March Madness Heroes

It's that time of year -- the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Women play nowadays too, but only men played way back there in the 60's when I was in college.

I graduated from the University of Cincinnati. I attended every home basketball game -- the dorm was just down the street from the fieldhouse. The banners hanging on the fieldhouse wall indicated that UC Bearcats had won some NCAA basketball tournaments.

The player I remember most is Oscar Robertson. He played in the years just before I arrived at UC, but I had read a lot about him. He was always in the sports pages. Where is he now? Serving his community. Donated a kidney (I think it was a kidney) to his daughter. Just still that all-round nice guy he was in college.

Where are our sports heroes nowadays? I try to follow my hometown professional football team. Gee, I think they had 8 players arrested in 8 months. But then I remember Roger Staubach's service in Vietnam. Marshall Faulk's foundation in the city of Indianapolis. Roberto Clemente's death in an air plane crash while en route to Nicaragua with relief supplies for earthquake victims.

So I'll watch some of the basketball games over the next few weeks. I'll wonder who the next heroes will be.