Chris Herren

Last night I watched the powerful 30 for 30 documentary Unguarded about Chris Herren and his struggle with drug addiction. Perhaps the most emotionally raw moment was when Herren described when he decided that everyone would be better off if he just killed himself. Out of nowhere a woman tapped Herren on the shoulder told him that she knew his mother and was going to get him help. That woman who is not named in the film saved Herren's life. The intersection of basketball and drugs in the film made me think of Jim Carroll's Basketball Diaries.

I haven't read Chris Herren's book but I have added it to my Amazon Wish List.

I keep thinking that if that woman didn't tap Chris Herren on the shoulder when he was thinking of killed himself that he would have become just another person who died. Except without a guy like Jim Carroll to name him in a song for posterity.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I was not aware that Sears had a policy of supporting their employees on active duty this way. This holiday season I will be sure to shop at Sears and their policy will be the reason... Jonathan Hock who directed the Chris Herren 30 for 30 biopic Unguarded also wrote the 30 for 30 episode The Best That Never Was on Marcus Dupree. Both films were very powerful... In case you missed it - Colin Quinn has been taking shots at Will Farrell on Twitter saying among other things that Farrell stole the premise for the movie Anchorman from Quinn... Speaking of supporting the troops... Who knew? Teddy Roosevelt thought Thomas Jefferson was most incompetent chief executive in US History. Worse than Buchanan even... Today would have been Daniel Boone's 277th birthday. He not only killed a Grizzly bear with his bare hands - he once swam to the North pole and drown two polar bears... Congratulations to Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and Jacoby Ellsbury for winning Gold Gloves. All well deserved and worthy choices...