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Lions and fans help renew Gord MacDonald's faith in humanity

Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:31 am
by Soundy
A mailout from Gord MacDonald, host of CKNW's The World Today (heard this on his editorial yesterday):
Maybe I am being naive, but I don't think so, despite no end of negative news. Two things from last Sunday lead me to ask that question, and ironically, both stem from the BC Lions beating Edmonton and advancing to the Grey Cup this coming Sunday.

If you watched the Lion's game, you saw Geroy Simon catch a long pass and score a touchdown in the first half. You saw him do his Superman pose in the end zone. And if you watched closely, when he returned to the sidelines he handed the ball to trainer Bill Reichelt and they hugged. Bill buried his 18-year-old son Dylan las week, after a fatal car crash in Langley. In the world of arrogant, overpaid athletes, seeing Simon and Reichelt hug on the sideline was very, very heartwarming...in the face of such personal tragedy.

The second thing comes to me via a niece and several of her friends. It seems a week ago yesterday a guy here in Metro Vancouver did a very good job on a project at work, and his employer gave him 2 tickets to the Grey Cup. But he wasn't comfortable about getting the credit, so he contacted BC Children's Hospital and pretty soon a nurse came up with the purrfect candidate. A 16-year-old Vancouver Island boy is in fighting a very aggressive form of leukemia. Translated – he may not be around for the next Grey Cup. He's a wide receiver on his high school team, and he's always talking about football, the NFL, and the CFL. As a matter of fact, the nurses think that's helped him through intense treatment and a bone marrow transplant.

But the story gets better. Another friend with connections jumps in and now Dad has a flight over from the Island and a night at a downtown hotel, so he can join son at the game Sunday. Another connection to the fiancé of offensive lineman Dean Valli has the big guy getting a team sweater signed by all of the players for the young lad. So, a whole bunch of people, many of whom don't know each other, come together to get this 16-year-old and his father to the game Sunday. Random acts of kindness.

None of this will solve the problems of the world. None of this will get homes and jobs for the down-and-outers at Occupy Vancouver. None of this will help you pay the rent or the mortgage. Certainly, there is much cruelty in the world. The Reichelt family knows. So does the Vancouver Island family of a young wide receiver with leukemia. And there is no lack of stuff for us, talkshow hosts included, to get angry about every day. But then come along random acts of kindness.

No, I don't think the world is going to hell-in-a-hand basket. There are good people in this world who do a lot of good things, each and every day. Maybe I am just being an optimistic idiot - Polyanna Macdonald. There is a fundamental question here though – do you think there is more good than bad in the world or is it the other way around? When it's all said and done, do the good guys or the bad guys win? I say the good guys. I may rant and rail about gutless politicians but no, the world is not going to hell in a hand basket.

What do you think?

Gord MacDonald | @gordmac980
The World Today
Monday - Friday 3p - 7p

Re: Lions and fans help renew God MacDonald's faith in human

Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:40 am
by squishy35
Right on Gord!

Great little article.... :)

Re: Lions and fans help renew God MacDonald's faith in human

Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:59 am
by Coast Mountain Lion
Nice article. I just wonder about what Gord thinks about his name change.

("Who is this God person anyway" - Douglas Adams)

Re: Lions and fans help renew Gord MacDonald's faith in huma

Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:20 am
by Soundy
Fakin sticky RRRRR key ;)