Bernie Fratto

Speaking
of
Sports 

by
Bernie 
Fratto

Great is good, but
good is even better

8/7/2006

This week Tiger Woods et al, invaded the Buick Open right here in Michigan, and the PGA marketing slogan, ‘these guys are good,’ has never been more appropriate.

Anybody can see what phenomenal golfers ‘these guys’ are, but in addition to that ‘these guys’ are really good guys.

The Tiger Woods Foundation funds scholarships, makes direct grants, and even manages Junior golf programs including one right here in Detroit. The annual fee for Tiger Woods’ philanthropical gestures averages about $7 million annually.

John Daly’s unending generosity to the ‘Make-a-wish’ foundation is legendary, and he even hosts a golf tournament in Memphis every year that gives critically ill children a chance to live a dream by hanging out with the pros. In addition, he’s raised over $4 million in the last 10 years by lending his name.

Golfer Robert Allenby has raised over $8 million dollars to help pay for treatments of children with cancer.

Louisiana native David Toms raised over $1.5 million dollars last year to aid Katrina victims, and this money greatly helped displaced residents and their children.

Suffice it to say ‘these guys’ have parlayed their God-given gifts beyond entertainment and truly impacted the lives of others less fortunate.

And it’s good thing. As Americans, we put athletes on a pedestal. They are in fact our royalty as entertainers. We don’t have Kings, Queens and fiefdoms in this country but we revere our athletes as larger than life fantasy figures. And, we know they are not perfect.

Even in college and high school, the young men and women that pack the stadiums on Friday night have a special gift. While they cannot generate or donate millions of dollars like Tiger Woods and his pals, they can donate time and energy to worthwhile events and people for good causes.

Months ago we profiled Novi HS alum Trent Sisson and his efforts to give back to the community where he attends college.

The bottom line is that it’s terrific to be a great athlete, and even better to be a good person.

‘These guys’ really are good, and you can be too.

(c) 2006 Novi Information Network
www.novi.org

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Bernie Fratto is a freelance writer, radio personality, and motivational speaker.  His passion for sports comes in part from his experience as a former Cincinnati Red farm- hand.  "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings" said Fratto.  "These athletic endeavors often serve as a metaphor for the game we call life."

Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a frequent co-host on the popular "Parker & The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from 7-11pm.