Every year about this time I'm reminded of the 10 men associated with the OSU basketball program who died in the plane crash on January 27, 2001. This evening, as the Cowboys played Texas on national TV, was no different.
From the inclusion of Doug Gottlieb in the broadcast team to the features on ESPN leading up to the game, ESPN did a masterful job of helping us remember those 10 men. Local media has also done an outstanding job reminding us of the impact those 10 men had on the people around them.
You can find great features on the websites of many of the major media outlets across the state. If you haven't checked them out, I would encourage you to do so.
I had met some of the men who died in the crash. I didn't know them but I had met them. I knew the coaches at OSU and I could see how this was impacting them. Even today, as I look back on the news stories and video clips it brings tears to my eyes.
During the memorial service in Gallagher Iba ten years ago, Coach Sutton told us Bill Teegins was the most humble sportscaster he had ever met. I believe this to be true as well and I want to share my Bill Teegins story with you.
During the OSU football seasons between 1995-1998, I would make the road trip from Norman or Lawrence, Kansas, to each home game. I had a great group of friends that would meet before and after every game at George's Stables to "tailgate" in the parking lot behind the Stables. I don't remember exactly which game, but after one game, we were in the parking lot with the grill fired up and cooking some brats for an after game snack. Down the street that runs just east of the Stables and Joe's we saw Bill Teegins and another gentlemen walking toward Joe's. I know I waved and said "hello" to Bill as he went by. He smiled and waved back and then noticed we were cooking. He walked out of the street and up to our grill and introduced himself and asked if we would be willing to sell him a bratwurst. I told him he was welcome to help himself but we weren't selling anything. Bill smiled and grabbed a bun, made a sandwich, and then started fishing in his pocket for cash to pay for the brats. Again we told him there was no charge, but Bill insisted we take his money. He stood around and ate his brat and visited with us for a few minutes. When he finished, he gave us all a great big thank you and smile told how much he appreciated our hospitality.
My job at OPC has given me an opportunity to meet many media personalities. Some of those men and women have been wonderful people, but none have been more genuine and more likeable than Bill Teegins.
It may not be much of a story to anyone else, but it was a special moment to me and its the memory that brings the loss of these 10 men home to me.
I will always remember.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Fourteen Down and Who Knows How Many to Go
Let's start with an obvious comment - at least obvious to those who know me or have seen me somewhere in the last 10 years. I love food in general and especially foods and quantities of food that are not good for me.
I'm sure this is not a news flash, but I'm overweight. Not just a little overweight, but a bunch. I've known this for sometime, but I've never done anything about it.
Two months ago, my doctor scolded me again for not doing something about my weight. This isn't the first time I've heard this speech from him. In fact, I've heard it every year during my annual physical. I've always said I would work on it later. Well, later has finally arrived.
This last scolding from the doc included some new pressures. He told me I was diabetic and needed to get my blood sugar under control and losing some weight would really help with that effort. I knew diabetes ran in my family and I expected to hear those words some time in the future, but I didn't expect it at age 43.
For the first couple of days after my visit with the doc, I moped around the house and the office grousing about being hungry and not having anything I could eat. Melissa tried to help me understand what I could eat, but I was feeling sorry for myself and wasn't really listening to her. She finally gave me a book on diets for diabetics and I spent several days reviewing the lists of foods and the information on putting a diet plan together.
Melissa and I began shopping with a focus on finding foods and meals I could enjoy and fit within my diet. We planned a few meals and came up with some "staples" of my new diet. Some of these are harder for me to live with than other choices. For example, I loved eating pears (in heavy syrup) as a kid and I didn't realize pears would become one of my favorite fruits in my new diet. I grab the no-sugar-added pears and they are really pretty good. Another example is the need to add a significant number of vegetables to my diet. For a guy who really only eats green beans and carrots for vegetables and now needs to eat multiple servings of veggies each day, I am really getting tired of green beans and carrots.
The other big change for me was to move to eating at regular times and intervals throughout the day and learning that "snacks" are acceptable as long as they are the right kind of snacks. I love peanuts, cashews, almonds, etc. and those make great snacks. Pork jerky fits nicely in my snack plans. 90 calorie granola bars also are a good fit.
