1. As I have started posting a few of my old sports cards online, I felt it was important to state why I’m doing so. The short answer is, I miss #sports. All Sports. Sport has brought so much joy to me in my lifetime. It has also brought its share of agony.

2. For example: The Phoenix #Suns 1993 #NBA Finals loss. The Suns 1994 AND 1995 NBA Western Conference Semi-Final losses to #Houston, after being up 2 games to 0 in both series. The 1997, #ASU vs. Ohio State #ROSEBOWL (Which I still have nightmares about today).

3. The #Coyotes 1999 game 7 loss to the St. Louis Blues,
1-0 in OT. And of course, the 2009 #SuperBowl between the #Cardinals and the #Steelers, where my heart was ripped from my chest and stomped on by Santonio Holmes. I could go on, but I’ll assume you all get the gist.

4. #Arizona sports is synonymous with pain. But sport in and of itself is the essence of my joy. Even with the end results culminating in pain, the joy was there first. The joy of watching my beloved #Phoenix #Suns make it to the NBA Finals and go down swinging.

5. The joy of my #SunDevils making it to their 2nd #ROSEBOWL and coming seconds away from a National Title. (Damn you prevent defense!) Sorry…just had to get that in there. The joy of our fledgling Coyotes franchise making it to the playoffs.

6. The Joy of watching Larry Fitzgerald running free in the open field after having caught a precision pass from Kurt Warner for what appeared to be a #SuperBowl victory. Even now, knowing the end result would be excruciating, I wouldn’t trade these moments for anything.

7. Arizona sports fans are a strong bunch. We've suffered, yet we keep rooting for our teams. We root, not because they win, but because they're ours. Regardless AZ. fandom being characterized by disappointment, when it comes right down to it, these moments have helped unite us.

8. Whether it be through joy or pain, laughter or tears, sports as a whole are the essence of what it is to be a human. It is one of the many positive intangible gifts, given to this human race. Think about it this way;

9. Sports require drive, #discipline, endurance, camaraderie, #hustle, teamwork, will, desire, & most of all, #LOVE. Love for the sport in which we partake. Yet even if we manage to possess all these qualities, it still might not be enough for us to reach the pinnacle of success.

10. And that’s okay. It's the journey that matters most. Sports have always been about love & loss. We play to see what heights we can reach. To push ourselves further even when we don’t believe we have anything left.

11. Yet the end result doesn’t define us. Giving it our all, even if we fail, that is what defines us.
I have failed much more than I’ve succeeded as an athlete. But I still strive to better myself every time I compete and I have taught my children to do the same.

12. Success honestly teaches us so little. It is our failures that mold us and reveal our true character.

So “what does all this have to do with trading cards” you ask?

13. The answer for me is simple; Maybe we all need to remember what was -and still is- wonderful about people. Our will and desire to strive for something more. Something positive. Something true. Sport has helped bring us through some very tough times in our human history.

14. Now is one of those times. As we struggle through this difficult period and #coronavirus has altered our lives, perhaps these simple cards can in some small way divert our attention back to something innocent and pure. If only for a little while.

15. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the true heroes in our healthcare system, our emergency services, and our brave military personnel, who are out there risking their lives on a daily basis to help those in need during this crisis. I hope you all come out safe & sound.

16. I hope one day soon we will all once again enjoy the “tip-off, the “kick-off’, the “puck-drop” & the umpire shouting “Play Ball!”. Once these things happen again, I believe we will be well on the road to the healing of our tired nation and the entire world.
FIN: