Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Bill Russell and Stan Musial

I think it's absolutely fantastic that Bill Russell and Stan Musial (among others) were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom today. These guys are national treasures who are deserving of our nation's highest civilian honor. Like they were today, they should be hailed not just for their athletic accomplishments of yesteryear, but for their philanthropy, kindness and contributions to society, post both of their respective playing careers. You simply can't compare these two graceful, philanthropic gentlemen to today's ego-driven, narcissistic athletes (read: James, Lebron).

And their sporting accomplishments? Absolutely otherworldly. An Olympic gold medal, NCAA championship and 11 NBA titles for Russell. And Stan the Man? An immortal. 3630 hits, three world series titles and he was a 24-time all-star. I can't even wrap my head around that - 24! And again, both carried themselves with dignity and grace - and were lauded by their peers as being among the greatest team mates in their respective sports.

All I can say is that I hope today's athletes watched the Medal of Freedom ceremony. They sure could a thing or two from these two old-timers.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

where did stan the man get that red sports jacket?gs

neil s. said...

Plus Stan the Man served in the Navy in 1945.