If I was given the ability to select one man in the history of any sport and put him into that sport's Hall of Fame, I wouldn't choose Pete Rose, Dennis Rodman or Don Mattingly—heck, not even Jerry Kramer.
I would pick Donald Driver. No man in the history of sports stands for what an athlete should be more than him.
The story of this man is a fascinating one. It's also one that few people know.
Driver grew up in the slums. The kid was dirt poor. He lived out of the trunk of his car.
When he was in seventh grade, his older brother noticed Driver's incredible speed, agility and hands—so he put it to use.
Things were so bad for the Drivers that Donald, dubbed "Quickie" by his brothers, was using his God-given talents to steal cars.
Those cars he would sell for drugs, drugs he claims he never used, but rather resold for more money.
Hey, when things are bad, they're bad. Driver says he probably stole 20 or 30 cars, and he was only caught once.
But that once changed everything.
Just as he was starting the car, he heard sirens, so he did what anybody would do—stepped on the gas and got away as fast as possible.
However, just as he was making his escape, he hit an old woman's car as she was backing out of her driveway. He hopped out of the car and sprinted away, and he was in the clear.
He had the cops beat by a few blocks, but something made him turn back.
It was the old lady. He went back to make sure she was okay.
That's right. Driver, who was in the midst of literally running for his life, the same kid who had just been caught stealing a car, turned back to check on the well-being of a woman that he had no affiliation with whatsoever, a woman he had never met in his life.
She was fine, but by the time he got back the police were rounding the corner, so she said to him, "Go sit on my porch."
For some reason he trusted her, and he took a seat on her porch.
By the time the cops got there she told them the lowlife had run off. "So who's that sitting on your porch?" one cop said to her.
The five words that followed would go on to change Driver's life as he knew it: "Oh, that's just my grandson."
Donald was mesmerized. He couldn't believe what had just happened—until the woman walked over to him and said, "Get in this house!" Inside, she went off on him. "Why do you do this?!" she said.
Now, this is no movie. He still stole another car or two because things were that bad. But one year later his mom sent him to live with his grandmother.
He joined the drill team at his grandmother's church and played organized football for the first time at Milby High School, where he found out Olympic speed and great hands can do more than just steal cars.
It then occurred to him what the lady was trying to tell him that day: "You could be doing so much more!"
And he did. Driver starred in track and football at Alcorn State, where he also got his accounting degree.
Isn't it funny how one good deed can mean so much?
After he finished college, Driver had a choice to make: He could either compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics or join the Green Bay Packers, who had used the 213th overall pick to draft him in 1999.
With his family still in poverty, Driver needed an NFL paycheck desperately, so he chose the Packers.
Good choice.
For two years Driver played every practice as if he would have been arrested for taking a play off, and in 2002, when the Packers were about as desperate for a wide receiver as Driver himself was for money as a kid, guess who came out of nowhere to become a Pro Bowl receiver?
Driver didn't disappear after that 2002 season either. The guy has become a Packers legend, the second greatest receiver in team history.
However, talking to Driver, you wouldn't know it. He's never been a "look at me"-type guy, which is why he's flown so wildly under the radar in the same era as guys like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.
From 2005 to 2008 he was, aside from Marvin Harrison, perhaps the best and most consistent wide receiver in all of football.
Driver holds Packers franchise records for career receiving yards, receptions, 1,000-yard receiving seasons, consecutive games with a reception and 50-plus-catch seasons.
However, that is not why Donald Driver deserves your utmost respect. He deserves it not because of who he is on the field, but rather who he is off it.
He has his own charity, the Donald Driver Foundation, which offers assistance to ill children with unmanageable hospital bills, provides housing for the homeless and donates to a variety of local charities. He is also said to make more charity appearances than any other player on the team by a wide margin.
"He's a wonderful man," says Cathy Dworak, the team's manager of community relations. "He's always smiling, fun, positive. He calls me up and asks if there are any appearances I need done. Can you imagine?"
Earlier this season, with the Packers playing for their playoff lives against the Detroit Lions, Driver noticed his quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't look right after taking a brutal hit on a scramble on the last series.
He told him that he should leave the game, that his future as a human being was more important than a stupid game. Keep in mind that's coming from a 36-year-old veteran in perhaps his last chance to win a Super Bowl, risking a shot at the playoffs to do something that I guarantee you 99 percent of other NFL players wouldn't have done.
