Unity Guide by David Trotter

UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

JOIN US AT THE WORLD’S LARGEST TAILGATE IN ATLANTA!

n its 4th year, Unity Tailgate presents the World’s Largest Tailgate: a Pre-SuperBowl Party/Festival in Atlanta on Feb 2nd, 2019 11 am – 7 pm at the Georgia International Convention Center (next to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport). Check out the Unity Tailgate website for more information about this great event. This amazing mega-event will celebrate UNITY among all fans and will feature over 100 vendor booths and exhibits, adult beverages, including 30+ food vendors (VEGAN too), entertainment, games, grilling, music, prizes, and charitable giving. All 32 Pro Football Team Fan Clubs will be represented. 2019’s not-to-be-missed party!

Here are just a few of the family-friendly activities featured within our large convention center venue: Live Bands NFL Players Association and Super Fans VIP Luxury Suites Flag Football Face Painting Corn Hole Tournament Fantasy Experience & Guest Speakers The MAN CAVE 30+ Food Vendors (including FIVE Vegan) Former NFL Players Outdoor Grilling Exhibition Kid’s Activities Meet famous players Meet famous fans And MUCH more!

TICKETS: Online Tickets are only $10. Kids 15 and under are FREE. OUR MISSION: Unity Tailgate’s mission is to build lasting goodwill within communities as we organize and promote sports-centered celebrations that foster UNITY, DIVERSITY and charitable giving. VEGAN-FRIENDLY with vegan food vendors from some of Atlanta’s top restaurants! Our non-profit partners for this mega-event are: Boys and Girls Clubs of America & Big Brothers Big Sisters of America THIS IS 2019’S NOT-TO-BE-MISSED PARTY! We hope you will join us and invite your friends to participate in this “Tailgate with a Mission”!

Follow this link to get your tickets. UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

KEITH KENNEDY editor

DAVID TROTTER

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WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR O

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KEITH KENNEDY

editor

UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

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Being charged with overseeing the food at a tailgate is a daunting task. The beer is flowing, adrenaline is pumping as people get excited about the game and things may even get a little rowdy. Meanwhile, you are responsible for reining them all in and filling their bellies with food. Luckily for you, some of New York City’s top chefs and pitmasters were on hand at the New York City Wine and Food Festival (NYCWFF) to dole out some handy tips to make sure that your tailgate goes smoothly.

3 TAILGATING TIPS FROM NYC’S TOP CHEFS Tip #1: Get everything ready early “One of the problems I often think with tailgates is that you get overambitious and people are waiting too long for food,” says Ash Fulk, head of culinary operations for Hill Country, one of the oldest barbecue restaurants in New York City. “You don’t want them to wait too long, and you want to get them fed because they’re drinking beers and getting ready for that Chargers game.” Fulk is not alone in this thinking. Leland Avellino, chef at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, doesn’t want his guests waiting around to eat, so he makes sure to do as much prep work in advance as he can. “Whenever I’m in charge of a tailgate, I’m going to have my food and have my stuff ready before I get to the site,” says Avellino. “I’m not going to do anything but finishing, serving and enjoying my time with my guests. I’m not going to be doing too much cooking. That’s part of what any tailgate is about: being ready. It’s about having your cooking done and showing up and showing off to your guests.”

Tip #2: Don’t be afraid to take things up a notch

Tip #3: Don’t skimp on the sides and veggies

Like any good backyard barbecue, burgers are a quintessential part of any tailgate. Burgers cook fairly quick, so you can easily grill, plate and serve a large group in no time. Of course, if you really want to impress your guests, you can take things up a notch and make a fancy burger that can still be made fairly quickly.

Of course, you can’t have a tailgate without some sides and vegetables to balance out all of that protein. This is where some simple roasted vegetables come in handy.

Competing at the NYCWFF Burger Bash, Mark Rosati is undeniably a force in the burger world. As the culinary director for Shake Shack, you could argue that he’s one of the most important figures in the world when it comes to burgers. “When I think of tailgating, I actually think of sausage and peppers,” says Rosati. “So, maybe I’m doing a riff on sausage and peppers on a burger. Get some sausage and onions in the pan, get the fat rendered and onions caramelized, throw the peppers in there, add a little bit of tomato sauce and vinegar, and make it like a fine ragu to put on top of the burger.

