highs and lows (in the sports world)

Yes, the Super Bowl is over and yes, March madness is still a few short weeks away but I just wanted to get on my small soapbox for just a minute about two other highly public stories right now. All you sports fanatics out there I apologize for trying to pretend that I know what I'm talking about. Just hear me out.

Pat Summitt, head coach of the Lady Vols (that's Women's Basketball the NCAA Tennesse Volunters for those of you who don't follow sports :)), has just won her 1,000th game! WOW! What a high. I cannot even begin to fathom how awesome that is. To conquer your sport like that ... as a coach. She is obviously a great leader. She's been able to get thousands of women to hang on her words and follow her advice and coaching. They probably wanted to be better at their sport and so they listened...and I've never coached anything besides swimming so I can't really say much about strategy (since strategy in swimming is swim faster...duh)...so I just have to say wow. It's awesome that she has accomplished a great feat and has an incredible amount of impact on the lives of so many women. As I was working out today I was watching SportsCenter and they had the captions on. I think I read that in her entire career she never had more than a 3 game losing streak. INCREDIBLE! Wow! And she's signed another contract taking her to 2014...her 40th season. She is also the ONLY coach in NCAA history to get 1,000 wins. Way to go Pat Summitt. I'm impressed (and I know that means a lot coming from me right?! Ha!).

I'm sure you've heard by now about Michael Phelps and his little incident with pot. Well, in case you've been living under a rock let me catch you up (because apparently I was living under a rock till this morning). Michael is a young college guy and went to a party in South Carolina and at this party they had a bong. I have no idea how they work or what they look like but that's besides the point. The point is someone at this party had a camera phone and took a photo of Michael doing the bong thing. Wonder how that guy feels?! ha! Anyway, the photo got published in a British tabloid (yesterday I think) and now the American Dream of a "perfect" athlete is ruined once again. I just have two things to say, it's a bummer that Michael was such an IDIOT! And it's a bummer that we American's are such IDIOTS! Read this article and you'll understand what I mean. He makes a good point about how we put too much pressure on one person to be the hero for our kids. Isn't that OUR job anyway?!

"It was the interest of entire industries though – advertising, media, athletics – to make him out to be more than he really was. We’re so desperate for such a person to showcase to kids that we’ll fall for anything. They once sold Britney Spears as a conservative virgin, after all."

But I have one more thing to say, if you are an athlete or musician or actress you are in the spotlight. That's just the way America works. If you don't want to be in the spotlight then get out. But if you are going to be in the spotlight then you need to act with a little bit of grace, dignity and responsibility. Because the world is watching. I know this means nothing coming from little ol me who is only in the spotlight for two wee little children but seriously, whether you choose it or not the spotlight has found you and you need to remember that. It's your responsibility as a public figure. And seriously Michael, pot, in the middle of the season, come on!

Okay, I know that didn't all make sense since I was just rambling on my soapbox but hopefully my point was made a little bit in a weird kinda doesn't make sense kind of way. Got it?!