It turned out Rodgers had his second concussion of the season. Driver very well may have saved his career.
That is why I root for the little engine that could from Alcorn State—because he cares about the people.
He cares about the fans, the kids, his teammates and even people he's never met (remember that old lady).
Which is why I will pray to God that if there is one great game left in Donald Driver's 36-year-old body, we see it on Super Bowl Sunday.
Nobody deserves a ring more.
Showing posts with label All. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All. Show all posts
Monday, January 24, 2011
Why Do All 'The Bachelor' Ladies Already Love Brad?
The last time we saw Brad Womack, he was crushing the hearts of two perfectly lovely women on national television. During the season 11 finale of 'The Bachelor,' Brad decided to break the show's famous proposal tradition and dumped both finalists, DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft, in one of the most memorable moments in 'Bachelor' history.
Three years later, after slander in the tabloids, unbearable loneliness and intensive therapy, Brad's back. And this time he claims he's serious about finding true love -- he only reminds us 50 times per episode. The one thing we have to wonder is, will the new contestants, most of whom are aware of Brad's commitment-phobic track record on 'The Bachelor,' be able to trust him enough to want to be there at the end?
Surprisingly enough, it seems like they already do.
Aside from one well-placed slap in the premiere, the 14 remaining women are only in week three and already seem to have completely forgotten about the DeAnna and Jenni debacle, sprouting signs of the desperation for intimacy that makes 'The Bachelor' what it is. Cat fights? Check. Jealousy? Check. Creepily following Brad around no matter who he's talking to or what he's doing? Check. But why? Why would these women crumble into tears, both after being eliminated and in general, over the one guy famous for not committing?
There are plenty of factors in the ladies' disregard for Brad's checkered dating past, but we're willing to bet most of it stems from a truckload of man-centric trust issues resonating through the cast. Six of the remaining women have terribly sad backstories regarding the men in their lives. We're talking disappearing dads, infidelity, divorce, untimely death, addicts, illegitimate children, homelessness, the list goes on. Not to mention that Brad discovered, through a three-year long therapy session, that his commitment issues are derived from his own absentee father.
That is a lot of common baggage for one group of people. And longing to fill the emotional gaps left by neglect and trauma, coupled with the fact that Brad is pretty damn hot and the only guy to interact with for miles, breeds some crazy behavior.
Take Michelle Money, for instance. She's the eldest of the bachelorettes, having just turned 30, and is extremely vocal about her hatred of having to share Brad with more than a dozen other women. She often fantasizes -- to the camera, no less -- about taking them out one by one. Meet Michelle:
Charming, really. To Michelle, this not a competition, it's survival. Though CelebTV unearthed footage of her movie-making past, we can't imagine being this nuts 24/7 is all an act. The single mom balances stalking Brad like a hawk with taking advantage of his insecurities by making him feel guilty for wooing the other contestants -- although it's the exact aim of the show. In only three weeks, Michelle has manged to completely alienate herself in the house, make an enemy of Chantal (the justice slapper), pout and make a scene like a spoiled teenager on her 30th birthday, managing to paint herself as a delusional, desperate and manipulative aspiring cat lady.
Now, most of the women don't run to this extreme. Some seem like they'd be perfectly normal in real life. But the pressure of 'The Bachelor' has become a catalyst to their emotions, rendering them completely vulnerable to this one man. No matter how tough the ladies seemed on day one, they're are all pretty much in love with Brad by now. Remember Chantal? Our femme-power "This is for all the women in America!" justice slapper? Even she was reduced to tears during a particularly deep conversation with Brad about not being able to reconnect with her estranged father before he passed away. And then they made out. Come to think of it, most of the first kisses came about after a big emotional reveal. Thank goodness for daddy issues, or Brad might not get any action.
The funny thing is, the one girl who on the surface seemed nuts, Madison Garton (who wore prosthetic fangs and bragged about meeting the leader of the underground vampire world -- which is a thing, apparently), was by far the most rational when it came to her potential relationship with Brad. After hearing Emily Maynard's tragic love story, she realized there were women who had much more at stake than she did. So she decided to go home, in hopes that her absence would make the road to 'The Bachelor' that much easier for the ones who think they need love, not just want it.