“Get a pile of grilled vegetables on a plate, toss on some balsamic vinegar on that, a squeeze of lemon and some olive oil, and you get this heightened tailgating experience,” says Fulk. “The irony for me is meat is the normal star of the show, but I like all of the sides, fixings and vegetables,” says Hugh Mangum, founder of Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue in New York. “Roast some vegetables, of course, but make sure you have a great slaw and innovate a little bit. Maybe do some slaws with some new flavors: soy sauce, fish sauce and brighten everything up with a lot of acids like citrus to match with the fats and to pair well with your beer.” by Allen Kim, CNN

“Now, thinking this through, maybe you put some fresh mozzarella melted on top of the burger, and then once that ragu goes on top, I’d probably hit it with some parmesan shavings and a little bit of olive oil. I still want to be true to a hamburger, but I think you can do a version of sausage and peppers on top that’s saucy that’s like the icing on the cake.” For those of you not feeling a burger, Fulk has two other easy options. “For me, I like bringing lamb out to tailgates,” Fulk says. “I think lamb grills out fast, it’s delicious and it’s a little different than your classic tailgate items. Skirt steak is also one of my personal favorites. You marinate it, throw it in a Ziploc bag, total ghetto style, and it cooks real fast.” UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

FIVE REASONS GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP MATTERS

ike it or not, high-profile athletes and coaches are looked up to as role models by youth athletes. From television to Twitter, every move, good or bad, is scrutinized and etched into the minds of kids who watch them perform.

after the death of his mother, Gretchen, from Lou Gehrig’s disease. When Piscotty returned to the lineup just two days after her death, he received a moment of silence and a salute from both dugouts prior to a game with the Houston Astros.

All too often, headlines glorify the “bad boy” image, from incessant trash-talking to refusing to shake hands before or after a game. Reactions to these incidents include everything from “who cares, as long as it doesn’t affect me” to total outrage that grown men and women, especially those who make millions of dollars, can act like schoolchildren.

Bad sportsmanship isn’t limited to professional and college sports. Parents, coaches and players get just as emotionally swept up in a T-ball or travel league game. This often results in verbal or physical outbursts, like this recent fight between a coach and parent at a youth baseball game in Indiana.

Examples of good sportsmanship do exist, even if they are often drowned out by the negative headlines. A recent example is the outpouring of support Oakland A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty received

Sports celebrities may shape the way we coach and play, but the real role models should be a child’s parent and coach. Here are five characteristics of good sportsmanship everyone should follow.

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meant to keep things organized, according to Stanford Health. It’s tempting for teams to go around or break the rules to get an edge over their opponent. But coaches and players who show integrity play by the rules, and won’t tolerate cheating on any level. 5 It provides opportunities for life lessons. Most kids will be out of sports by their teens, if not earlier. Perhaps the most compelling reason they should learn the habits of proper sportsmanship is it will help them in other aspects of life outside sports, says clinical psychologist and sports psychology consultant Richard D. Ginsburg. The same values learned in competition, such as teamwork, showing respect for teammates, coaches, opponents, and officials can be carried over to the classroom, at home, and when they become adults. 1 Your behavior defines who you are. Everyone learns how to act by watching others and how they behave, according to author and strategic thinker Gary Ryan Blair. If teammates and opponents see you constantly taunting, criticizing or sulking after a poor play, they’re likely to view you in a negative way. On the other hand, if you hustle on every play, encourage teammates, or listen to and learn from constructive criticism by your coach, you’ll be viewed as a positive example and a person people want to be around.

From GameChanger and Stephen Kerr

2 It teaches teamwork. Some players believe their individual actions or performance doesn’t affect anyone but them. Not so, says Ryan. If one player is solely concerned about his or her personal stats, or exhibits negative behavior, it reflects on the whole team, whether it’s fair or not. Players who demonstrate good sportsmanship understand the game isn’t all about them, and that their actions reflect the overall attitude of the team. 3 Kids learn to win and lose with dignity. Being competitive and wanting to win is fine. But how one handles wins and losses is just as important, according to All Pro Dad, an online community providing tips to dads on raising kids. It’s easy to fall into the temptation of becoming arrogant or showing up the other team after a win. Likewise, losing can bring out negative behavior such as pouting or refusing to shake your opponent’s hand after the game. Coaches can set great examples of being gracious in victory as well as in defeat. ©2018 Sportswise

4 I It emphasizes playing fair. Rules in competition aren’t created to make the game stifling or more difficult; they’re UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

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DRAFT WATC H

By Ed Ryan Globe Staff December 27, 2018

ock drafts are similar to holiday music. When you begin to forget they exist, they are suddenly in your face, demanding attention. That’s not a bad thing, and in nine months we’ll be immersed in mock draft season, trying to figure out how fast running backs will fly off the board in season-long fantasy drafts (fast) and when it’s appropriate to draft a tight end (after the first two — Travis Kelce of Kansas City and Zach Ertz of Philadelphia — are taken, wait several rounds).

