Thursday July 12, 2007

Perspective

Perspective
I had a hard start to my week when I received some bad news about a friend that is fighting his long battle with cancer. I was told that my friend, Terry, was told by his doctors his chemo treatments did not help much and his days were limited. Another friend, Mike, received a phone call from Terry’s family and was told if you want to see him you need to get here soon because he is not going to make it much longer.

Cancer stinks. It has taken friends and family from all of us in the past and it will touch each one of us in some way in the future. But Christ said rejoice in all things and this latest news about Terry gave me another reason to see how wonderful a couple of ex-Tigers are.

The phone call I got about Terry was both an update and a request. Mike said that when he went to see Terry that he had been through so much in recent months. He said all of the treatments had taken its toll. The latest news was not encouraging and like many the battle had sapped Terry of his energy. The pain has gotten so bad that that it has sapped his will to continue the fight. We all have no idea how we would react after the long battle but when you lose hope it has to be difficult to continue the fight.

That is not a decision many people have to make. Reagan said that all we have is hope. He was an eternal optimist and he knew that hope was what keeps so many going through so much adversity. But how do you react when the doctors tell you that there is no hope?

Sunday Terry had all but conceded. He said he felt he has seen his last Clemson football game. I don’t know of anyone that loves Clemson anymore than Terry and the pain of thinking he may not get the chance to see his beloved Tigers had to add to his extreme pain. I have hundreds of friends and thousands of people I know love Clemson but I do not know anyone that loves Clemson more than Terry.

It was a conversation he had with our mutual friend Sunday that has me seeing so much positive in the face of despair. I had seen this man at football practice many times and you have probably seen Terry after practice talking to Coach Ford, Coach West or Coach Stockstill. He loves those three men and they had a bond through Terry’s love for the program. On Sunday he reminded Mike how much he admired those three former Tigers.

Monday morning I got the phone call from Mike giving me the hard news of the latest turn. He talked about how things did not look good because his will to fight was going. He then mentioned how much Terry would love to be able to chat with the three former coaches one last time.

The next 48 hours helped restore my belief in so many values of goodness in some great men. I called Rick Stockstill but had to leave a message. When the head coach of Middle Tennessee State University got my message he called back within five minutes. Stock got Terry’s number and called within minutes. He talked to the family and got his address in order to send a care package that included flowers and balloons the colors of Clemson and Middle Tennessee.

Stock had a very nice conversation with Terry as they reminisced about some great times they shared while Stock was in Clemson.

It was a great gesture by a great man. He did everything he could to help his friend.

Wednesday morning I asked Aly Haley for a big favor. Aly co-hosts the morning show with Roy and me and she had become friends with former Clemson head coach Danny Ford. Since coach Ford comes to the station a few times each year to cut commercials Aly had coach Ford’s phone number and she did not hesitate to call him.

Coach Ford called as soon as he heard the news. It was another wonderful act and this conversation had a tremendous effect. Coach Ford gave Terry his cell number and told him if he can help at all please don’t hesitate to call.

Later yesterday I got the great phone call from Mike informing me of the news and renewed energy Terry had. “Terry sounded like a completely different person,” Mike said. “The calls and packages have had an unbelievable affect on his attitude.”

Coach Stockstill and Coach Ford would not want anyone to ever know of their actions and they never would promote any of this but they are great men.

We judge coaches because of wins and losses. We call them winners and losers. I am guilty of it. Things are black or white. Wins and losses are the only things that matter many times when we get our priorities get out of line.

You would have done the same thing Stock and Coach Ford did if you were asked and like them you would not have wanted credit and maybe would have never known the positives effects of your actions.

This is a similar story to the one that I knew of a couple of months ago about Tommy Bowden. I knew this girl that was losing her battle to leukemia at an early age. Coach Bowden found out about it and made the phone call. His words and his efforts made a difference. In fact Jim Nantz of CBS Sports also came by her Atlanta hospital when he was in town for the Final Four. She later passed but her last days were brighter because of the many visitors.

I have received phone calls or e-mails from 10-12 people in the past six or seven years from people that have sent me stories about Tommy Bowden getting involved to do anything he can to help those in need.

Coach Ford is probably safe because he has retired and will probably not lose another football game but Stock and Coach Bowden will lose another game and they will be criticized. They are responsible for their programs and should get their share of the blame but when they get involved in such a positive way then I think they deserve some acknowledgement as well. Think of how many times these men have done great deeds and did not mention a word of it to anyone.

I believe in prayer and I ask you to do as Stock and Coach Ford have done by saying a prayer that God will continue to look over another great Tiger. Hang in their Terry. You have a bunch of friends pulling for you every day.

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