On
the TUNNEYSIDE of SPORTS May 6, 2013 #435 Up
next..."Un Gran Persona"
In
the post match interview following the 77th Masters Golf tournament Angel
Cabrera, who had just lost in a two-hole playoff to Adam Scott, was asked
his thoughts. While acknowledging that winning might have been the more
satisfying result, he referred to the winner, Australian Scott, as
"un gran judador" and "una gran persona" (a great
player and a great person). The fourth day of challenging golf saw more
than a half-dozen names atop the leader board. But in the end, it was a
duel between Scott and Cabrera and their contrasting styles.
Scott
is the first Australian to win the Augusta National Masters, including
the great Greg Norman. Scott said that it was Norman who served as an
inspiration for so many Australian golfers. What was impressive was this
sign of true sportsmanship that occurred after Scott sank the winning
putt on the second playoff hole. Cabrera and Scott walked off the green
with arms around each others. The spirit of competition in its noblest
expression!
Segue
this to another "Gran Persona" in the person of Rick Reilly.
Reilly, a close friend and fellow golfer, graced the pages of Sports
Illustrated for 23 years, with a 10-year stretch as the
"back-page" of each issue with his column "Life of
Reilly." "Missing Links" and "Who's Your Caddy"
are among his best-selling fiction book titles. The New York Times named
him "one of the funniest humans on the planet," to which Reilly
likely responded "Ahh...which planet are we talking about?" His
writing isn't so much about sports, but rather the people who play
sports, their lives, and their human spirit. As an ESPN commentator he is
frequently on-camera for such events as the Super Bowl, the Final Four,
and the Masters, providing a uniquely twisted perspective to what we all
are watching.
His
philanthropic efforts blossomed with "Nothing But Nets" as
Reilly put the old cliché to work to provide anti-malarial mosquito nets
for African children. The campaign has raised over $32 million dollars to
date. Please join Rick and so many of us at Carmel's Sunset Center on
this Thursday, May 9th, for a wine tasting at 6 p.m., and Reilly's
special program at 7 p.m. For tickets and information call
831-620-2048 or online www.sunsetcenter.org.
Will
you come and hear Rick Reilly and enjoy his take on the sporting life and
human giving?
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