6. L e’Veon Bell, RB, impending free agent — If Bell signs with a team such as Indianapolis, which has a star quarterback and is on the rise, will he go higher than No. 6? Yes, he will. 7. A ntonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh — With those six running backs out of the way it’s time for someone to take a receiver. Brown is one of five who could be picked in this spot, but he gets the nod because of his consistent greatness.

Format: 12 teams, half-point-per-reception.

8. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City — The “fantasy community” scoffs at taking quarterbacks this high, but Mahomes was the top scorer among signal-callers by 100 points. He could go even higher and probably should.

1. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams — Gurley will be an easy choice for anyone with the top pick in 2019. His all-purpose skills in LA’s elite offense make him the top fantasy asset.

9. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans — If you had the 10th pick and you knew Thomas would get you 1,400 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, and 120 receptions, you would take him, correct?

2. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas — The competition for this spot is stiff but I’ll slot Elliott here based on the Cowboys’ stellar offensive line and their commitment to the running game.

10. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston — See the Thomas comment, minus a few receptions.

Here’s our first crack at a 2019 fantasy football first round.

3. S aquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants — He’s closing in on 2,000 all-purpose yards. He could be the top fantasy pick in 2020 and might be worth the risk in 2019.

11. J ulio Jones, WR, Atlanta — The Falcons will be healthier next season and will try to run more, but Jones is still an elite, first-round talent. 12. M elvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers — Injury issues and usage will push him to the bottom of the first round.

4. C hristian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina — McCaffrey has an all-purpose skill set and he’s the focal point of an average offense. That’s fantasy gold. 5. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans — Kamara has to share touches with other great offensive threats but he’s capable of scoring any time he touches the ball. UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

DRAFT WATCH

FANTASY FOOTBALL RULE CHANGES TO CONSIDER As we prepare to enter 2019, it’s time to consider things like which New Year’s Resolution you’ll break first. It’s also time to think about 2019 fantasy leagues. Yes, even re-draft. There is always an opportunity for optimization, and that includes the rules of your fantasy leagues. As such, our NFL writers joined forces to bring you a list of rule changes that your league should consider entering the 2019 season. Be sure to vote on these quickly before your league mates forget how annoying things like streaming kickers and playing meaningful games in Week 17 are.

Rule Changes to Consider Add more roster spots Add as many starting spots as possible if you’d like to reduce the “luck” variant from your league. By adding another wide receiver or two more flex spots, if someone lands the top pick and selects Todd Gurley, it doesn’t automatically guarantee them a weekly victory. The idea of doing this will let the best fantasy owners shine. Mike Tagliere – @MikeTagliereNFL Increase the value of the QB position It’s time to restore parity to lineups by adjusting scoring. No one argues that quarterback is the most important position in football, but the same doesn’t apply to fantasy. Every August, the depth of the position causes quarterbacks to be selected later and later each season. A simple tweak go reward all touchdowns six points would increase the value of the QB position and would help alter drafts. Jody Smith – @JodySmithNFL Draft order reverse order of standings in keeper leagues In keeper leagues: You should really consider having your draft order be the reverse order of standings. That gives the weakest teams the most opportunity to improve come August-September by having first dibs on the available player pool. Of course, having anti-tanking rules or last place punishments make this even more viable. If someone gets first pick, at least make them wear a dress or something. Josh Dalley – @JoshDalley72 Avoid the ‘forever keeper’ If you keep a player, you lose the round he was drafted in, though there is a catch. To keep fantasy owners from keeping Odell Beckham Jr. forever as a 13th rounder, the minimum cost for a keeper is the 6th round. So any player drafted after the 6th round would still cost a 6th rounder. If you have multiple late-round keepers, that’s the only time you could lose something later than a 6th. Those players would cost 7th and beyond (depending on how many keepers there are). Mike Tagliere – @MikeTagliereNFL Drop the lowest score Drop the lowest score from your starters. Fanduel has started doing this with some NBA contests recently. It would allow for people to ignore kickers, defense or tight ends completely if they wanted to. Steven Roy – @rockhead_roy Eliminate the randomness that is those two extra matchups in 12-team leagues You play every team once and then arbitrarily play two teams twice? That doesn’t seem fair. Instaed, in Weeks 1 and 13, have a “Battle Royale” week where everyone plays everyone. The top six point scorers get a win and the bottom six get a loss. Not only does it solve the issue of playing two teams twice for no legitimate reason, but it gives everyone a chance to get a win when they need it in Week 13. Jason Katz – @jasonkatz13

