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Sports World by Don Blau
Best Upset, Courage awards highlights ESPYs
By Times Staff
7/17/2010 12:00:00 AM
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Don Blau
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Just like many sports-minded Iowans, I spent this past Wednesday evening glued breathlessly to a flat screen watching the 2010 ESPY Awards.
For the novice TV viewer, this is the one night annually when sports and Hollywood merge. It’s an opportunity when both entertainers and sports stars congregate and honor the remarkable athletic achievements of sports-related team and individual performances from the past year.
And like so many frenzied Iowans who were so crazed last March by the outstanding play of our own UNI Panthers during the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament, waiting for the announced winner of Best Upset Award was easy. It was definitely a no-brainer who the victor would be. The forever image of fearless guard Ali Farokh-manesh unleashing a hesitant, yet determined three-point goal attempt from a distance which seemed like College Street to the McLeod Center will never be forgotten.
Then crossing fingers and sitting on pins and needles as the Panthers completed the dramatic upset in the final minute of play and smothered top-ranked and top-seeded Kansas. Ali’s made basket and persevering determination of his teammates cemented the year’s Best Upset honor.
Jacobson, joined by seniors Farokhmanesh and Adam Koch at the ceremony, displayed class and professionalism and made all UNI supporters proud.
The publicity and acknowledgement bestowed on our local community was priceless as Coach Jake proudly acknowledged the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area during his acceptance speech. What a class act and quality program representing UNI.
Yet, the highlight of the evenings ESPY ceremony was the presentation of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, presented by Brett Favre to the family of slain Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas.
The Thomas family accepted the award with rays of dignity, strength, character and forgiveness blazing radiantly and was as evident as to how courage and love can overcome any and all obstaclets and hardships in life.
A video tribute detailed how coach Thomas rallied his Parkersburg community after a deadly and devastating EF5 tornado struck in 2008, detailed his tragic death a year later, and ultimately praised the strength and class of the Thomas’ family.
Aaron Thomas, speaking for the family on-stage, spoke sincerely and affectionately from his heart. He reflected the lessons and values taught and learned from his remarkable father on how to especially handle adversity and tough times. Viewing the audience within the darkened Nokia Theater in Los Angeles a dry eye was hard to find.
The endearing message Aaron Thomas delivered so eloquently captivated the entire audience and truly projected the beliefs his father instilled in others. Stressing his father’s valued advice that you don’t have to be a celebrity to make a difference or impact people in their lives or one always needs to make the best of all situations are just two important examples of Coach Thomas’ beliefs.
In closing, the perfect forever message of Ed Thomas’ words to live by: “Faith, Family, and Football” will never be forgotten, nor will the legend of the greatness of the man.
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