Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel Reaction

I cannot think of a better way to unwind after a stressful week of finals. For anyone who is passionate about the story telling aspect of sports and the behind the scenes look of athletes, reporters like Bryant Gumbel are the perfect professionals to look up to. Every week, Bryant Gumbel hosts his weekly show interviewing athletes that are not necessarily in the spotlight, but should be. He dives into the essence of sports; telling the stories we should be focused on rather than the stories we are sometimes told more often. Why is it that the only athletes we hear about on SportsCenter are those who are either committing crimes, doing something scandalous or breaking records? Yes, I do think that it is admirable to note those athletes breaking records, and I do think it is important to report on these scandals, but there are more to sports than just this.

Sports are about the camaraderie, the teamwork, and the elite ability to perform. I fell in love with this aspect of the games. I wanted to know more about how my favorite athletes became superstars; how they were once like me but became the icon many people across the country and world see them as today. These are the types of stories we should be focusing on today.

While the NBA Lockout Ending is great news, the speculation about potential trades does not mean as much to me as the story about Marcus Dixon, a football player for the NY Jets.

Dixon grew up in Rome, GA and as a senior in high school he was a promising Vanderbilt recruit. He had strong grades and an even more impressive football career. Unfortunately, before he was able to attend college he was convicted of sexual assault and sent to jail. After the trial, however, many people did not think he should have been convicted and thought the outcome of the trial was mainly due to race. The jury and many people involved in the trial have later admitted that this was not what truly happened, but sadly, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. After his sentence was up, he was able to turn his life around however. He thrived at Hampton College and then decided to continue onto the NFL. He went undrafted to the Cowboys but was sadly cut a year later. This past year however, he was signed to the Jets and he is currently playing. During his bye week, he decided to purchase a home near his family in GA. He continues to give back to his parents and his community. Even though his community has not always been there to support him when his family has, he never turned his back on them. He continues to work towards his dreams everyday when he takes the field as a NY Jet.

Would any of us have known about this story? Probably not. This is not typically the type of story we hear in the sports section, but it should be. It teaches us never to give up on our dreams and to be thankful of what we have even if we are wrongly committed of a crime and faced with hurdles. Dixon truly cared about bettering himself and playing football, because he loved the game. Not for the fame, not for the money, not for anyone but himself. Thank you for the heads up on this story Bryant Gumbel.