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DRAFT WATCH

The last playoff seed goes to the team outside the playoffs with the most points Every year we hear the same gripes from someone in 80% of leagues: “I had the most points in the league, but got screwed and went up against by far the hardest schedule so I missed the playoffs.” Typically, you would call them a sore loser, but it doesn’t quite apply here because the goal of fantasy football is to have the best team, and in order to have the best team, you have to score points. Their complaints are legitimate and fantasy commissioners can and should rectify this error before it becomes a problem again next season. There are all kinds of fancy ways to ensure these teams don’t get the shaft, but the easiest is to just clarify at the start of the season that the final playoff seed belongs to the team with the most fantasy points among the remaining squads. You can easily edit your playoff teams in any commissioner platform. Your league mates will be grateful and your job will get easier. Bobby Sylvester – @bobbyfantasypro

Switch to a hybrid roto/playoff system All season long, each team gets ranked in 1) record, 2) points scored, and 3) record if you played every team each week. At the end of the season, the team with the highest rank wins half the prize pool. The team with the second-best rank wins a quarter of the prize pool. Separately, run a traditional playoff setting. Winner of the playoffs wins the remaining quarter of the prize pool. Dan Harris – @danharris80

Use an FAAB system Leagues should have a Free Agent Acquisition Budget system in place. Having owners bid on players either in the draft (auction) or through the waiver wire is a true testament to how much each owner values a certain player or position. Therefore, they must prioritize their budget and claims accordingly. No two owners will have the same strategy as some are more aggressive than others, and no two owners are likely to have the same amount of FAAB funds once the season is rolling along. Josh Dalley – @JoshDalley72

Eliminate the TE position Eliminate the tight end roster spot and replace it with an RB-WR-TE flex. If we learned anything this season, it’s that tight end is increasingly becoming a scarce position. Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz were the clear-cut No. 1 and No. 2 tight ends in fantasy this year, and after that, it was a total toss-up over who to use on a week-to-week basis. Only 23.5 fantasy points separate the No. 6 fantasy tight end as of Week 13 (O.J. Howard, who is on injured reserve) and the No. 12 tight end (Rob Gronkowski, who was drafted higher than Ertz and Kelce in most leagues). That works out to roughly 1.8 points per game. Late in the season, some owners are just grasping at straws hoping Jonnu Smith or Cameron Brate catch a touchdown in any given week. Eliminate the tight end position and make it a flex so owners don’t feel like they have to reach for a tight end in drafts. If they want to start Trey Burton in that slot, then let them. But 2019 drafts could see guys like Eric Ebron being drafted so much higher than they should be based on position scarcity. Jon Munshaw – @jon_munshaw

Add a second flex position There is a lot of randomness in fantasy football with kickers, defenses, etc., so adding a second flex adds strategy and rewards skill. It makes you dig deeper for sleepers and means you won’t necessarily lose a matchup because one guy on the other team went bananas. Andrew Seifter – @andrew_seifter

