Athlete Development

  • Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of former NHL player Wade Belak, who died on Wednesday. His death, the third from professional hockey since May, has many wondering if the NHL should remove fighting from the sport, just as the NFL has repealed much of the gratuitous violence in its sport to protect their players. [Deaths of NHL Players Raises A Deadly Riddle]
  • One of my favorite quotes is “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” The following reinforces why that statement holds value. For unsigned NFL players, also known as “street” free agents among GMs and coaches, it’s become increasingly important to be prepared, as the lockout and increased injuries have caused many teams to look their way. [Giants Pluck Cornerback From His Living Room]
  • A famous cliché that is losing traction is that “an athlete knows their body better than anyone else." While many of today’s athletes are physical specimens, there are many illnesses and conditions that are not widely known. Tennis star Venus Williams discusses one such condition: Sjogren’s syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disease that she has battled for years. [Venus Williams Describes Fight With Fatigue]
  • The New York Times recently released a video highlighting Men’s Tennis star (and my favorite player) Rafael Nadal’s amazing forehand, arguably his most dominating weapon on the courts. From one southpaw to another, enjoy. [Speed and Spin: Nadal's Lethal Forehand]
Business
  • In most professions, it is common for a high-performing employee to seek another place to work, especially when their current job doesn’t offer them a competitive raise. So why are professional athletes so scrutinized for doing the same? In that train of thought, I support Bears Linebacker Lance Briggs’ public request for a trade. The six-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire nine-year career with the organization and has been an impact player. It’s within his rights to pursue competitive pay for his services. [Chicago Bear's Lance Briggs Seeks Trade After Not Getting Raise]
Human Relations
  • In an interview with Teresa Rodriguez on Univision’s “Aqui y Ahora,” the Golden Boy admitted hitting rock bottom and that he is an alcoholic, harbored thoughts of suicide, and had been unfaithful to his wife of 10 years. [De La Hoya hopes second time is charm]
  • Jason King of Yahoo! Sports believes that college athletes have no business being on Twitter and that more coaches should follow Steve Spurrier's lead and ban their players from using it. "There simply aren’t enough positives to outweigh the potential negatives that can surface when they’re allowed to post," he says. [Time for schools to ban Twitter]
  • In a follow-up to an article I highlighted a few weeks ago, congrats to South African sprinter Scott Pistorius who received the silver medal in the 4x400 meter relay at the World Championships. He became the first Paralympic athlete to not only compete against able-bodied athletes, but to medal. His story proves that nothing is impossible. Difficult, improbable, but not impossible. [Pistorius Ends World Odyssey With Historic Silver]