A Story to Truly Smile About (For Once) (1 Viewer)

[Waymer]

We’re a cynical nation. And why shouldn’t we be? We’ve watched Olympic athletes and Tour de France champions admit to doping, seen Mark McGwire say he didn’t want to “speak about the past,” and heard dozens of NFL players blame a positive drug test on Adderall. But no, no matter what you say, you’re not going to take this moment from me and the rest of the nation — because this moment is about as pure as they come.

The moment I’m speaking about is Matiwos Rumley winning this year’s Punt, Pass, & Kick Championship. Sure, dozens of boys and girls claim the title each year, but none with Rumley’s backstory. Rumley was born and raised in an Ethiopian orphanage beset by malnutrition, disease, and other common problems we too often see on 60-second television spots. Eventually though he was adopted by a Connecticut family last November after being sent to the U.S. just a few months prior. When he arrived in the U.S. he knew just one word: apple.

All he did since arriving in the states was to win both the sectionals and state titles for PP&K. After that he waited to see if he would make the national finals, which takes only the top four finishers in each age group. Rumley advanced of course, finishing first among all qualifiers and then winning the overall competition a short time later. All this from a kid who had never even seen a football until a week before he first competed. Not too shabby, huh?

So while Lance Armstrong is busy confessing to Oprah, we’ll simply congratulate Rumley and hope that his new fame doesn’t make him an easy target for those looking to corrupt an impressionable, seven-year-old immigrant. After all, we need something to smile about when the day is over.

Read More at ThirdDownConversion.com.

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