A 9/11 reading list
September 11th, 2011 | Afghanistan Army Iraq Marine Corps Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
I’ve come across a handful of thoughtful, powerful stories related to the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attack that have ties to the military sports world. From a teenager describing how his life was turned upside down after his father, a former West Point football player, was wounded in Iraq, to the memories of the emotional 2001 Army-Navy game in Philadelphia, these four reflections are worth your time:
Today’s youths in military families shoulder the horrors of 9/11 (Petula Dvorak, The Washington Post)
“There aren’t too many 17-year-olds who can claim to have a “mom sense.” But Jaelen, a football player at Mount Vernon High School in Fairfax County, can’t look at a sidewalk without instantly assessing the rocks and dips, the ramps and the rolls that would make it a smooth ride for his dad’s wheelchair.
His nurturing instincts were something foreign to him before, because for most of Jaelen’s life, his father was this hulking, real-life action figure who played football at West Point, formed battalions of men and went off to war.
And then in 2007, somber men in uniform came to the Gadson home in Kansas and sat down in the living room. And his mother cried. And his sister cried. And Jaelen’s life changed yet again.”
From Army-Navy to Iraq and Afghanistan (Ralph Russo, AP)
Instead of questioning their decisions to commit to military service, 9/11 affirmed those choices for men such as Gordon and Marine Capt. Bryce McDonald, who was a junior running back at Navy that day.
“What it did to a lot of people is hone their mindset,” McDonald said. “Or it gave somebody a purpose to go on in that general direction. A person gets more powerful when he has a purpose.
“I knew I wanted to be a Marine coming into this place. Yet that event, that horrific event, just put more purpose in that direction.”
Like most of the men who played in the 2001 Army-Navy game, Gordon and McDonald went on to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan — or both — during the 10 years that followed the most deadly terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Tillman’s call to action immediately apparent (Craig Morgan, FoxSportsArizona.com)
When Tillman finally sat down in the Cardinals old press conference room behind the media work room, the conflict was churning inside of him.
“I think they had just finished practice because his hair was wet and slicked back in that video that everyone has seen now because it’s been used so much,” Omohundro said. “He kept apologizing for being late even though he had just been practicing in 100-plus degree heat. And he kept apologizing for talking in circles.
“He said: ‘Part of me wants to go out and show those people who committed this act that this isn’t going to hold us down, but another part of me thinks there could still be people trapped in the rubble.”
“Then he started talking about how his great-grandfather had been at Pearl Harbor, and he hadn’t done a damn thing as far as putting his life on the line.”
Tillman’s introspection had an impact that day, but there were eight player interviews to edit and post, so Omohundro never gave it a second thought.
’01 Army-Navy game players carry lessons from gridiron to battlefield (Jon Wertheim, CNNSI.com)
”In previous years … you’d get off the bus and people would be booing you. They’d say ‘Sink Navy’ or some fans would be rude; they’d throw beer cans at you. But everybody that season had the utmost respect for the Navy team. I remember getting off the bus at Notre Dame stadium and — we didn’t do anything, we just got off the bus — and all of their fans just started clapping.”
Video: Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team
June 21st, 2011 | Afghanistan Iraq | Posted by militaryonline
Our Gannett brothers over at the Louisville Courier-Journal produced the video below and wrote a story last week about the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team. The 15-member team is exactly what it sounds like: Veterans who’ve lost a limb in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars who’ve come together to play a game they love and show what wounded troops are capable of.
De La Hoya mixes it up with troops in Iraq
March 17th, 2011 | Boxing Iraq | Posted by Phil Creed
Olympic gold medalist and former 10-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya works with Spc. Anthony Tobin at Forward Operating Base Camp Justice, Iraq, March 13. (USO)
Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has always been one of the Good Guys in pro sports, and he proved that again this month by visiting U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and the Middle East. De La Hoya, along with three up-and-coming fighters from his company, gave boxing clinics and mingled with various troops on the week-long trip, which sponsored by the USO.
