One of the wonderful things about being a sportswriter for 35 years has been getting to see the human side of our sports heroes.
Unlike the typical fan, who watches sports from a distance and rarely has face-to-face contact with college or pro athletes, we get to talk to them at their highest of highs and their lowest of lows. We interview them when they set Olympic records and when they fumble at the 1-yard line, botch a field goal, miss a free throw or shank a penalty kick.
We congratulate them when they get married, have kids, and reach career milestones. They tell us about their families, and we tell them about ours. We often meet their parents, siblings, spouses, and children. We see their heartbreak when they get injured and their grief when they lose loved ones.
