Tarik Glenn

This morning I attended a men's breakfast at my church in Carmel, IN and Tarik Glenn (left tackle for the Indianapolis Colts) was the guest speaker. My initial reaction was the incredible size of this man as he walked into the room in street clothes. He is definitely not someone I would ever want to cross. Additionally...the Superbowl XLI Champion rings are really something to see up front in person.

As Tarik got up to speak though, I quickly realized what a gentle, humble man he really is. He was soft-spoken, well educated, polite, and extremely knowledgeable about God's word. He delivered a message on being a "God's Man". Speaking from the book of 1 Kings, he used the story of Elijah and Elisha to drive home 3 points of men needing to improve their Stewardship, Relationships, and Leadership. He said that men today are stuck in an identity crisis. We are being taught by media and our surroundings that money, women, and power is what it is all about. He challenged us instead that its the way we handle our gifts from God (stewardship), how we relate with God and others (relationships), and how we influence others positively (leadership) that defines us as men. It became obvious to me that while Tarik is a multi-year Pro-Bowler, a top left tackle in the NFL (and having to protect Peyton Mannings blindside every week), obviously financially well off, and extremely talented....this message was not just fluff from him. He really meant it. And he was truly passionate about it

Tarik and his wife developed an inner city mission named D.R.E.A.M. Alive (www.dreamaliveinc.org) to help youth in the inner city in much the same way in which he was helped growing up in the inner city of Oakland, CA. Please check it out if you have a few minutes.

I love coming across professional athletes like Tarik Glenn who truly are humble about the blessings they have received in life and he was quite an encouragement to not only me but the other 400 men in attendance from our church and community. Thank you Tarik for being an incredible man and role model. Keep challenging your teammates and contacts in professional sports to do the same. We need more of it.

A-Rod's Infidelity

I'm honestly sick and tired of hearing about A-Rod and his life. It seems I can not go a single 45-minute commute without hearing of A-Rod and something about his life on ESPN Radio or MLB Home Plate (XM).

Yet it's these same radio broadcasters (that I enjoy listening to when they are not talking about A-Rod) that are appalled at the media paparazi that follow A-Rod around and chronicle every minute of his life. Hypocrites? Hello? Aren't you spending every free second talking about him? I suppose even I am a hypocrite writing this and adding to the buzz.

But currently these sportscasters and analysts say that a professional athlete's life should be off limits to the media and that it is not fair for the picture to be taken of A-Rod and his mistress....I have to disagree. Sure, I think it sucks that A-Rod has media hounding him at every turn. But, at the same time, he is making millions and whether he wants to be or not, he is a role model. It comes with the job.

As a Christian man, I am big into accountability and believe it is vital to us men becoming better men. Men struggle with temptation. Men with money and power struggle even more. A-Rod is a married man and needs someone to hold him accountable. Obviously Derek Jeter is not going to be his accountability partner. If I had to guess, A-Rod does not have a friend to hold him accountable....after all he stays in his own hotels away from the team on road trips. If he doesn't even have a friend on the Yankees that stays in the same hotel, who else would be in his life to help him with his struggles?

If the media is the only thing that can hold A-Rod accountable to his fidelity and his struggles, then I am all for it. It is about time these professional athletes become men. If the threat of a media paparazi being around every corner is what keeps him mindful of morals, faithful to his wife, or keeps other players faithful to their wives....then media people.....keep the paparazi coming!

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

Maybe A-Rod's "iron" will be the media.