Protect the integrity of your dynasty leagues In order to protect the sanctity of your league, have an owner who trades away a future draft pick pay for that year’s buy-in. So if I wanted to trade away my 2019 and 2020 first-round picks for AJ Green, I’d have to pay the league buy-in for both 2019 and 2020 up front. This will prevent teams from trading their future draft picks just to win now, only to leave the league the following year. Mike Tagliere – @MikeTagliereNFL UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR NFL players’ right to convey opinions San Francisco Chronicle June 2, 2018

egarding “NFL controversy about more than a flag” (June 1: I’m weary of convservate columnists like Andrew Malcolm who, in his

latest column, describe U.S. citizens with progresssive values as being “coastal elites.” There are many people across our country who respect free speech and accept the rights of football players to publicly protest. You don’t have to be wealthy for well-educated to understand this concept, even though someone who fits this description and routinely attacks journalists, is sitting in the oval office. Malcolm also criticizes TV talk show hosts for promoting their “alien coastal values” to viewers in flyover states who simply want their entertainment to be free of political content. Well, I’d rather live in a country that allows anyone – including actors, TV hosts, athletes, and everday folks – the right to express his or her opinion, than to live somewhere (like North Korea or Russia) where everyone is expected to be subservient to their leaders and dissent is not tolerated.

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“Football fans getting their game on”

TAILGATE EXTREME!

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ports deliver mixed messages: We play to win. No points for second place. It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game that counts. Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat.

The world of sports is replete with examples of good and bad sportsmanship. But what exactly is sportsmanship, and why does it matter? Definitions often involve fair play, respect for all parties involved and graciousness in winning and losing.

WHO NEEDS SPORTSMANSHIP? THE ANSWER IS WE ALL DO Tim Delaney, a sociology professor at the State University of New York at Oswego, defines it in “The Sociology of Sports” as “conduct and attitudes considered as benefiting participants, especially in regards to a sense of fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, game officials and others involved in the sporting contest, as well as grace in losing.” Sports are supposed to build confidence and instill important values, but they can do the opposite if sportsmanship falls by the wayside. And if bad sportsmanship sours the experience, participants can miss the benefits of sports. Sportsmanship came to the forefront of the 2018 World Cup a few times. Delaney noted sportsmanship helped determine whether Senegal or Japan advanced. When the two teams finished tied in the standings and the first two tiebreakers did not give one of them the edge, FIFA’s new “fair play” tiebreaker allowed Japan to advance. The teams’ red and yellow cards were added, and Japan had a lower total. However, “referee calls are subjective,” Delaney added, so “fair play — which is a critical element of sportsmanship — is not necessarily fair.” UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

Also during the World Cup, when Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani started limping off the field, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo helped him walk. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku signaled to the referee not to penalize Tunisia after a player made contact with him. In other sports, Desiree Linden won the 2018 Boston Marathon even after slowing to help Shalane Flanagan catch up to the pack after she was forced to stop for a bathroom break. Even high school students have made headlines recently for good sportsmanship: A high school golfer reported an error she had made on her scorecard, causing her and her team to lose state titles. A high school pitcher who had just won a baseball tournament game by striking out his childhood friend stopped to hug and console him before celebrating, and a video of it went viral.

portsmanship includes fair play and kindness, as well as “understanding that it’s not all about winning and losing,” said Mallory Holtman-Fletcher, who gained fame for carrying an injured opponent around the bases during a 2008 Central Washington University softball game. The player tore her ACL after hitting a three-run home run, and the rules prevented her own teammates from helping her. So Holtman-Fletcher and a teammate carried the injured player around so that she could touch each base. “She earned it,” Holtman-Fletcher said afterward. At the time, no one talked much about what she did until the story gained traction with the media, Holtman-Fletcher recalled. But that’s not surprising, because athletes often don’t learn about sportsmanship in any systematic way, she said. “Growing up, there wasn’t a point that somebody sat me down to teach me about sportsmanship.” Holtman-Fletcher went on to coach at CWU and then speak about sportsmanship as part of the Positive Coaching Alliance, which aims to develop “better athletes, better people” by providing resources to athletes, coaches, parents and administrators. Part of the problem is coaches lack resources for guidance — especially if they are volunteer coaches just stepping into the role, she said.

