I must preclude this post by saying the first four paragraphs, and the last paragraphs are my own.  The "Star Spangled Banner" and the supporting paragraphs in between are not to my credit.  I received that content in an email from a great friend of mine.  If you would like that email, please feel free to leave your email address in your comments here, or email me at mattfaw@gmail.com.  Thanks.

The playing of the Star Spangled Banner has long been a tradition at our American sporting events.  It is one of the few songs that bonds all Americans who cherish our freedom here in this great land.  We look forward to standing in unison, before our major sporting events, and singing along to those words that represent our freedoms and our culture.  It is one of the few times where Americans come together in mass, no matter what political party we are associated with, and agree in unison to sing the song that represents our great nation.

In recent times, we have been confronted with issues in this country, regarding "God" being used in our schools and in our public venues.  As a young boy growing up in North Carolina, we would stand in our classroom and recite the Pledge of Allegiance "one nation, under God" with no hesitation.  Songs such as "God Bless America" were sang at gatherings.  No one complained, and if anyone didn't want to join in the "festivities", they weren't persecuted.  Prayers were offered before high school games by a local minister.  No one kicked you out of the stadium if you decided not to join in the prayer, and you lived to see another day.  Well, it appears as though those days are over.

Our country is being picked apart by special interest groups who have taken their individualistic views and desires straight to the top.  It is becoming a nation where our Constitution is being twisted and turned into nothing more than a "I have rites" document.  Don't get me wrong, this country was set up in such a way that the intentions were to do away with religious persecution.  Our country is now a melting pot for all of the world's major religions.  However, it has also become a melting pot for the minorities.  And I'm not talking about race.  I'm talking about ideals and lifestyles.  Unfortunately, we are headed in a direction that is seeing the minority rule, as opposed to the majority.  Our legal system has been abused in such a way, that it makes it almost impossible for the majority to rule in many cases. 

This leads me to the idea behind my post.  Our National Anthem actually has four verses to it.  Although all we hear is the first verse, which doesn't mention God, God is mentioned in other verses.  When Francis Scott Key wrote these great words to this great song, he was watching on as the British Navy was bombarding Fort McHenry.  In the distance, Francis Scott Key could see the American Flag flying over the fort.  His song describes the bombardment, and the subsequent results.  Here are the words to this great song....

"  Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
   What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
   Whose broad stripes and bright stars,through                the perilous fight,
   O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
   And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air ,
   Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
   Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
   O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

(Ramparts, in case you don't know, are the protective walls or other elevations that surround a fort.) The first stanza asks a question. The second gives an answer:

   On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep
   Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
   What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep.
   As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
   Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
   In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
   Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
   O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

"The towering steep" is again, the ramparts. The bombardment has failed, and the British can do nothing more but sail away, their mission a failure.  In the third stanza I feel Key allows himself to gloat over the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably was in no mood to act otherwise? During World War I when the British were our staunchest allies, this third stanza was not sung.  However, I know it, so here it is:

   And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
   That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
   A home and a country should leave us no more?
   Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.
   No refuge could save the hireling and slave
   From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
   And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
   O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

(The fourth stanza, a pious hope for the future, should be sung more slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling):

   Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
   Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
   Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven - rescued land
   Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
   Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
   And this be our motto --"In God is our trust."
   And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
   O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I hope you will look at the national anthem with new eyes. Listen to it, the next time you have a chance, with new ears. Pay attention to the words.  And don't let them ever take it away ... not even one word of it.

And oh yeah, if you don't want to be around when it is played, show up a few minutes late to the game, or wear your headphones.  And no, the majority should not be the one's wearing the headphones...after all, this country is set up to be ruled  by the majority...right? 

As I was driving home from a weekend of reserve duty at Camp Lejeune, NC, I had about five hours to reflect on my life, and the events that have shaped it over the past 15 years.  Life is a complicated thing.  From the time we enter this world, to the time we leave it, we are nothing but pawns in a chess game called life.  In fact, when you really sit back and think about your life, it is actually one gigantic illusion.  The present slips away in the blink of an eye, quickly becoming the past.  The only thing we have to hold on to are our memories of those moments. 

