Character matters.
“The late, great John Wooden had the quintessential quote on character: ‘Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.’ At the end of the day, would you rather leave your kids in the care of Tim Tebow or Kobe Bryant? Is it more important to be the ‘Black Mamba’ for two hours during a basketball game or be a genuine, caring human being 2 4/7? At the end of the day, more goodwill comes from high-character people.”
Ray, North Point, Fla.
Kiz: Pop quiz. Name the three most compelling sports figures of 20th Century America. From my spot on the sofa, I will pick: 1) Muhammad Ali, 2) Jim Thorpe and 3) Wooden. The easy way out is to believe victory is based on character. If I read the teachings of Wooden correctly, character is more often revealed in defeat.
Best athletes usually win.
“You don’t think character matters? You are lost. Character will ultimately make or break a man quicker than God-given talent.”
Pat, Lamar
Kiz: There is an old saying in sports: May the best man win. It’s bunk. More often than not, the best athlete wins. Good people do get ahead in life. But to think goodness is measured by dollars in the bank or points on the scoreboard is the conceit of any culture obsessed by keeping up with the Kardashians.
Winning has nothing to do with character.
“Many people missed the point of your column on character. It simply said character has little or nothing to do with winning, which, sadly, is decidedly so. Being of high character means nothing on the scoreboard. For every Jerry Rice, there is a Lawrence Taylor. If you prefer your team skips the L.T.s of the world, that’s great. But it will make winning more difficult, as it significantly decreases the size of the available talent pool.”
Matt, Las Cruces, N.M.
Kiz: OK, let’s get a show of hands. How many Broncomaniacs would surrender a Super Bowl victory or two if it meant erasing the name of linebacker Bill Romanow- ski, an admitted user of performance-enhancing drugs and a habitual cheap-shot artist, from the franchise’s history?
Joyce, Galarraga show their true character.
“Pro sports are just entertainment, our version of the gladiators. That’s why it’s so disturbing to see kids modeling themselves after these guys. If you’re looking for values, find them in your faith, your personal relationships, how you find your path in the world and how you treat others.”
Bob, Denver
Kiz: In the realm of sports, hard work, commitment to a goal and mental toughness are often lauded as examples as character. By those standards, Tiger Woods and Ben Roethlisberger are men of the utmost character. So maybe character should be defined by more than how well a man performs his job. How many people wanted to kill umpire Jim Joyce for blowing a call that cost Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game? But, in the aftermath, Galarraga and Joyce responded with real character, demonstrating grace, compassion and sense of personal responsibility far more perfect than anything measured by 27 up and 27 down.
Lakers should give thanks to Wallace.
“When the NBA hands championship rings next year to Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers, will the Memphis general manager attend the ceremony or will the league just mail that GM the ring he so richly deserves?”
SK, Golden
Kiz: We here at Kickin’ It Headquarters believe in giving credit where credit is due. By shipping Gasol to Los Angeles in exchange for his baby brother Marc, the Memphis general manager who crowned the Lakers as NBA kings is named Chris Wallace.
Hey, how about a little altitude adjustment, please?
And today’s parting shot makes a case to MLB commissioner Bud Selig to do something about a real injustice to a major-league pitcher, because if altitude adjustment were taken into consideration, the earned run average of the Amazing Ubaldo would be below zero.
“Since the national media often discredits Rockies batters for playing in a hitter-friendly home ballpark, shouldn’t those same media members also subtract runs from the ERA of Rockies pitchers? I think one run subtracted from the ERA of ace Ubaldo Jimenez would give him a negative ERA. It’s only fair.”
Andrew, Iowa
