Sean Taylor's Death is a Tragic Wake-Up Call
Tragedies like Sean Taylor's death are a wake-up call for pasty, coach-potato sports fans like myself. It's easy for us Morlocks to forget that professional athletes are more than just highlight reels and stat sheets (and rap sheets). We get so caught up in scanning box scores for our fantasy stats that we forget that after a game these guys go home to their families and loved ones and deal with the same issues as you and me. Sure, they file their taxes in a much, much higher bracket than us but LaDainian Tomlinson still has to cut his toenails and Tom Brady still brushes his teeth before going to bed -- and then slobbering all over Gisele.
Unfortunately, Sean Taylor's death is a terrible reminder that even larger-than-life athletes are still mortal. The circumstances around Mr. Taylor's death drive this point home even further.
According to several reports, Mr. Taylor was at home with his girlfriend and their one-year-old daughter when an intruder entered their Miami home early Monday morning. Mr. Taylor grabbed a machete and tried to defend his family before getting shot in the leg in what later proved to be a lethal wound.
That is everybody's worst nightmare. Just thinking of somebody creeping around my apartment gives me the willies and Sean Taylor also had to consider the safety of his girlfriend and young daughter. Maybe a machete wasn't the best home-defense plan, but Sean Taylor defended his home the same way he played football: aggressively.
Mr. Taylor's killer may or may not be caught but nothing will make his death anything more than senseless. But that doesn't mean we all can't take this sobering moment to remind ourselves that the athletes we draft on our fantasy teams and watch on highlight reels are people too. For all of his money and reputation as a hard-hitting NFL safety, Sean Taylor still proved to be just as human as you or me. From now on, let's at least try to remember that much.
RIP, sad story!
RIP, sad story!