With this in mind, I felt it necessary to post a blog that might just give us some of those old memories to ponder.  And what better memories do we have here on the Fox Blogs...than those of sports.  I will be looking specifically at the years between 1993 and 1996…as those years will lead into the message of my blog.  However, don’t be surprised if I don’t throw some actual life experiences in there along with the sports. 

1993 was quite a year in my life.  As a teenager, I had attended a church camp on the coast of North Carolina during our summers off from school.  It had been my dream to one day be a “staffer” at this camp.  After all, those staffers were my heroes during those years.  Well, after applying in the spring of 93 for a summer job at this camp, I was accepted…yee haw!!!!  My Tar Heels had just won the NCAA Basketball National Championship, and Davey Allison was burning up NASCAR as an up and coming driver.  Little did we know that he would end up leaving us all too soon when his helicopter crashed that summer….and we may very well have lost one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, if he only would have had the chance!!  With this being said, that was the best summer of my life…as you will see later.

1994 brought another summer as a “staffer”…and who could ever forget the OJ Simpson saga!!!! Although we wouldn’t learn for another year what his fate would be, we all were left bewildered and appalled at what he had likely done.  Baseball ended early that summer, as the players went on strike.  Jeff Bagwell was on his way to a possible triple crown, until the almighty dollar reared its ugly head!!!

1995 brought, you guessed it, another summer as a “staffer”.  Although it was a slightly shortened season, due to the strike, my Atlanta Braves won their one and only World Series that fall.  And I can’t mention 1995 without remembering those who lost their lives in the Oklahoma City bombings.  And we will never forget the heroes who likely saved as many as died. 

1996…yes…okay, one last summer as a “staffer”.  And who will ever forget Kerri Strug’s heroics on the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team that took home the team gold.  She had sprained her ankle earlier in the competition, and yet was able to suffer through the pain, and pull off a miracle for U.S. again!!!  On a downer, however, my North Wilkesboro Speedway would lose its races after 1996.  It still sits there empty…with the ghosts of the past still being heard from time to time…if the wind is blowing just right!!

From there I would go on to get a Master’s Degree at Campbell University.  I would then join the military during its most turbulent times in over 30 years.  I would see two combat tours and lose three of my buddies in the process. 

This all leads me back to 1993.  As I sat at the gate of the camp where I was working, I can remember feeling the warm coastal breeze in my face.  I remember a car pulling up to the gate, with a man and his wife, both in their 30’s, wanting to make a round through the camp.  He was a former “staffer”, who had worked there during the early 80’s.  He said to me, “you better make the most of these days, for they will be the best of your life…and they will pass quickly.”  And of course, being the cocky 20 year old that I was, I thought to myself….” Whatever dude…these days will last forever…and I will stay young forever!”  That was 14 years ago…and I’m now 34.

Next weekend, two of my old buddies and I will be taking a road trip to visit this old church camp.  They were two of my closest “staffer” buddies during those years.  We have since gone our separate ways, each of us choosing our own paths.  However, we have remained close over the years…and I can honestly call them my brothers.  I’m very excited about seeing this place again….which has a strong nostalgic pull.  And yet I find myself equally as excited about what the next 15 years will bring in my life. 

Sports is something that keeps us young.  It keeps us close.  And as heroes grow older, and eventually fade, young heroes will simply take their place, and keep sports on the tips of our tongues, and at our fingertips.  Keep blogging my brothers and sisters.  And remember, the NOW is already gone!!!

There have been several blogs over the past several months that have revolved around religion, politics, and sports.  One of the most controversial subjects in the U.S. is prayer in our schools, at work, and at our sporting events.  It seems that the minority has once again reared its ugly head and screamed, "I'm offended by those who practice their faith in public places."  Well, I'm actually offended that you're offended.  And my question is, how exactly are you offended.  Does it cause you pain?  Does it cause you to just want to cry?  Or is it simply a result of individualism, of just wanting to be heard?  If those who are praying at public sporting events, are actually praying, then they probably won't know that you're not, simply because they should have their heads bowed and their eyes closed.  If not, and they complain that your'e not, well, then you have the right to complain.  The same goes for our National Anthem.  If you don't want to hear it, show up a few minutes late, or wear headphones.  If you are offended by prayer in public places, then have your own prayer.  If you're an athiest, then why the hades are you offended in the first place?  You should be laughing, that there are so many stupid people out there praying to a God that does not exist.  How exactly does it offend you?  And probably the most important aspect of life, is how our children are raised, and how they portray that raising in our sporting venues.  So with all of this being said, here is a statement prepared by Ben Stein during the Christmas (so sue me for saying it) season, and then recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary, that puts a different kind of spin on this whole subject.  Enjoy!

Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jes sica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important?

I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.

If this is what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beau tiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don' t feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't th ink they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ####. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?
I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.

But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about and we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Enough said....or is it?

Athletes, war heroes, political or religious figures…all of these leave behind legacies. Legacy is defined as "something handed down from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past." Over the years our Presidents have left behind legacies. And though our media seems to determine what those legacies are, we tend to have our own minds made up as to how we feel about a particular person. Religious figures have left behind powerful legacies that have played parts in wars spanning thousands of years. For Christians, that person would be Jesus. For Muslims it would be Mohammed. And there are others. But few give us more happiness and more hope than our athletes.

As I have posted in one of my earlier blogs, sports is what keeps us up late at night rooting for the home team. It’s what brings us together with our friends and families. It takes us away from the realities of work, school, politics, and even religion. It gives us hope. And we seem to thrive on the legacies of athletes past and present. Joe Lewis left behind a legacy of respect and honor for the black athlete. Mohammed Ali left a legacy of political change, hope for the poor, and a mouthy and great Champion. John Wooden left behind a legacy of a college basketball dynasty. Magic Johnson left behind a legacy of tragedy, yet turning it into hope. Larry Bird's legacy will probably always be that of being "the great white hope" in a time when Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Dominique Wilkins dominated the NBA....no matter how politically incorrect that may sound. But what will our athletes of today leave behind, in a time of individualism, material wealth, and a growing number of run ins with the law? How will our generation be seen 20, 30, even 50 years from now? Wheras sports was once filled with role models and "good ole boys", it seems to be growing into a way of life seen as lavish, unruly, and greedy.

Our perceptions of athletes have taken a hit over the past five to ten years. And it is up to us to change that. It must start in the home. Parents much teach children that values are to be placed before material and individual successes. In our pee-wee leagues, children must learn that team success is much more gratifying and honorable than individual stats. Coaches must be an off-shoot of parents, teaching children these values. And they must not waiver. The days of one game suspensions for assault, dwi's, and weapons charges must be done away with. For if our parents, teachers, and coaches do not change the present situation, our children will see the results. And ethics and morality will be seen as hindrances to a more lavish and individualistic lifestyle. And this will be devastating to our younger generations.

I have done much thinking on this subject over the past couple of days. And there are things I need to change in my own life. I like to think I’m a reasonable person. But I have seen lapses in my own character that bother me. Let me first apologize to "fishwanda" and her friend "gale". I was flat out rude and mean to both of them on a blog posted by "fishwanda". I apologize to you both. There is a difference in having opinions and throwing out insults at those who do not share your opinions. I would like to apologize to anyone I have offended on this blog-site. I will always be argumentative, but I hope not to be insulting. I would like to leave this world knowing I did everything in my power to make it a better place for our children to live in. That is the legacy I would like to leave. And I would hope that sports would be a building block to this better world. What will be your legacy?

(Sorry guys..my work computer will not allow me to copy and paste pics..I'll have them later today.)

There once was a time when days of playing tag, riding bikes, swimming, and playing our favorite sports gave us hope and gave us dreams.  But just as quickly as the sun rises, and then sets, those days pass, and we find ourselves wondering where all the time has gone.  For some, the aging process comes gracefully.  It doesn't hit like a virus, weakening the body.  And with the body comes the mind.  For those who age long before their time, life deals a devestating blow.  But those who are able to beat the odds, stay trim and fit, sports will remain a way of life.  It will keep the mind and muscles strong.  It will give hope, though not the kind of hope that brings millions of dollars...like those we dreamed about as a child.  But it gives us an outlet to meet others and to build our self esteem.  It is as much a part of our lives as our sleep, our jobs, and our nutrition.

