Just when you were totally disgusted with sports and athletes . . .

I know some of you despise sports right now.  Maybe you never were a fan, maybe you are just sick of the news of idiot athletes.  But just when I'd had enough of the steroids, steroid coverups, government wasting of assets on sports issues, legal accusations, idiotic self-shootings, suspensions, and just general worthless nature of our current athletes, I read a story that shocked me for a different reason.

University of Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, a big guy who doesn't suck, the most rare find for all NBA teams, has chosen NOT to enter the NBA draft after his Sophomore season at UK.  But that's not the surprising part.  So, what is it?  One of Patterson's reasons for returning to UK, is that “I have the chance to graduate in three years, which is important to me and my family,”  . . .  What?  I expected the other answers, likes the new coach, thinks he can improve his game and improve his chances for success in the NBA.  But one of his main reasons is not only graduating, but graduating in three years.  Something that seems to take most students, including myself, five years WITHOUT the commitments associated with playing for one of the most demanding college basketball teams in the country.  

Of course, that information was just a footnote, and will never be widely reported.  Good news is boring, it's the norm, it happens all the time.  Unfortunately, people won't stop talking about all the bad stuff.  I'm here for my life, to improve it and myself, to help those close to me, to be happy.  So, instead of listening to all the people talking about how much their life, job, boyfriend/girlfriend, country, economy, etc. suck; I'm going to continue focusing on what matters to me and cheering for a future fellow UK alum who obviously is more focused than myself and more mature than the man who coached him the last two years.  So, don't be surprised when I'm not concerned, or even care the next time that the next Swine Flu story dominates the news talking about the 20 people who died from it, not the thousands that got over it, or the tens of thousands that were never even diagnosed.  If you don't agree with me, go ahead and read your tabloids and watch the nightly news... just don't tell me about it.