November 27, 2012

Ill Teen's Pep Talk Inspires New York Giants: A 15-year-old who has been fighting Burkitt's lymphoma gave a pep talk to the New York Giants that the team is calling the inspiration to its big victory Sunday night over the Green Bay Packers. Adam Merchant, a dedicated fan of the Giants from Barre, Vt., was asked by Coach Tom Coughlin to say a few final words to the team after a week of practice. Adam gave a talk that ended with this message: "Play like the world champions you are." New York won 38-10. "You look at this kid, who's going through so much in his life, and his one wish is come and be with us?" said wide receiver Victor Cruz. "It was inspiring."

posted by rcade to football at 08:11 AM - 8 comments

Oh man, no fair. How can you compete against that? I hope the Skins get an even sicker kid to give an even more inspirational speech next Monday night, and that this sparks an inspirational sick kid arms race as every NFL team seeks the motivational edge on their opponent. Eventually guys will be out there hustling so hard they're injuring themselves in their teary desperation to prove how much they care about the little friend they made an hour before gametime. The league will have to call an end to the Sick Kid Era of motivationally assured destruction before someone gets killed in an on-field collision of hearts.

posted by Hugh Janus at 08:40 AM on November 27, 2012

this sparks an inspirational sick kid arms race as every NFL team seeks the motivational edge on their opponent.

So which team is most likely to start poisoning/injuring children in order to achieve the highest sick kid count? Probably the Raiders or the Cowboys.

Of course, the Bills would screw things up by accidentally helping their kids get better.

posted by grum@work at 09:40 AM on November 27, 2012

The true role of "inspiration" in sports.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:18 AM on November 27, 2012

So which team is most likely to start poisoning/injuring children in order to achieve the highest sick kid count? Probably the Raiders or the Cowboys.

I was thinking of starting a business of renting inspirational sick kids out to teams for speeches. Maybe we'll have to "manufacture" the sick kids to meet demand - I don't know. I'm sure I can get Greg Maddux as an investor.

posted by LionIndex at 12:58 PM on November 27, 2012

If this were the Jets, that kid would have died in the locker room.

posted by Etrigan at 01:43 PM on November 27, 2012

The Jets put their sick kid on the field in a #6 jersey.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 02:16 PM on November 27, 2012

Maybe this is some sort of explanation for the substance abuse problem in professional sports. Sick kids come into the locker room to motivate the team. Sick kids take things to make them better. So why should not athletes take things to make them better? What? It doesn't work that way? Who would think...

posted by Howard_T at 04:26 PM on November 27, 2012

I'm looking to trade a high motor down's syndrome kid for a quadriplegic. Need some depth on my team.

posted by hardrane at 11:57 AM on November 28, 2012

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