Another organization that offers parents and coaches resources is the Changing the Game Project, which works “to ensure that we return youth sports to our children, and put the ‘play’ back in ‘play ball.’” “Youth sport is a wonderful place to teach values, like resilience, respect for rules and respect for opponents, and how to work hard and accomplish something,” said John O’Sullivan, founder of the project. “It’s not supposed to be a forum for adults to compete against other adults through their kids. That’s what it’s become in far too many instances.” O’Sullivan promotes a player-centric approach that asks: “Does this decision serve the needs of the participants or my ego as a coach or as a parent?” The overzealous parents and coaches are in the minority, but the silent majority needs to start speaking up, he said. “One of the biggest problems in youth sport is that we use professional sport as our model. Professional sport is sport for entertainment purposes. Youth sport is sport for development, both athletic and human development,” O’Sullivan said. The adult value of being willing to do anything to win trickles down to youth sport, which is supposed to be about teaching kids how to play properly and teaching them “respect and integrity through sport,” he said. Kids differ from adults in another way, said Solomon Alexander, director of the National Sportsmanship Foundation. “Kids can work hard and have fun at same time. The adult mindset seems to be if you’re just doing something for fun, you don’t really care how it turns out. Kids care more about the outcome the more fun that they’re having,” he said. “So sports need to be fun for kids.” At a recent soccer tournament, O’Sullivan watched a 9-year-old boys’ game that a 15-year-old was refereeing. “Parents on both sides are screaming at this kid. There’s a foul and the coach charges off the field and is screaming at this 15-year-old referee — who’s all by himself, there’s no adult watching the game — he slams his hat down and is getting in this kid’s face,” he recalled.

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Well-meaning parents, coaches and administrators can cause problems, Alexander said. “For example, you have parents who think the only way to get their kid to college is through sports, and so they put enormous pressure on the kid to excel in a sport, starting from very young age,” pushing him or her to get a scholarship. So what’s at stake if good sportsmanship isn’t upheld? “We’re losing a whole section of children from sports because they’re having bad experiences,” Holtman-Fletcher said, noting that kids are demeaning other kids and those who are not athletically gifted start to feel bad. Holtman-Fletcher says she doesn’t think all kids need to have equal playing time, but a less gifted player needs to be reminded it’s OK if she’s not as good as the best player — and that the game is fun. “Kids quit sports when adults make it no fun,” Alexander said. “And lack of respect, integrity, civility and fair play makes sports less fun for kids.” He added that “when kids are having trouble with their baseball coach, they don’t just quit that baseball team.” They often move away from sports entirely.

s kids become adults, sportsmanship-related issues can intensify. “By the time athletes get to high school and college, sportsmanship is given lip service, but something else becomes far more important: winning,” Delaney said. College students on scholarship may get pressured to play as hard as possible, and “sometimes that can take precedence over playing fairly,” he said. The adult realm also includes coaches teaching their athletes how to get away with things, such as when to push someone, Delaney said. He published “Sportsmanship: Multidisciplinary Perspectives,” a book of essays geared toward adults, after finding that other sportsmanship books focus on kids. He also hosts a Sportsmanship Day Symposium every year.

Delaney agreed these problems are universal, although they may take different shapes in different areas of the world. For example, some countries are known for socalled hooliganism — fans picking fights with other fans and acting out violently or destructively — he said, and parents and fans harassing referees are more common in some places more than others. Being kind and being competitive are not incompatible, Holtman-Fletcher said. “I’m competitively compassionate — you can’t lose all your morals just to be competitive.” If you lose, it’s not the end of the world, and “failure is a good way to succeed,” she said. People have strong opinions on whether participation trophies are helpful or harmful. Alexander supports giving them to youth. “There is no harm in giving everybody a trophy when they’re 8 years old, because what you want to do is spend as much time as you can filling up your kid’s cup,” he explained. “Because the rest of the world for the rest of their lives will try to tear them down. If a cheap trophy makes them feel good that day” and makes them want to come back the next day, it’s worth giving. The National Sportsmanship Foundation recognizes extraordinary sportsmanship through its annual Musial Awards. Alexander cited the example of one winner, Josh Zuchowski. When he was 10, his main swimming rival was Reese Branzell — the two would often trade first and second place. When Reese was hospitalized and couldn’t compete at a meet, Josh dedicated his race to Reese and won. Then he gave Reese his trophy, along with a note that said: “I would rather get second with you at the meet than win with you absent. I won this trophy for you today. I hope to see you back in the pool.” It shows that even a 10-year-old “can make difference in somebody’s life,” Alexander said. Allison Torres Burtka is a freelance writer and editor based in metro Detroit.

The lack of sportsmanship is not unique to the U.S., Alexander said. In the U.S., “our issues are centered on the fact that we hold sports in such high esteem. We hold professional athletes in higher regard than we do doctors, and that’s an issue,” he said. But badly behaved parents and coaches can be found everywhere. UNITY TAILGATE GUIDE

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MEMORY LANE In memory of the NFL players we’ve lost in 2018.

