Posted: 11/20/02

Full Count: Keeping sports in perspective

Letís be completely frank with each other. The sports pages of a newspaper are like the toy departments in major stores.

Itís not the most important thing in the world, but gosh darn it, itís sure nice to take a break from reality for a while. Sports is in so many ways our break from reality. In the grand scheme of things, sports has limited importance in life.

Iíve always known that, whether Iíve been playing, coaching ñÝor as Iíve done for the last nine-plus years ñ reporting about it. I got the reminder of a lifetime to that fact two weeks ago.

It was Wednesday, Nov. 6, and I had stayed late in the office helping track down old Forest Lake boys hockey information for the Blue Line Club. I rushed home at about 6:45 p.m. Wish I could say it was to see my family. It was, in part, but mostly I wanted to be home by 7 to see the first five minutes of the CMA Awards to check out Shania Twainís outfit. I made it. I got to see Shania, kissed my wife and two girls and threw some leftovers in the microwave.

When the phone rang at precisely 7:18 p.m., the name of my younger brother who lives in Omaha popped up. We talk with each other two or three times a week, so that wasnít odd. I figured I would have a chance to tell him how much I was looking forward to covering the Rangers at the state volleyball tournament the next morning.

As a result of my brotherís phone call, my plans changed drastically. Instead of enjoying myself at Xcel Energy Arena on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 7, I found myself in my hometown of Fremont, NE, at a funeral home making arrangements to bury my father. As best we can figure, Richard Brown, 56, died sometime during the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 5. It was either a massive heart attack or stroke ñÝweíll never know which for sure.

I literally make a living thanks to sports. More than two weeks after the sudden death of my father, sports is still way down the line of important things. I obviously missed the state volleyball tournament and didnít make it back in time for the state swimming and diving meet.

Just sitting at my desk, staring blankly into a computer screen is now a difficult thing to do. My mind continually races with thoughts of my 30 years on this planet with my father. A lot of them revolve around sports because my father was a tireless volunteer coach and guided several of my teams.

My entire family has always enjoyed its sports. Sports helped draw us together as a family and throwing myself back into the local sports scene will help heal the deepest scars Iíve experienced in my life. Iíll continue to write sports stories, take my pictures and enjoy athletics. But Iíll do so with a whole new perspective.

My greatest feeling of sorrow in athletics was my last loss. Having to walk off the baseball field for the final time ñÝknowing I would never get paid to play ñÝthus putting an end to my career.
That pain is but a raindrop in the midst of a hurricane when it comes to my most recent loss. I had many athletic moments I now cherish, but only like a grain of sand along the beach compared to the memories Iím trying desperately to hang onto of my father.

Right now I would trade every athletic experience of my life for one more day to just be with my father. Kind of makes wins and losses meaningless.

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