Manny Ramirez, a recently traded leftfielder from the Boston Red Sox to the L.A. Dodgers, has been receiving a lot of coverage-and it hasn’t all been too good.

Ramirez, a future Hall of Famer, appears to be (let’s say) an attention grabber. He has, especially in recent weeks, made some fans, teammates, and management a bit frustrated by his on-the-field antics (Yes, using a cell phone is on this antics list! And yes, jogging [instead of running] to first base.). But, along with his clowning around, Ramirez has proven to be one of the best at his position (And, he knows it!).

I’m a little in between on this because the man is a beast on the field and that’s undeniable… But, how far is too far (as far as performing in order to get reactions)? He hasn’t hurt anyone (Uh, well, except that fight in the dugout, which involved another teammate and staff member.)… So, do you get a pass just because you’re gifted and talented? I mean, I guess sometimes that is how things seem to go (Obviously!), but should this be the case? Is it such a big deal? For me, (along with, of course, balance) I’m all about embracing one’s personality and like Hubby so eloquently said the other day, he wouldn’t want to kill someone’s spirit.

So, big deal or not such a big deal at all?

Hubby and I were discussing our favorite Olympics’ events. He said his fave was swimming, which was actually a surprise to me. Hubby admitted his fascination with how fast these people could swim-often time really looking like fish. Mine would definitely be track and field. Those events are crazy… running, jumping, throwing… What could be better than that?

With the 2008 Summer Olympics right around the corner, what is your favorite event and (of course), your significant other’s pick, too?

Carlos Zambrano is one of baseball’s best… Positioned as a starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, he is (like a great number of professional athletes) tremendously skilled. And, for this great skill, he has won the Silver Slugger Award (This is the “you’re really great at what you do” award.). Along with being very calculating in his play, Zambrano is also very much known for his-let’s say-excitement for the game. A little display of emotion never hurts, right?… You know, a little exuberance with a win (By the way, they won over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night) or a little frustration after a loss.

Carlos Zambrano

I, for one, am a bit competitive (I think growing up with four older brothers didn’t help much, either…) and emotional when it comes to winning and losing… (Uh, no Honey, I don’t want to share that time during Scrabble when I completely lost it!). Sorry-I’m back… Anyway, I really like winning (Doesn’t everyone?), so I can definitely relate to Zambrano’s need for speed out there on the field!

When it comes to winning and losing (both are reality), are you a laid back or an overly exuberant winner or loser? How about your significant other?… And, of course, it doesn’t have to be just about sports, y’all!!

Surprisingly enough (or maybe not that surprising), there are a lot of families participating in (or extensive family support throughout) these 2008 Olympics in Beijing. I believe (especially if it’s feasible) that there are plenty of memorable times that can be made even more special when there is family involved.

What special times can you remember (maybe long time ago or just today) that involved you and a family member? And you know what?… It can be big or small, sports related or not. What matters is that it was special to you!

Man… I’m sitting here thinking how to even begin this story. Just when you think you’ve seen or heard an amazing story, another one just crashes through. And, no matter what your stance is on this story, you’ll have to give this guy his propers (Bigups!) for such a passionate display.

This 24-year-old guy, Eric Shanteau, competed in the Olympic swimming trials, coming in at second place. With his finishing time, he was able to grab a spot on the 2008 Olympic swimming team. A once in a life time event being held in Beijing, Shanteau was presented with a choice (or maybe he didn’t think of it as a choice at all). He was diagnosed with testicular cancer a week prior to the trials and with this news, this champion decided to continue his quest for gold and go on to Beijing (Wow, right?).

Shanteau will have to face surgery, but it will happen after he comes back home. Maintaining that he’s not being naïve about the matter, Shanteau is having doctors monitor him closely during his time away. Apparently, his feelings are that the Olympics may be his once in a lifetime experience and he doesn’t want to miss out on that…

A courageous one indeed, what is your stance on Shanteau’s decision and have you ever found yourself in a once in a lifetime situation (It doesn’t have to be sports related.)?

