I grew up loving sports.
The competition. The commitment. The connection. The community.
A few of you want me to go back to sports. To that, I say thanks for reading.
And a lot of folks want sports stars, sports media and sports everyone to stick to sports.
Too political. Too passionate. Too liberal or conservative.
To that I say hogwash. Sports has become news, good and bad. From worldwide headlines about millionaires making billionaires uncomfortable and average Joe football fans angry to lesser-known gestures that make a world of difference in people's lives, the world of sports occupies a powerful platform.
Jay GreesonWith that, friends, meet Jose Altuve. Forget the fact that he's likely going to be the American League MVP or he got the first RBI in the decisive Game 7 win as the Houston Astros won their first World Series last week.
Nope, through the concerted efforts of Stacey Keating, a marketing ace who works at CBL and Associates, and others, Altuve was pictured before the biggest game of his life holding up a sign that meant the world to an extended group of folks on Signal Mountain and at CBL.
Dan Summerlin, a beloved member of the Signal Mountain community, died of cancer earlier this year. He was in his 40s and left behind twin teenaged sons and his wife, Scottie.
He was a monster baseball fan and loved the Astros. He was buried in his beloved Astros sweatshirt - a shirt that Scottie scoured the closet searching for before Game 7 until she recalled where it was.
Summerlin's love for the Astros moved Howard Grody, who worked with Dan at CBL, to get Dan and Scottie to Houston for a game last year so Dan could meet some of the famous names of an infamous Astros history. Guys like Enos Cabell and Jose Cruz, who Dan loved in his youth.
But the picture of Altuve - the Astros' best player - giving a shoutout to Dan, one of the team's biggest fans, was the perfect finish to the most imperfect of circumstances.
"[Last Wednesday] before Game 7, Stacey sent me the photo of Jose Altuva holding the Stand up to Cancer sign with Dan's name on it," Scottie said. "The boys and I were blown away.
"Stacey had a friend in the Astros organization who made it happen."
In fact, the efforts to help the Summerlins fight the extreme costs of fighting cancer became #TeamDan. And, thanks to the design eye of Fernando Martinez, who also worked with Dan at CBL, all of the #TeamDan logos and shirts and such were in the style of those great old-school Astros jerseys with multiple shades of orange. And right before the first pitch of the biggest game in Astros history comes the photo of Altuve holding a SUP2C - Stand Up to Cancer, which is an MLB-sponsored organization - sign that read, "I stand up for Dan Summerlin." It was pretty magical to see before the biggest game in the history of the team Dan loved.
And yes, we believe that after Game 7, as the Astros were running around celebrating like the children who play that very game all across the globe, our friend Dan Summerlin was smiling down on it all.
Now Scottie and her sister-in-law, who is also a widow, are starting a support group for those who lost their spouses.
"It's my new calling," Scottie said. "I'm on fire to help others, because we have received so much support. It's the least we can do."
That's something we can all stand behind.
Even the best player in baseball.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343.