The experience, which included visits to bases that came under fire, left him humbled.
“Hearing their stories and seeing what they go through on a daily basis has changed my life,” De La Hoya told ESPN’s Dan Rafael. “The opportunity to see how our troops live and understand their ability to be ready for anything at a moment’s notice showed me what it means to be truly brave.”
Read more about De La Hoya’s trip here.
UFC fighter visits Iraq, takes on all comers
March 15th, 2011 | Army Iraq Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
UFC welterweight Mike Swick is a pretty good sport. Not only did he travel to Iraq and give an MMA seminar to troops at Camp Adder, afterward he took on any soldiers who wanted to grapple. As you might imagine, it didn’t end well for any of the soldiers. A couple guys got hit with Swick’s triangle, one soldier tapped out via rear-naked choke while another fell victim to a Swick armbar. But win or lose, I can’t imagine a cooler thing for an MMA fan/practitioner stuck in Iraq than to get a chance to actually hone their skills against a UFC star.
According to the video (posted on Swick’s official YouTube channel, which also features other items from his Iraq travels), this is something Swick does after any seminar he gives to troops, so keep practicing your moves and someday you could get your chance.
Driving ranges litter Camp Victory
February 4th, 2011 | Golf Iraq | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
One of the many driving ranges that ring the lake in Camp Victory next to Al-Faw palace. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni)
BAGHDAD — Now that combat operations have ended, it seems soldiers have time to work on their swing. It seems there’s a driving range at each one of Saddam Hussein’s old palaces at Camp Victory in Iraq.
“If you dredged the lake you’d probably find close to 10,000 golf balls,” said Maj. Kristian Sorensen, an Army spokesman at Camp Victory.
Saddam’s former palaces, now packed with American soldiers and contractors, sit around a man made lake. Supposedly, Saddam shut off Baghdad’s water for three days in order to fill the lakes. Now it’s also filled with golf balls and giant carp fed by American GIs.
Fore!
After Action Classic: Independence Day 2004
July 3rd, 2010 | Army chess Iraq Soccer volleyball | Posted by Gina Cavallaro
Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division, "Big Red One," go against the Iraqi police at a July 4, 2004, volleyball game in Bayji, Iraq. (Photo by Gina Cavallaro)
A little blast from the past here — FOB Summerall in Bayji, Iraq on July 4, 2004. It was hot as hell. The wind was blowing, but it didn’t cool anyone down because it was hot wind filled with sand, which later stuck to all the food at the barbecue.
The devilish weather didn’t keep the scheduled sports activities from taking place, though. For a while, I watched the Iraqi police with their high-waisted athletic pants and knee socks play enthusiastically against soldiers from 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, the boys and girls from the Big Red One.
But the sun was baking my head so I stepped into the nearest shelter and saw two soldiers smoking cigarettes while quietly playing chess with a handmade set.
The pieces were made of all the little tools of the mechanics’ trade like castle nuts, hex bolts and spacers and the board was a piece of plywood edged in duct tape, marked off with a Sharpie and stained into little chess board squares (see pictures).
Soldiers with 1-7 Field Artillery play a quiet game of chess on Independence Day at FOB Summerall, Bayji, Iraq, 2004. (Photo by Gina Cavallaro)
Check out the chess pieces
The Iraqis easily beat the Americans in soccer, but I didn’t take any pictures of that rout.
That night I found myself at FOB Danger in Tikrit where a song co-written and being performed by an Iraqi poet and the 1st Infantry Division chaplain was interrupted by the cracking sounds of a firefight on the other side of the wall. Some people turned around to look, pretty much unconcerned, and the little concert kept going.
A fireworks display on a bluff over looking the Tigris River was beautiful and patriotic, at least for the American GIs, but, safety standards for such activities apparently being more lax in a war zone, didn’t keep a tree from catching fire and causing a giant ball of flames. I wondered if the Iraqis in surrounding towns thought it was just another battle.
