part about the scandal was that it came from a book written by José Canseco and that anyone was surprised by his claims. Looking around at the sizes of players over the years, the amount of mass put on by players, it seems like everyone tried to ignore the abuse in the hopes it would just go away. One of the problems with cheating and short cuts though, in anything not just sports, is that the longer they go unchecked the more rampant they'll become.

Flash forward to today (February 10th, 2009) to hear a radio talk show talking about why people should care about the stars who used and abused steroids, calling out Alex Rodriguez in particular for being a role model that everyone should be let down by. For the parents of today, looking at his actions on the field and off, if Alex Rodriguez is a role model for your children you're doing something wrong. Likewise for Tie Domi, José Canseco, Kirby Puckett, Rafael Palmeiro and even Roger Clemens. Truthfully I don't know if there are role models in sports anymore for the children of today other than the bit players like John McDonald, nor do I even know if there ever were any role models in the form of "Superstars". Look at Babe Ruth - alcoholic & unfaithful. Ty Cobb - by all accounts one of the meanest players and people ever to play the game of baseball.

So who should be role models for our children? Who should be the ones they look up to and try to emulate. I've said it before, I'll say it now and I'll say it again. The role models for our children should be us. Everyday people who work, pay the bills, take care of their own and help out their neighbours and others. The role models should be the ones who do everything they can to provide for their children and their families, then come home and manage to make time for their wives, their husbands, their children, their siblings and everyone else in their lives. I'm blessed to know a number of these people I would call role models, I work with them and am proud to call a number of them friends.

To all of them, to everyone that inspires me every day by being themselves: Thank you for being one of my role models. For helping me to realize where I want to be with and for my family everyday, and how I want to be with my children when I have them. I don't know how you do it, and I hope and wish for the strength to do the same when my time comes.