FITZGERALD’S CHARITY INSPIRES HOLIDAY AWE
My Sunday best ... I’m turning over the lead of my column to Steve Zabilski, the executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, who was so moved by Larry Fitzgerald’s Thanksgiving Day visit to his facilities he put it in words. I thought his impressions of the Cardinals wide receiver were worth sharing:
Larry Fitzgerald is a special man. And it has nothing to do with football, even though he is the youngest NFL player to surpass 11,000 yards in receptions.
Larry volunteered in our St. Vincent de Paul Family Dining Room Thanksgiving evening. He could have been home watching football, relaxing after the Cardinals practiced earlier in the day. Instead, he chose to be with the homeless and working poor families who come to St. Vincent de Paul for dinner.
But that alone isn't what makes him so special. Nor is it his enormous generosity — although he did donate more than 300 turkeys to SVdP in support of Turkey Tuesday, making it the nation's largest one-day turkey collection ever.
What makes Larry Fitzgerald special is how he conducts himself: Graceful. Dignified. Kind. Respectful. Elegant. Patient.
He signed autograph after autograph. More than a hundred people posed for their picture with him. He made everyone feel important. He made everyone feel special. His beautiful smile conveyed his love.
He thanked our staff. And the volunteers. And every person who was with us that evening was touched by his presence.
That is the gift — the man who is blessed who treats others as equals. The man who makes his living running from defenders embraces those whom society forgets.
I'm grateful for many things this Thanksgiving, but at the top of my list is that a NFL record holder drove to our South Phoenix dining room to let others know that they are not alone. That they are loved.
Larry Fitzgerald is certainly special. And it has nothing to do with football. …
I hear a daily volunteer over at St. Vincent de Paul is John Junker, the former Fiesta Bowl executive director who is awaiting sentencing following a guilty plea for a felony conspiracy charge in a campaign-finance scheme. …
No. 4 Arizona’s victory over No. 6 Duke in the NIT Season Tip-Off Final was particularly impressive when you consider how young the team is and how players are still learning a lot about one another. Maybe striking is how balanced they are. All starters scored in double figures. That kind of effort serves a team well in the postseason. …
You have to like Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell’s line in that game, the eighth on the Wildcats’ schedule: 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds, two turnovers. In their eighth game last year, then-point guard Mark Lyons had 14 points, two assists, three rebounds and three rebounds. He also hit the game winner, a contested layup with seven seconds left against Florida.
Both point guards get the job done but with very different styles. The hunch here is in the postseason the value of McConnell’s pass-first mentality will trump Lyons’ killer instinct. …
Never underestimate the value of street cred in professional sports coaching circles. It sure beats organizational advocacy. Suns players respect Jeff Hornacek’s demeanor and knowledge, but the fact that his accomplished NBA career includes All-Star recognition and two trips to the NBA Finals matters most. How many athletes do you hear say about their coach, “It’s a dream come true to be coached by him,” like Eric Bledsoe did? …
From the “Where are they now department” … Former Mercury President Amber Cox is now an associate commissioner for women’s basketball in the Big East. Her responsibilities include scheduling, marketing and overseeing the annual conference tournament. …
Steve Matlock, a co-captain on ASU’s 1972 Fiesta Bowl championship team, is chairing this year’s football banquet. Awards will be presented, seniors will be recognized and the newest members of the Ring of Honor — Leon Burton, Al Harris and Mike Richardson — will be honored. Tickets for the Dec. 15 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn are available at sundevilclub.com or by contacting Freddy Tuggle at Freddy.Tuggle@asu.edu. …
Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez is part of the terrific ESPN E60 documentary “Miracle in Michigan” that debuted last week and chronicles the emotional story of former Wolverines player Elliott Mealer and his family, whose lives were changed after a tragic Christmas Eve car accident. Mealer’s father, David, and girlfriend, Hollis Richer, passed away and his brother, Brock, was paralyzed. …
Final word: “He said, ‘Hey, Brock how do you feel about setting the goal of leading the team out for the opener against UConn?’ ” Brock Mealer, on thenMichigan coach Rodriguez inspiring him to walk across the field on his own volition after being told he only had a 1 percent chance to do so.
He did.