I want to take this time and give ESPN a ton of credit for something that they do every year but I feel like it does not get enough recognition. I do not know if you have seen these segments during Sportscenter or not but they highlight the make a wish foundation and tracks the wish of certain children who get struck down with an illness, alot of times that illness being some sort of cancer. These segments follow the child as his/her wish gets granted and they get to meet the sports icon that they look up to. This is an awesome thing to watch and it really puts the bullshit that all of us complain about on a daily basis into perspective. These kids have life threatening illnesses and sometimes they are terminal illnesses, but instead of complaining about it, these kids are being an inspiration to many people, including myself. These kids could only have months left to live but they are more worried about meeting their sports hero. The kids that are in these segments are a true inspiration to everyone and they are the true heroes. This make a wish foundation has done this for years and by ESPN covering it and airing the segments it makes me feel like a real prick when I complain about going to work, or having to take the trash out, or do the dishes because those are meaningless problems compared to what these kids have to deal with. To see the joy they get just by meeting their idols is something that people like us without disabilities or life threatening illnesses, may take for granted. Listen, I am no better than everyone else, but I know that it would be damn hard for me to keep my spirits up like these kids do, despite having a life threatening illness. These segments really pull at the heart strings and if you haven't seen any of them yeat, I reccomend you watch them. There is a new episode every night during the 6pm sportscenter. After you watch them, I bet you think twice about complaining about walking the dog or doing yardwork.
Since I brought up wishes, let me make my own wish right now. I wish that Jim Thome got more credit for what he is about to achieve in the sport of baseball. Jim Thome is embarking on 600 homeruns and attempting to join a club that only 7 other men have joined, and do it all without the use of performance enhancing drugs (that we know of). Jim Thome is one of the genuine and truly nice guys in MLB, so why is he not getting the publicity that Derek Jeter did for his 3,000th hit?? Is it because he is not liked?? I doubt it. Is it because he plays for the Minnesota Twins in a smaller market?? Perhaps, but i still do not buy it. So what is the reason that he is not getting the credit for what he has achieved and about to add to his legacy??? This guy has been a class act his entire career and deserves all of the accalaids that any other player got that hit 600 homeruns. Alex Rodriguez got a speticle made of his 600th homerun but so far nobody is really talking about Jim Thome. The next thing I want to get out there is that Jim Thome should and will be in the Hall of Fame one day. Think about this. DUring the time from 1993-2008(the steroid era), Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr are the only two players that hit more than 500 home runs (they both hit 600), and they did so without the use of steroids like others of their era. I really wish Jim Thome would get the appreciation he deserves and the media would stop spending so much time on who the Yankees are going to pick up at the trade deadline to be a quality strarter. I will leave you with this thought. If after Jim Thome retires, there is no performance enhancing drug use stories, he and Ken Griffey Jr will be the only two players from this steroid era that accomplished what they have without the use of those drugs. To me this means that he is without a doubt a Hall of Famer and one of the true good guys to ever step on the baseball diamond.
I'm Kyle Montgomery, and this has been my two cents.
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