So it's not all about Mr. Womack after all. Sure his rugged good looks, chiseled body, deep pockets and Texan charm don't hurt, but at the end of the day, 'The Bachelor' could be any decent guy, and these women would be falling all over him just the same. They're not looking for love with Brad Womack, they're looking for love, period. It just so happens they ended up on Brad's (second) season.
Three years later, after slander in the tabloids, unbearable loneliness and intensive therapy, Brad's back. And this time he claims he's serious about finding true love -- he only reminds us 50 times per episode. The one thing we have to wonder is, will the new contestants, most of whom are aware of Brad's commitment-phobic track record on 'The Bachelor,' be able to trust him enough to want to be there at the end?
Surprisingly enough, it seems like they already do.
Aside from one well-placed slap in the premiere, the 14 remaining women are only in week three and already seem to have completely forgotten about the DeAnna and Jenni debacle, sprouting signs of the desperation for intimacy that makes 'The Bachelor' what it is. Cat fights? Check. Jealousy? Check. Creepily following Brad around no matter who he's talking to or what he's doing? Check. But why? Why would these women crumble into tears, both after being eliminated and in general, over the one guy famous for not committing?
There are plenty of factors in the ladies' disregard for Brad's checkered dating past, but we're willing to bet most of it stems from a truckload of man-centric trust issues resonating through the cast. Six of the remaining women have terribly sad backstories regarding the men in their lives. We're talking disappearing dads, infidelity, divorce, untimely death, addicts, illegitimate children, homelessness, the list goes on. Not to mention that Brad discovered, through a three-year long therapy session, that his commitment issues are derived from his own absentee father.
That is a lot of common baggage for one group of people. And longing to fill the emotional gaps left by neglect and trauma, coupled with the fact that Brad is pretty damn hot and the only guy to interact with for miles, breeds some crazy behavior.
Take Michelle Money, for instance. She's the eldest of the bachelorettes, having just turned 30, and is extremely vocal about her hatred of having to share Brad with more than a dozen other women. She often fantasizes -- to the camera, no less -- about taking them out one by one. Meet Michelle:
Charming, really. To Michelle, this not a competition, it's survival. Though CelebTV unearthed footage of her movie-making past, we can't imagine being this nuts 24/7 is all an act. The single mom balances stalking Brad like a hawk with taking advantage of his insecurities by making him feel guilty for wooing the other contestants -- although it's the exact aim of the show. In only three weeks, Michelle has manged to completely alienate herself in the house, make an enemy of Chantal (the justice slapper), pout and make a scene like a spoiled teenager on her 30th birthday, managing to paint herself as a delusional, desperate and manipulative aspiring cat lady.
Now, most of the women don't run to this extreme. Some seem like they'd be perfectly normal in real life. But the pressure of 'The Bachelor' has become a catalyst to their emotions, rendering them completely vulnerable to this one man. No matter how tough the ladies seemed on day one, they're are all pretty much in love with Brad by now. Remember Chantal? Our femme-power "This is for all the women in America!" justice slapper? Even she was reduced to tears during a particularly deep conversation with Brad about not being able to reconnect with her estranged father before he passed away. And then they made out. Come to think of it, most of the first kisses came about after a big emotional reveal. Thank goodness for daddy issues, or Brad might not get any action.
The funny thing is, the one girl who on the surface seemed nuts, Madison Garton (who wore prosthetic fangs and bragged about meeting the leader of the underground vampire world -- which is a thing, apparently), was by far the most rational when it came to her potential relationship with Brad. After hearing Emily Maynard's tragic love story, she realized there were women who had much more at stake than she did. So she decided to go home, in hopes that her absence would make the road to 'The Bachelor' that much easier for the ones who think they need love, not just want it.
So it's not all about Mr. Womack after all. Sure his rugged good looks, chiseled body, deep pockets and Texan charm don't hurt, but at the end of the day, 'The Bachelor' could be any decent guy, and these women would be falling all over him just the same. They're not looking for love with Brad Womack, they're looking for love, period. It just so happens they ended up on Brad's (second) season.
