With the Oregon men’s basketball team reeling from being swept at home by the Arizona schools and now facing three games on the road, there are a lot of negative questions that could be asked, fingers that could
be pointed and accountability that needs to
be claimed.
Not today.
After reading Monday’s copy of the Emerald, I forgot about bad shooting, youth and inexperience.
Instead there is kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity.
Oregon basketball player Matt Short has decided, along with wrestler Jeremy McLaughlin and volunteer wrestling coach Tony Overstake, to go to Thailand at the end of the term to help with tsunami relief efforts. Friend and University student Ethan Holub will be joining them. They leave March 20 and return April 20.
It’s good to see this.
There is too much in the world of sports about athletes making fools of themselves and being selfish. As hard as I laughed when I saw Randy Moss asking “what’s 10 grand to me?” and talking about how he’s going to be paying “straight cash, homey,” in retrospect, it really wasn’t funny. Moss must be living in a world where he doesn’t remember when
10 grand did mean something to him.
While professional athletes have given a lot of money to the relief efforts in Thailand, there’s something to be said about what these guys are doing.
It’s easy to give money that might not mean much to someone in the long run. Formula One champion Michael Schumacher won’t miss the $10 million he donated. Schumacher is second on the 2004 Forbes list of highest-paid athletes making $80 million in 2004, just behind Tiger Woods.
The San Francisco Giants are auctioning off a meeting with Barry Bonds during the 2005 season. Fans spent $7,500 this past month to meet the slugger and Alex Rodriguez.
The Patriots gave playoff tickets to their Jan. 16 game to whoever donated $1,000 to tsunami relief efforts through the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, with a limit of 200 offered.
It’s not only the athletes — movie stars, singers and the everyday Joe have been giving money for the relief effort.
These donations are definitely needed.
While Short and his buddies won’t be donating millions, they will be donating something way more valuable: time and effort.
To go to a place with disease and dirty water to help people who are less fortunate is a selfless act of generosity.
Short, who hasn’t seen much action this season on the court, could miss any postseason action if, and that is a BIG if, the Ducks make the tournament. But I hope he doesn’t think twice about his decision, because the difference he’ll make in Thailand will be much bigger than the impact he would
make on the hardwood.
To give money is a good thing
to do.
To give time and effort is a great thing to do.
Kudos to those players for looking outside the box and recognizing that there is a world outside of Oregon, desperate for help.
Thanks for proving wrong all who might think athletes only care about themselves or their sport.
And most importantly, good luck.

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