The thing that has been most amazing to me is that it has been relatively easy to put aside the things I really enjoyed eating - or drinking. The first Saturday after my visit with the doctor, I made it through the whole day tailgating in Stillwater without a beer or other adult beverage and no Cokes. Probably the hardest part of changing my diet has been cutting out Cokes and fried potatoes. I was a several Cokes-a-day drinker. I ordered fries with almost every meal. I made fries at home on a regular basis. I ate McDonald's several times a week.
In the past 60 days I haven't had a single Coke - wanted several but haven't had any. I haven't eaten at McDonald's once. I've been cooking at home more and taking my lunch to work more. I've even begun exercising a little with some walking as often as I can.
In the last 60 days, I've lost 14 pounds and my blood sugar is much more stable. I'm not sure how many more pounds I have to lose, but I feel good and I'm optimistic about my efforts and looking forward to the future.
I always resisted the urging of others to lose weight and watch my diet. It simply wasn't on my "to do" list and it wasn't a priority to me. Once it became a priority, it became much easier to accomplish. I''m a big believer in every one's right to make their own choices in what we eat and how much we eat. I didn't need the government to tell me I was too heavy. What I needed was to make that determination on my own and take ownership of the process to fix it. I've not done anything special or anything unique. I've simply put some effort into it and I'm seeing results.
Fourteen down and more to go!!
I'm sure this is not a news flash, but I'm overweight. Not just a little overweight, but a bunch. I've known this for sometime, but I've never done anything about it.
Two months ago, my doctor scolded me again for not doing something about my weight. This isn't the first time I've heard this speech from him. In fact, I've heard it every year during my annual physical. I've always said I would work on it later. Well, later has finally arrived.
This last scolding from the doc included some new pressures. He told me I was diabetic and needed to get my blood sugar under control and losing some weight would really help with that effort. I knew diabetes ran in my family and I expected to hear those words some time in the future, but I didn't expect it at age 43.
For the first couple of days after my visit with the doc, I moped around the house and the office grousing about being hungry and not having anything I could eat. Melissa tried to help me understand what I could eat, but I was feeling sorry for myself and wasn't really listening to her. She finally gave me a book on diets for diabetics and I spent several days reviewing the lists of foods and the information on putting a diet plan together.
Melissa and I began shopping with a focus on finding foods and meals I could enjoy and fit within my diet. We planned a few meals and came up with some "staples" of my new diet. Some of these are harder for me to live with than other choices. For example, I loved eating pears (in heavy syrup) as a kid and I didn't realize pears would become one of my favorite fruits in my new diet. I grab the no-sugar-added pears and they are really pretty good. Another example is the need to add a significant number of vegetables to my diet. For a guy who really only eats green beans and carrots for vegetables and now needs to eat multiple servings of veggies each day, I am really getting tired of green beans and carrots.
The other big change for me was to move to eating at regular times and intervals throughout the day and learning that "snacks" are acceptable as long as they are the right kind of snacks. I love peanuts, cashews, almonds, etc. and those make great snacks. Pork jerky fits nicely in my snack plans. 90 calorie granola bars also are a good fit.
The thing that has been most amazing to me is that it has been relatively easy to put aside the things I really enjoyed eating - or drinking. The first Saturday after my visit with the doctor, I made it through the whole day tailgating in Stillwater without a beer or other adult beverage and no Cokes. Probably the hardest part of changing my diet has been cutting out Cokes and fried potatoes. I was a several Cokes-a-day drinker. I ordered fries with almost every meal. I made fries at home on a regular basis. I ate McDonald's several times a week.
In the past 60 days I haven't had a single Coke - wanted several but haven't had any. I haven't eaten at McDonald's once. I've been cooking at home more and taking my lunch to work more. I've even begun exercising a little with some walking as often as I can.
In the last 60 days, I've lost 14 pounds and my blood sugar is much more stable. I'm not sure how many more pounds I have to lose, but I feel good and I'm optimistic about my efforts and looking forward to the future.
I always resisted the urging of others to lose weight and watch my diet. It simply wasn't on my "to do" list and it wasn't a priority to me. Once it became a priority, it became much easier to accomplish. I''m a big believer in every one's right to make their own choices in what we eat and how much we eat. I didn't need the government to tell me I was too heavy. What I needed was to make that determination on my own and take ownership of the process to fix it. I've not done anything special or anything unique. I've simply put some effort into it and I'm seeing results.
Fourteen down and more to go!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)