As a child my dad would take me to the nearest ball park, where he would hit fly balls to me.  He was my hero at that age.  I was barely old enough to go to school.  He was very encouraging, teaching me the fundamentals as a good coach would do.  From my T-Ball years all the way to high school, baseball was a part of my life.  My game was not a game of power.  But it was precise, and it was skilled.  My stature was never intimidating as a child, as I was always one of the smallest in my class.  But my competitiveness and my skills allowed me to keep up with the big dogs. 

As a freshman in high school I decided to try out for the wrestling team.  Not only did this give me more discipline than I had ever had in my life to that point, but it cut that ever present baby fat that seemed to linger.  My high school years were spent wrestling in the winter and playing baseball in the spring.  However, my senior year of high school brought forth a devestating blow to my athletic career.  During a routine dentist appointment on December 26, 1990, it was discovered that I had a heart defect that could be life threatening.  To put it simply, I had a runaway heart.  For the next year, I was in and out of hospitals, and my athletic career was non-existant.  It was devestating.  But by a God send miracle, doctors at Duke University (Yes, I'm a Tar Heel fan) performed a new procedure on my heart, and in an instant I was a new man.

I had never experienced the kind of energy I had after the surgery.  I felt like I could explode with vigor and with happiness.  All the things that had been taken from me were mine once again. 

My body began to take on another form.  I had muscles I didn't realize I had.  I had energy that seemed to just race through my body.  As time progressed, I graduated college, then went on to graduate school.  The military had always been a fascination of mine, but never really an option, especially after my heart condition was discovered.  But as graduate school began to come to a close, I began asking myself many questions.  These questions led me to many realizations about my life.  I was a Patriot.  I loved my country.  And I had always wondered what it would be like to be a part of the military, where I could push myself mentally and physically.  But at 28 my prime was quickly slipping away.  So I decided to see what would happen if I attempted to enlist in the U.S. Marines.  I knew that the Marines would push me to the limit.  They would discipline me like no other.  They would test my physical abilities, and they would test my mental abilities.  As fate may have it I passed the physical, and before I knew it, I was on my way to Parris Island, SC. 

At 28 I was pushed harder than I ever had been in my life.  My DI's used my age against me.  I was thrown into a leadership position that I did not expect.  When someone else made a mistake, I paid for it.  But in the end, I not only graduated, but I was an Honor Graduate of Alpha Company.  All of my hard work had paid off.  Little did I know that 9-11 would occur while I was in boot camp...and that changed my life forever.

I know, what does all this have to do with sports and aging.  I am now working in my hometown of Wilkesboro, NC.  I have one year left on my Reserve Duty with the USMC.  If fact, I will leave in early August for an exercise, and will not return until early September.  But here's where I'm going with this.  Age is nothing more than an illusion.  You are only as old as you think you are.  I have seen many of my old high school classmates around.  Some I have seen on the football field during our community flag football games.  The ages of these diehards range anywhere from 18 to 40.  There are many who have continued in their athletic ambitions, though only in a community manner.  But it keeps us close.  It keeps us competitive.  It keeps us physically in tune with our bodies.  It keeps our minds free.  On the flip side, I have seen old classmates who seem to be ashamed that I have even seen them.  One such instance happened just this week in my office.  A young woman, 33, who I had been all the way through school with, walked in the door.  I barely recognized her, as she had probably doubled in weight, and looked at least 10 years older.  She would barely even look at me, with her eyes facing downward at all times.  It seemed like she was very uncomfortable in my presence.  It is times like that, that I realize how blessed I am.  My dad is 60 years old, and he can still whip my ####.  My mom runs 5k races every year.  And I continue to grind away....on the trails and in the weight room.  And sports is what keeps me young. 

Aging happens only as quickly as we allow it.  Professional athletes stay younger longer because it is their profession.  For the rest of us, it is up to us.  It must remain a part of our everyday routine.  Otherwise, we can sit at home and contribute to the long list of heart disease patients who drain our economy and leave families and friends grieving in the end.  I'm 33 as I write this piece.  But in my mind, I'm still that freaky 22 year old who knew no boundaries, and who still dreamed of being able to just PLAY!!!!