Non-football related stuff that really makes your day

[bimmer84]

Congrat's to the young Loops lady and proud papa!

[CGVT]

Wow! Congrats!

[LionsFanInJapan]

That's awesome. Congratulations to your daughter and your whole family!

[froot loops]

Thanks! I was a little more composed compared to last year. I'm not sure how many more times she'll be able to qualify because she keeps on getting taller.

[The Cat]

You must be so proud!

[DeanUK]

Congrats!

[Marko69]

Excellent stuff, FL......, very well done to your daughter. And dad gets to have a real Guinness in Dublin! :D

[Panoptes]

This was awesome to see happen in today's culture....

Women's hoops team surges after coach's rant against participation trophy culture

https://www.foxnews.com

A viral rant from Louisville's women's basketball coach -- which called out participation trophies and the "everyone's a winner" culture in sports -- may have been all his team needed to return to its winning ways.

Jeff Walz called out his team's lack of effort during a postgame news conference after No. 7 Louisville lost its second straight game to No. 5 Maryland on Thursday. He also suggested some players came into college hoops expecting to get cheered and celebrated when they didn't earn it.

"What's that teaching kids? It's OK to lose. And unfortunately, it's our society. It's what we're building for, and it's not just in basketball, it's in life," Walz said. "You know, everybody thinks they should get a job. Everybody thinks they should get a good job. No, that's not the way it works, but unfortunately, that's what we are preparing for, because -- you finish fifth, you walk home with this nice trophy, parents are all excited. No. Not to be too blunt, but you're a loser."

On Sunday, his Cardinals turned it around, rallying from a 54-50 deficit with 4 minutes left in the game to tie the game twice against No. 17 Kentucky, forcing the game into overtime. Louisville scored the first five points of OT, holding on to edge the Wildcats 69-67.

This time, Walz had nothing but praise for his players after their gut-check performance.

"We fought, which I was proud of," Walz said. "I stand 100 percent behind my postgame comments, which I never believed would get to where it was. Let's not be so sensitive."

Walz has a history of pouring his heart out during and after games, Fox Sports points out. He's in his 10th season at Louisville.

The coach's diatribe Thursday generated plenty of support from fans on social media -- and his players said they got the message, too.

"We all took it to heart," Myisha Hines-Allen, who scored 26 points on Sunday, reacted. "We knew we had Kentucky coming in next, so we had to chew it, had to take it and come ready to play. It started in practice because we had energy that next day. He was completely right."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[froot loops]

Oh yea! Another rant on that, Next up, what is or isn't a sport.

[dpatnod]

Kinda cool.


Willie the parrot was 11-months old when it first started mimicking his owner, Meagan Howard. He learned all sorts of phrases like “give me a kiss”, “come here”, and I want out”. He even learned to call Meagan “Mama”. One day, Meagan and Willie found themselves watching her roommate’s two-year-old daughter, Hannah. She had given the toddler a Pop-Tar and gone to the bathroom while it cooled.

Savior



Suddenly, she heard Willie screeching and banging around his cage, repeatedly yelling, “Mama, baby! Mama, baby!” She ran out to find that Hannah was choking on a piece of Pop-Tart. She performed the Heimlich maneuver and saved her. The most remarkable thing was that Willie had never said “baby” before that incident. While we don’t hear about pets like Willie everyday, there are many more exceptional pets out there…

[LionsFanInJapan]

[Malto Marko]

Wow! I knew parrots were smart but I never thought they could be that smart.

[Panoptes]

What a good man....

Terminally ill child dies in Santa's arms

https://www.foxnews.com

A 60-year-old Tennessee man who spends time volunteering as Santa Claus at a local hospital granted a 5-year-old terminally ill boy his final wish this holiday season, and held him as he died in his arms.

?I spent four years in the Army with the 75th Rangers, and I?ve seen my share of [stuff],? Eric Schmitt-Matzen told USA Today. ?But I ran by the nurses? station bawling my head off. I know nurses and doctors see things like that every day, but I don?t know how they can take it.?

Schmitt-Matzen, a mechanical engineer and president of Packing Seals & Engineering in Jacksboro, Tennessee, had arrived at the unidentified hospital and met the boy?s mother and family members, who were also unidentified. A nurse had called with the special request and given him a toy to offer the child during his visit, USA Today reported.

?When I walked in, he was laying there so weak, it looked like he was ready to fall asleep,? Schmitt-Matzen told the news outlet. ?I sat down on his bed and asked, ?Say, what?s this I hear about you?re going to miss Christmas? There?s no way you can miss Christmas! You?re my No. 1 elf!??

?He looked up and said, ?I am?? I said ?Sure.??

Schmitt-Matzen told USA Today that he watched him open the present and smile before he lay back down.

??They say I?m going to die,? he told me. ?How can I tell when I get to where I?m going?? I said, ?Can you do me a big favor?? He said ?Sure!? 'When you get there, you tell them you?re Santa?s No. 1 elf and I know they?ll let you in.? He said, ?They will?? I said, ?Sure.??

?He kind of sat up, and gave me a big hug and asked one more question: ?Santa can you help me?? I wrapped my arms around him. Before I could say anything, he died right there. I let him stay, just kept hugging and holding on to him,? Schmitt-Matzen told USA Today.

The boy?s death left Schmitt-Matzen questioning whether he could continue donning the signature white beard and red suit, but he returned for other sick children and saw the effect it had on them.

?When I saw all those children laughing, it brought me back into the fold. It made me realize the role I have to play. For them and for me,? he told USA Today.

[Marko69]

Holy crap, caught off guard there, bloody crying in my kitchen here. That is one tear jerker of a story. Think I'll go phone my grandaughter....... Tell her I love her.

[Panoptes]

Ikr

My kid is getting an extra long hug today when I pick her up from school.