... after watching perhaps the ugliest football game ever Monday night - a 3-0 win by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the still winless Miami Dolphins - my thoughts quickly returned to Washington Redskin safety Sean Taylor who had been critically injured by a gunshot wound earlier yesterday evening at his home in Miami. When I woke up this morning a little after 4:15 am, and put on Fox News Channel, I saw the news of Taylor's passing come across the newsscroll on the bottom of my TV screen. So sad, and so tragic. Why??? He was only 24 years old... his whole life was still ahead of him. His 1 1/2 year old daughter is now fatherless... He also left a girlfriend behind. Taylor had just made his first Pro Bowl last year. This year he was tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with five despite missing the past two games due to a knee injury. He was one of the NFL's brightest young stars and now he's gone...
Just four days ago, pitcher Joe Kennedy of the Toronto Blue Jays died suddenly. He was actually to be going to a wedding and serving as best man the following day. Unlike Taylor, Kennedy was more of a journeyman, pitching for three teams last year after compiling a nifty 2.31 ERA in 2006. Like Taylor, he died way too young - he was only 28 years of age... His wife and young son are now left to mourn and wonder why... The cause of death is still not known, though reportedly he may have had an enlarged heart.
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A lot of times, athletes feel like family. You almost feel like you personally know them. You watch them play, you cheer for them, you cheer against them... they entertain and bring emotions to those watching... They almost seem like they are bigger than life when you watch them perform. In just five days, two of those who were living out every American kid's dream of becoming a professional athlete are now no longer with us. Think a moment about the families and friends of the late Sean Taylor and Joe Kennedy. Keep them in thought and prayer... they say everything happens for a reason. Often times though, you really wonder what that reason is, especially when it involves professional athletes who seem to have everything going for them... Yes, athletes are human too - as mortal as the rest of us.
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