Underdogs got off to a impressive start in the college football bowl games, winning six of the first seven. Continue Reading

Thanks for your article on Ron McAnally and John Henry. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them together at the horse farm in Kentucky. They loved each other!

Ron is true class and a real horseman.

Shari L. Lukas

Ross:

You are right, Shari. Horse Racing needs more gentlemen and caring trainers like Ron.

Hi, Ross!

Were you surprised that the Indianapolis Colts did not try harder to keep their unbeaten record Sunday in their game with the New York Jets?

Ted Dayton

Ross:

Yes and no, Ted. Coach Jim Caldwell is a rookie head coach in the NFL, and he has said all fall that winning the Super Bowl was his team’s first priority, not finishing undefeated. He’s correct in the importance of his goal. But, the Colts had a 15-10 lead in the middle of the third quarter when Caldwell took Peyton Manning out of the game for good as well as other regulars. Manning has never missed a game due to an injury, and he wanted a shot at a perfect record. Backup quarterback Curtis Painter had never played in an NFL game before so with 22 minutes left, Indy was doomed to lose, and did.

Hi, Lin and Ross,

Merry Christmas to you both and your entire family. I love reading your articles and listening to the vignettes. Thank you so much for this wonderful site.

Shana Glassman

Ross:

Thanks, Shana, for your kind comments. Please continue to visit www.realsportsheroes.com Happy New Year!

The heroes of the weekend in the NFL were the ground crews in the Eastern cities who got the fields in condition for play after massive snowfalls. A total of more than 23 inches of snow fell in Philadelphia on Saturday alone. Continue Reading

You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
John Wooden

Continue Reading

When I learned Joshua Cribbs of the Cleveland Browns had set an NFL record Sunday for career touchdowns on kickoff returns with his seventh and eighth (100 and 103 yard runbacks against Kansas City), my first reaction was a question. Continue Reading

Dear Ross, I’m glad to have reconnected with you at Operation Gratitude. For people who don’t know, it is an organization that assembles and sends care packages to the members of the U. S. military in war zones. I was in the Veteran’s hospital for 12 years. During that time, I received only one package, but it meant the world to me.

A bartender for 33 years, I had so many friends across the San Fernando Valley, and I send them a big hello and encourage them to help our troops by supporting Operation Gratitude.

Keep up the good work, Ross.

I enjoy your website.

Georgie “Baby”

Ross:

Operation Gratitude was founded in 2003 by Carolyn Blashek after a talk she had with a depressed soldier at the USO in Los Angeles. She started it in her garage. Operation Gratitude is a non-profit, volunteer organization that sends care packages of items and letters addressed to individually named U. S. service members deployed overseas.

Last Saturday, the 500,000th Operation Gratitude care package was assembled at the armory in Van Nuys where Georgie was an original volunteer. Each package costs $11 to send. People are asked to write letters to the troops and include addresses and e-mails in each letter. The organization’s website is www.OperationGratitude.com and the e-mail address is OpGrat@gmail.com

Lin and I are inspired and moved each time we volunteer. We may address mailing labels, go through an assembly line and have 25 items put in each care package, place letters in Christmas cards, or write notes to the troops. It gives us a sense of patriotism we might otherwise not have felt, and makes our day.

Hey, Ross,

I was surprised that the Cowboys ruined the Saints’ perfect season. Do you think that might turn out to be a blessing for New Orleans?

Stan Owens
Denver

Ross:

In other words, Stan, will there be a little less pressure on the Saints now that their perfect record hopes have vanished? I think that is quite possible. Sure, they would have liked to go 19 and 0, but their chief goal is to win the Super Bowl so the undefeated season ranks behind that in importance.

A little known baseball fact:

The first testicular guard (cup) was used in baseball in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1934. It took 60 years for men to realize that the brain is also important.

Kevin Kuiper

It was an unusual race for the Heisman Trophy this year. Continue Reading

A total of 74 men have been presented college football’s most important award—–the Heisman Trophy—-with Archie Griffin of Ohio State the only man to win it twice. Continue Reading

Lin did a beautiful job with the story and said some very kind things about us. You folks have been good friends. If there is anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Pearlie and Tot

P.S. Love the new look of the site!!!