On the way out to an idling Humvee that would take me back to my hooch up the road at Summerall, I overheard the division commander and one of his brigade commanders making a joke about “a burning bush on the Tigris.”
A fun-filled day of sports and fire.
And that’s a wrap.
Winter Games in the sandbox
March 4th, 2010 | Afghanistan Army Hockey Iraq | Posted by Alan Lessig
Inspired by the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada, deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan held their own athletic competitions. At COB Speicher in Iraq, U.S. Division North held a “biathlon” for 40 soldiers, one sailor and one airman. The event had them run 3.7 miles out to a firing range where they had to shoot for score and then the same distance back to the finish line at COB Speicher. They were scored by a combination of run-time and their shooting score. The event was won by:
• Spc. Douglas Long (US), Male Winner, 2/25th AVN Bn., 25th ID CAB
• 1st Lt. Valerie Aquino (US), Female Winner, 209th ASB, 25th ID CAB
At Kandahar Air Base, it was more of a team effort as the USA (Army) took on Canada (Army) in a hockey final rematch. There wasn’t any ice, but there was plenty of sand for them to slide around on.
Switzer claims victory over Bowden in Iraq bowl game
January 5th, 2010 | Air Force Army Football Iraq Marine Corps Navy | Posted by
Football legend Tony Casillas (92), playing for Team Freedom, tries to evade Team Liberty's Spc. Aaron Decker, (41) of Marshfield, Wis., and college quarterback legend Tee Martin, who were playing defense during the first-ever Tostitos "Salute the Troops" Bowl in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2010.
The Barry Switzer-led “Team Freedom” beat Tommy Bowden’s “Team Liberty” 36-8 in the first-ever Tostitos “Salute the Troops” flag football bowl game held at Camp Liberty, Iraq, New Year’s day.
Tostitos partnered with the USO to bring college football legends down range for a head-to-head match with U.S. military members.
“These brave men and women weren’t able to experience the excitement of the bowl season, so we brought the thrill to them, complete with some of their favorite college football legends,” former University of Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer said. “It was something I know I won’t forget and I hope they feel the same.”
Highlights from the game were played during the halftime broadcast of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Jan. 4 on Fox.
Here’s how the teams broke down.
Team Freedom: Coached by Switzer, one of a few head coaches to win a NCAA National Championship and a Superbowl.
- Spc. Keven Adside
- Spc. Ryan Bale
- Brian Bosworth, University of Oklahoma, winner of the first two Butkus Awards
- Tony Casillas, University of Oklahoma, NCAA National Championship in 1985
- Ty Detmer, Brigham Young University, 1990 Heisman Trophy winner
- Sgt. Bryeem Garner
- Staff Sgt. Cecil Graham
- Spc. Phillip Hall
- Sgt. Sean Harrell
- Spc. Eric Johnson
- Maj. William Manley
- Sgt. 1st Class Rashad Mclean
- Spc. Daniel Oubre
- Sgt. 1st Class Antwion Peyton
- Master Sgt. James Roundtree
- Joe Washington, University of Oklahoma, two-time first-team all-American.
Team Liberty: Coached by Tommy Bowden, former Clemson University head coach.
- Spc. Aaron Decker
- Daniel DeMars
- Tommie Frazier, University of Nebraska, NCAA National Championships in 1994 and 1995.
- Senior Airman Karrington Harrison
- Rocket Ismail, University of Notre Dame, NCAA National Championship in 1988
- Senior Airman Greg Jones
- Staff Sgt. Bret Magolski
- Capt. Richard Martin
- Tee Martin, University of Tennessee
- Spc. John Marz
- Julian Merelopez
- Petty Officer 3 Derek Messenger
- Sgt. Angel Powell
- Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech University
- Staff Sgt. Elliot Trubee
- Sgt. Eric Trubee
Gridiron matchup pits troops against football greats
December 31st, 2009 | Football Iraq | Posted by
Have you ever wondered how you would stand up against your favorite college football players in a backyard flag football game? Some troops down range are about to find out.