Morgan Spurlock Talks About Selling Out For all the Right Reasons
Back in 2004, Morgan Spurlock became the Cinderella story of Sundance (and eventually earned an Oscar nomination) for his muckraking stunt documentary Super Size Me about his effort to live solely on fast food from McDonald’s for a month. For his latest movie, Spurlock set himself a challenge even more difficult than pounding down endless Big Macs and Egg McMuffins: Make a documentary about product placement in entertainment — and the penetration of advertising into every corner our lives — that would actually be paid for entirely by product placements. The crazy thing is, it worked. The bitingly funny result – Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold — received a warm reception at its premiere Saturday, and Sony Classics will release the film in mid-April. Spurlock sat down with EW to talk about it.
EW: You said at the Q&A after the screening that the idea for this movie first came when you were watching an episode of Heroes that had a particularly egregious bit of product placement in which Hayden Panetierre’s character kept shouting about how excited she was to get a Nissan Rogue.
Spurlock: After seeing that, we got into a whole conversation about how pervasive product placement has become in movies and television. And that turned into a bigger conversation about how we’re marketed to everywhere we go. I mean, any bar you go to now, you use the bathroom and there are advertisements right in front of your eyes — or down in the urinal cake! So we said, “What if we made a movie all about product placement and actually got brands to pay for it?” We started calling ad agencies first, and none of them would play ball with us, because they were afraid. The last thing they would want to do is do anything to jeopardize their core relationships — especially with me. Because of Super Size Me, I came to the table with a tremendous amount of baggage. Then we decided to take our destiny in our own hands and started cold-calling hundreds of brands, and suddenly people started calling back, which was amazing.
EW: Obviously by bringing all these corporations into your project, you were risking essentially selling out your own movie.
Spurlock: Yeah, but I’m not selling out — I’m buying in! [laughs]
EW: So what are you hoping Hollywood — and the corporate world — will take away from the movie?
Spurlock: In the early days of television and radio, companies would sponsor things and say, “Do whatever you want.” If brands can stop being so precious, the more creative control they give to people who have talent — instead of just saying, “You have to hold up this can of Dr. Pepper in this shot” — the better off everyone will be. The companies who were willing to come on board this movie wind up looking great because they had the balls to take part.
EW: You’ve also been working on a documentary about Comic-Con with help from people like Joss Whedon and Stan Lee. What’s the status of that?
Spurlock: We’re in the process of editing right now. That movie will probably be out this year.
EW: And are you developing any non-documentary feature film projects?
Spurlock: After Super Size Me, people were like, “That movie was funny — let’s get him to do a comedy!” So I got sent all these terrible comedy scripts, like a Revenge of the Nerds remake, and I was like, “Absolutely not.” But now I’ve found a script that’s exactly the movie I’d want to make. It’s with Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, Appian Way. Now it’s just a matter of putting it together, which would be the coolest thing.
EW: Given that The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is all about pushing the boundaries of advertising, what sort of innovative things are you going to market your movie?
Spurlock: One of the things we’re going to do is we want to find a town that will rename their town “Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.” And whatever town does that, we’ll bring the premiere there. And it will be the greatest premiere that ever could have happened in that town!
EW: You said at the Q&A after the screening that the idea for this movie first came when you were watching an episode of Heroes that had a particularly egregious bit of product placement in which Hayden Panetierre’s character kept shouting about how excited she was to get a Nissan Rogue.
Spurlock: After seeing that, we got into a whole conversation about how pervasive product placement has become in movies and television. And that turned into a bigger conversation about how we’re marketed to everywhere we go. I mean, any bar you go to now, you use the bathroom and there are advertisements right in front of your eyes — or down in the urinal cake! So we said, “What if we made a movie all about product placement and actually got brands to pay for it?” We started calling ad agencies first, and none of them would play ball with us, because they were afraid. The last thing they would want to do is do anything to jeopardize their core relationships — especially with me. Because of Super Size Me, I came to the table with a tremendous amount of baggage. Then we decided to take our destiny in our own hands and started cold-calling hundreds of brands, and suddenly people started calling back, which was amazing.
EW: Obviously by bringing all these corporations into your project, you were risking essentially selling out your own movie.
Spurlock: Yeah, but I’m not selling out — I’m buying in! [laughs]
EW: So what are you hoping Hollywood — and the corporate world — will take away from the movie?