Our everyday heroes (police officers, firemen, soldiers) know the impending danger that they face each and every day. For this reason, they usually (and for good cause) have good insurance packages for their loved ones who are left behind. This package can often time be viewed as an incentive for committing to this dangerous career path.

Now, this same reasoning can be applied to sports… Let’s specifically apply it to football. I’m sure we can all agree that along with being entertaining and nail biting at times, football can be dangerous. But (And this is a big but!), professional football players have something called “ridiculous” guaranteed money (I added “ridiculous”) that seems to make it all worth their while. The downfall of this lucrative deal is that they can be released from their team at any time (But 30 million dollars guaranteed money can make that release a little less painful-uh, yeah.)…

So, do you think the guaranteed cha-ching is worth the potential danger or injury (both short- and long-term) that may incur?

Okay, of course there’s sadness with ending such a beautiful trip, but I was glad to finally be home (I’ll cherish the memories of you and I, Aruba!). Okay… I’m back! So, remember my recent post of seeing familiar faces while you’re in the airport? Well, on our travels back (lay over in Atlanta’s airport) we spotted Steve Spurrier.

Who is Spurrier you might ask? Well, he is currently the football coach for The University of South Carolina. And, before then, he had a short (and very profitable) stint with the NFL’s Washington Redskins. It was interesting seeing him because like always, when we spot these familiar faces, he’s just like everybody else.

My mother in law made the good point that she may see folks in her travels and wouldn’t know them anyway (True. True.). It’s okay… it’s a process. Her point solidifies my already true desire to assist in bridging that crazy gap within relationships through relating athletes and their stories.

Keep your eyes opened!

Okay, this story is totally out of the “professional athlete” norm for WTAC, but darling enough to dedicate a post to.

Nutshell… this small boy, Kyle, is a golf prodigy and (to him) he has the best caddy in the whole world-his dad. Crazy twist… Kyle is currently (and hopefully forever) a survivor of cancer and his dad is due to leave for his first of two tours to Iraq.

I saw this story while taking in my daily dose of ESPN (I’m telling you, you have to check this station out!) and I was just taken by this little person who had already endured so much and found (in his own little way) solace in this simple (yet complex) game. Kyle, at age 5, completely understands the danger that awaits his dad and yet his tiny smile shows such gratitude of the “now” time that he has with his dad.

What a fighter and victor… he’s beaten cancer, he’s resolved on his father’s return from Iraq, and (of course) he’s beaten guys three times his age on the green.

By the way… (cutest thing!) Kyle intends to keep playing while his fave caddy is away and in the meantime his mom will be the acting caddy (Yeah, Kyle isn’t too thrilled with his caddy mom, but will take his chances!). Moms can do it all… right Moms??

So, I asked (referencing the Brett Favre recent news) what was your “Stay or Not To Stay” dilemma? I wanted to share my own as a testament that life really does go on (It really does!)!

Picture it… hair falling to the floor while being whirled around in the (then) torturous chair. As the snips continued, my neck experienced it’s first exposure to the really cold… it wasn’t prepared for the chill bumps that would be it’s new, constant (well, at least during the winter months) existence.

Yes, in an attempt to introduce myself to a new trend and defy my parents’ wishes (a two for one deal, huh??), I had my hair cut. Note to self, being used to long hair and then cutting it during the winter months may not be a good idea… oh, and uh, don’t defy your parents!

Just wondering… Have you ever made a decision to leave a situation (you just knew you were on the right track) and for one reason or another you later found yourself wanting back in?

Brett Favre

Recently retired NFL Green Bay Packers quarterback, Brett Favre, is in this same quagmire… After being the face of the Packers for 17 years (and just not quite knowing if he wanted to play anymore), he called it quits, but is now possibly rethinking that idea.

Find yourself in this story…