Tostitos has teamed up with the USO for the first-ever “Salute the Troops” Bowl game to be held at an undisclosed base in Baghdad New Year’s Day.
Highlights from the all-star flag football event, which will pit military members against college football greats, will air during the 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on FOX on Jan. 4.
Legendary football coaches Barry Switzer and Tommy Bowden will lead the two teams.
“Our military has some of the biggest college football fans you will ever find, and we are excited to be providing this once-in-a-lifetime experience for our troops that brings the energy and excitement of college bowl games directly to them,” said USO president Sloan Gibson in a news release.
Here is a roster of players, according to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Web site:
- Tee Martin: Led the 1998 University of Tennessee team to a perfect record of 13-0 during his junior year.
- Tommie Frazier: Led the Nebraska Cornhuskers in back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 1994 and 1995.
- Garrison Hearst: Standout running back for University of Georgia in the early 1990s.
- Ty Detmer: Legendary quarterback for Brigham Young University and winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1990.
- Rocket Ismail: Helped the University of Notre Dame win the NCAA National Championship in 1988.
- Tony Casillas: Helped win the 1985 NCAA National Championship for the University of Oklahoma and a two-time All-American.
- Brian Bosworth: College standout linebacker at the University of Oklahoma in the mid-1980s and the winner of the first two Butkus Awards.
- Bruce Smith: Finished his college career at Virginia Tech in 1984 as one of the most honored players in Hokie history.
- Joe Washington: Two-time first-team All-American at the University of Oklahoma in the mid-1970s.
Brian Stann to fight in Ultimate Fighter 10 finale
November 23rd, 2009 | After Action Iraq Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
Brian Stann, a former Marine captain who earned the Silver Star while commanding a platoon in Iraq, will fight Rodney Wallace on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas. (BrianStann.com photo)
Three months after disposing of nemesis Steve Cantwell to earn his first UFC victory, former Marine Brian Stann will fight again in the Ultimate Fighter 10 finale on Dec. 5. Stann, 7-2 overall in mixed martial arts, faces Rodney Wallace, who will be making his UFC debut.
A powerful puncher who thrives on his standup game, Stann fights in the 205 pound light heavyweight division, by far the UFC’s most competitive and star-studded. Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Chuck Lidell and Rampage Jackson have all held the 205 title in recent years, and challengers like Mauricio Rua add to the deep talent pool that Stann will have to overcome if he’s to be successful.
Stann got off to a rough start in the UFC, losing his debut fight to Krzysztof Soszynski by way of a first-round submission in April. But Stann bounced back strong against Cantwell in September, in a fight that was the rubber match between the two. Stann won their first meeting by KO, but Cantwell roughed up Stann up in their second fight in the now-defunct WEC light heavyweight division. Stann showed that he’s a true contender by brushing off that loss and the loss to Soszynski and won a unanimous decision over Cantwell for his first UFC win.
As many know, Stann’s greatest accomplishment came outside the octogon. His actions during a May 2005 battle in Iraq earned him a Silver Star, the Corps’ third-highest honor for valor. You can read more about Stann’s heroism on the Military Times Hall of Valor.
Speaking of The Ultimate Fighter…
Poor Darrill Schoonover. Teased relentlessly for his, um, man boobs by Rampage Jackson on TUF, Schoonover has apparently been recalled to active duty in the Army, according to an MMA blog. I hadn’t even realized that Schoonover was an Army vet; it’s not something he talks about on the show. But Schoonover served four years on active duty and has been in the reserve for the last two years, according to his UFC bio. Don’t worry; this isn’t a TUF spoiler. The report says Schoonover is due to report after the Dec. 5 show finale, so he’s still in contention for the six-figure UFC contract.
Schoonver will face former NFL player Marcus “The Darkness” Jones in his quarterfinal matchup. I like Schoonver for standing up to Rampage’s petty trash talking, but I don’t like this matchup. For anyone. Jones is my pick to win it all this season. He’s just too big and powerful, and has enough strength and ground skills to survive getting taken down by one of the show’s wrestlers.