FEATURED MEMORIAL

Wally Triplett

Player

Ben Agajanian Grady Alderman

Postion

Age

Date of Death

Birth Date

Years

From

2/8/2018

8/28/1919

1945

1964

1960

1974

1964

1968

T-G

Paul Allen Roger Anderson

Fox News photo

Wally Triplett, the first African American player to be drafted and play in an NFL game, died November 8, 2018. He was 92. Triplett, who was born in La Mott, Pa., on April 18, 1926, was the third African American to be drafted in the 1949 NFL Draft, but was the first of those players to actually play on an NFL field. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 19th round, 182nd overall out of Penn State. “As the first African American to be drafted and to play in the National Football League, Wally is one of the true trailblazers in American sports history,” the Lions said in a statement. “He resides among the great men who helped reshape the game as they faced the challenges of segregation and discrimination.” Triplett played two seasons with the Lions. He played in 18 games, rushing for 313 yards and a touchdown. One of his greatest achievements came on Oct. 29, 1950, on special teams. Triplett played two seasons with the Lions. He played in 18 games, rushing for 313 yards and a touchdown. One of his greatest achievements came on Oct. 29, 1950, on special teams.

DT-T

4/5/2018

12/10/1938

10/15/2018

1/21/1953

3/21/2018

11/11/1942

George Andrie

8/21/2018

4/20/1940

1962

1972

Chuck Arrobio

3/18/2018

7/9/1944

1966

Gene Babb

LB-FB

12/2/2018

12/27/1934

1957

1963

Billy Cannon

TE-HB-FB

5/20/2018

8/2/1937

1960

1970

Fred Carr

2/19/2018

8/19/1946

1968

1977

Gene Ceppetelli

6/14/2018

7/28/1942

1968

1969

Dennis Claridge

5/2/2018

8/18/1941

1965

1966

Dwight Clark

6/4/2018

1/8/1957

1979

1987

Frank Clarke

7/26/2018

2/7/1934

1957

1967

Tony Cline

7/23/2018

7/25/1948

1970

1977

Jim Crawford

HB-FB

6/10/2018

8/26/1935

1960

1964

Lindon Crow

10/25/2018

4/4/1933

1955

1964

Bennie Cunningham

4/23/2018

12/23/1954

1976

1985

Dick Danehe

6/20/2018

9/10/1920

1947

1948

Dale Dawson

5/25/2018

11/2/1964

1987

1988

Dick Danehe

6/20/2018

9/10/1920

1947

1948

Keith Fahnhorst

6/12/2018

2/6/1952

1974

1987

DE-DT-NT-DE

4/21/2018

5/2/1956

1978

1988

John Hill

C-T

10/21/2018

4/16/1950

1972

1985

Ron Johnson

7/10/2018

6/8/1956

1978

1984

Lou Karras

9/20/2018

9/19/1927

1950

1952

Dee Hardison

11/4/2018

7/12/1980

2003

2010

Jack Patera

LB/Coach

10/31/2018

8/1/1933

1955

1961

Playing against the Los Angeles Rams, Triplett set a single-game record with 294 kick return yards on four kickoff returns -- including a 97-yard touchdown. His record lasted for 44 years before it was broken in 1994.

Dan Rogas

G-DT-T

5/1/2018

8/9/1926

1951

1952

Tim Rossovich

LB-DE

12/6/2018

3/14/1946

1968

1976

HB-TB-QB-DB

10/8/2018

1/8/1927

1949

1955

Two weeks after his historic performance, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and assigned to the 594th Field Artillery Battalion.

Marvin Terrell

12/1/2018

6/10/1938

1960

1963

Wally Triplett

HB-DB

11/8/2018

4/18/1926

1949

1953

He served two years during the Korean War and then played two more seasons, with the Chicago Cardinals.

Frank Varrichione

1/6/2018

1/14/1932

1955

1965

Bobby Walden

8/27/2018

3/9/1938

1964

1977

“We fondly reflect on his great achievements and send our heartfelt condolences to the Triplett family,” the Lions said.

Vince Manuwai

George Taliaferro

Ron Waller

HB/Coach

12/16/2018

2/14/1933

1955

1960

Manch Wheeler

8/11/2018

3/2/1939

1962

Taylor Whitley

8/1/2018

2/21/1980

2004

2005

RECENT MEMORIAL Taylor Whitley