I received and e-mail yesterday from the son of a friend of mine. I sincerely hope all of you don't end up like this, but please read on. This is one of my rare serious moments.

John and I knew each other from our teaching days back in Wisconsin. I am 9 years older than John, and we met during the second to last year I was in Wisconsin. John was the ultimate Dallas Cowboy fan. Everything in his life revolved around the Cowboys.....to the extent that it cost him his marriage and family.

His garage door was Dallas Blue and Silver with a Texas star on it.

His license plates said CwBys.

He constantly wore a Tom Landry Fedora hat.

They were "his" team, even though he didn't know Jerry Jones from George Bush.

He never saw a Cowboys game in person. In fact, had never been to Texas.

He had all the answers to the Cowboys recent woes. Get rid of this guy and that guy...etc.


John was watching the Cowboys-Texans game this past Saturday evening with his son, who had come over just to talk with him and see how he was doing.

The Texans scored a TD and went up pretty big. John stood up, muttered
"Oh Shit", and fell on the floor.

He was dead before he hit the floor.

John's life revolved around the Cowboys, to the extent it killed him. I'm not saying it was the Cowboys themselves, but folks, sometimes we take "our" teams and sports way too seriously. He had high blood pressure way back when, and would get so worked up over a Cowboys lose that he would get migraines and miss work. Every conversation with him turned to Cowboy stuff. I am a Packer fan through and through, but long ago I learned that this is just a game....even though it is a business.....and life goes on even if your team loses this week.

Sit back and take a moment to reflect. We can be diehard fans, but out there is something far more important than the wins and losses that the Packers, or any other team for that matter, has in a season.

It's life and love and living. We only go around once....enjoy it, treasure it, and don't become so obsessed that your last words on earth are "oh shit", like John.

May he rest in peace.

Bob

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I've always taken the time to sit back and observe my life from different perspectives to attempt to balance my life out. My dad always used to say "If any habit gets in the way of your obligations to your friends, family, and yourself it's a destructive habit that needs to be taken seriously." However, there are times when I get too wrapped up in a video game, sports game, argument, etc., where I forget about everything that's going on in my life and focus only on that specific goal. That's why it's important to reflect on your life and your decisions--not to highlight your mistakes or make you feel regret--but to understand that you are where you are as a result of your own choices.

Good story Bob and may John rest in peace.

Bob, I love you.


Your posts are enjoyable and at proper times, poignant. I have always said, "pay attention to the quick witted funny guy. In there is a smart ,reflective, and insightful mind." That is you.

Sorry for your, and his family's, loss.

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Oh Bob.....i'm so sorry to hear of this.
I used to take sports too seriously. But i learned that it IS "just football".
Do you know if John had coronary artery disease? It sounds like that may have been the underlying problem. Put that with the hypertension, and it's a ticking time bomb.
Please give my respects to John's family for me.

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From what I understand through from other mutual friends, John had had a mild heart attack about 20 years, but had been warned by his doctors to "settle down" and ease up on the obsessive behavior. i.e. the Cowboys.

He had gone through an anger management program several years ago after he lost his job. Guess it didn't do any good. He was living back in southern Indiana in some small town where he grew up.

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Bob, first pass along my condolences to the family and friends.

I am a football addict.. and I get sucked in on game day.. but I try to keep it in check as much as possible.. I can't imagine becoming so obsessed that it takes over your life.. but it is probably more common than one thinks.

Sports have taken a strong hold in this country.. and isn't letting up.. like any other thing in life, some will just obsess over it and lose touch.

Thanks for sharing the thought in this sad time. Perspective is everything.

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A small heart attack was probably a huge warning sign that maybe should have been followed up on better. He may have been building up to "the big one".
I bet had they not caught my condition last year, i probably would have been in the same exact position.
Stress....ANY kind of stress, can cause a condition like that to blow up.

I hope if any of you are having any kind of warnings from your body, don't take it lightly. Have it checked out. Better to be safe then sorry.
Mine was just a shortness of breath walking up the stairs, and the feeling like i was being squeezed by someone. I never even had a heart attack. Had i not had it checked, the doctors say i probably wouldn't have made it more then a few months.
If anything is learned by this tradgedy, don't put off having any kind of warning checked out.

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