11/21/24
April 18, 2003
Rich Beem is inviting Clyde Roy to a Tour event. Curt Shilling seems eager to help Aaron Taylor’s family in some way, in any way. Tiger is catching up with a college classmate and Mike Modano’s gonna get a flag that flew over Iraq.
Some of the best reading I’ve been taking in over the last few weeks is ESPN’s Jocks to GIs Direct. There isn’t much to it, to tell the truth, but it is fun nonetheless. A sports star has been matched up with a service member by ESPN through a pen-pal program of sorts and we all get to read along as they decide who is a fan and who is a star.
"Everyone Loves Amelia". Guess not.
posted by 86 at 12:02 PM on April 18, 2003
"Hi my name is Cameron. I like watching the news and what they are doing in iraq. If I had to right a letter to sodom hosane I wouldn't but if I did I would just leav it blank. My grate grandpa was in the world war-2. I wish I could learn about you and that are safe and that you stay safe untill the war is over. I wonder how long untill the war will stop. Cameron Love." Ok, I'm hogging myown thread, but read the Jeff Burton one too.
posted by 86 at 12:19 PM on April 18, 2003
The Jeff Burton one is good...especially the letters from the kids, but I did cough on this line when the soldier is talking about the saddam statue coming down in Baghdad and then says, "With any luck we'll have broken ground for a Wal-Mart there by early summer! " Also...there's just something about Jeff Burton writing to this poor bastard sweating it out in the desert and telling him about how he and the family are going fishing that weekend. I mean, I'm sure the Soldiers appreciate any correspondence they get but corresponding with the big-shot athletes might drive home the fact that they are risking it all in the desert while we have it pretty good back home.
posted by vito90 at 12:37 PM on April 18, 2003
Man, Kurt Schilling is a class act. I don't watch a lot of baseball on TV, but I've seen him do commentary from time-to-time (the World Series maybe?). He's humble, knowledgeable, entertaining, and well-spoken. The cynic in me wants to think that this is all done for PR, but reading Kurt's responses to that guy completely dispelled those ideas. This is a great program, and I like how they have representatives from all sorts of different sports. Having said that, I realize that seeing the thumbnail of the people writing to each other makes the conversations more "real" somehow, but I don't think it's necessary in every case. Is a link next to the e-mails saying "click here to see Rod Brind'Amour's horribly scarred and disfigured mug" too much to ask?
posted by Samsonov14 at 12:42 PM on April 18, 2003
You know, I clicked the link thinking what great publicity for the sports stars. (I'm very cynical, if you hadn't guessed). Then I read some of the threads and it actually touched me a little. Damn good idea, err, mad props to ESPN and the jocks.
posted by squealy at 08:19 AM on April 19, 2003
I was waiting for the inevitable faux pas by the stars, and Jennifer Capriati's already done it. Not offensive to the GI, but maybe to the town that's hosting her current tournament: "... I'm just getting ready for a tournament in Amelia Island next week. Actually I'm already there. Not the most exciting place [emphasis wc2002] but it's on the beach so it's nice." She does realize that this is in public, right? Anyway, nice job by ESPN. And kudos to the stars for letting their guard down.