Spurlock: In the early days of television and radio, companies would sponsor things and say, “Do whatever you want.” If brands can stop being so precious, the more creative control they give to people who have talent — instead of just saying, “You have to hold up this can of Dr. Pepper in this shot” — the better off everyone will be. The companies who were willing to come on board this movie wind up looking great because they had the balls to take part.
EW: You’ve also been working on a documentary about Comic-Con with help from people like Joss Whedon and Stan Lee. What’s the status of that?
Spurlock: We’re in the process of editing right now. That movie will probably be out this year.
EW: And are you developing any non-documentary feature film projects?
Spurlock: After Super Size Me, people were like, “That movie was funny — let’s get him to do a comedy!” So I got sent all these terrible comedy scripts, like a Revenge of the Nerds remake, and I was like, “Absolutely not.” But now I’ve found a script that’s exactly the movie I’d want to make. It’s with Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, Appian Way. Now it’s just a matter of putting it together, which would be the coolest thing.
EW: Given that The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is all about pushing the boundaries of advertising, what sort of innovative things are you going to market your movie?
Spurlock: One of the things we’re going to do is we want to find a town that will rename their town “Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.” And whatever town does that, we’ll bring the premiere there. And it will be the greatest premiere that ever could have happened in that town!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' Isn't About Tony Danza After All
Tony Danza has taken to Funny Or Die to clarify an age-old rumor and frequent mishearing of a classic Elton John tune.
"The song is called 'Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer,' by Elton John. Not Tony Danza," the 59-year-old actor says in a scene. "I mean, I never even met Elton John, y'know?"
Danza clarifies the myth to a couple convenience store clerks; the three are then shown riding in a car, screaming the lyrics, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza!" See the clip after the jump.
Our friends at AOL TV note a moment in 'Almost Famous' when the cast sings the Elton John song Tony Danza-style. "This misheard lyric was probably missed by the generation that first heard the song," writes Ryan McKee. "However, to a generation that grew up with 'Taxi' and 'Who's The Boss?,' it's impossible not to hear it."
The clip hypes what appears to be an upcoming film, 'Scott & Zander's Crazy Night.' In a second clip, we learn that "Tony Danza never blocks a c***." More pertinent and hilarious Danza Facts, please, Funny Or Die!
"The song is called 'Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer,' by Elton John. Not Tony Danza," the 59-year-old actor says in a scene. "I mean, I never even met Elton John, y'know?"
Danza clarifies the myth to a couple convenience store clerks; the three are then shown riding in a car, screaming the lyrics, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza!" See the clip after the jump.
Hold Me Closer Tony Danza - watch more funny videos
Our friends at AOL TV note a moment in 'Almost Famous' when the cast sings the Elton John song Tony Danza-style. "This misheard lyric was probably missed by the generation that first heard the song," writes Ryan McKee. "However, to a generation that grew up with 'Taxi' and 'Who's The Boss?,' it's impossible not to hear it."
The clip hypes what appears to be an upcoming film, 'Scott & Zander's Crazy Night.' In a second clip, we learn that "Tony Danza never blocks a c***." More pertinent and hilarious Danza Facts, please, Funny Or Die!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Melissa Leo Thanks Russell for All Those Hours in the Maritime Hotel
Melissa Leo's amazing performance as Alice Ward in "The Fighter" earned the great actress her first Golden Globe award.
"(My people) told me you gotta go meet David O. Russell on this film," said Leo. "I said, well I’d like to meet David O. Russell, but I don’t know if I could play Mark (Wahlberg) and Christian (Bale)’s mother, I’m a little young. Thank god, I went to the meeting."
"David wrapped me into the film, and the idea that I could be his Alice. I am forever grateful for that, David. Those few hours we spent in the Maritime Hotel –forever, thank you, No no no no… you don’t know what kind of girl I am. It was all work, man. Mark Wahlberg, you are a prince, you’re amazing. It was beautiful to play your mother, it was so beautiful to see you and your team work and thank you so much for working with the Ward-Eklunds for so long and so hard so that Mickey’s legacy and Dicky as well will live on so much longer and brighter. Thank you so much, Mark."
We absolutely love Leo, but this award should've gone to Jacki Weaver, who was incredible in "Animal Kingdom."
"(My people) told me you gotta go meet David O. Russell on this film," said Leo. "I said, well I’d like to meet David O. Russell, but I don’t know if I could play Mark (Wahlberg) and Christian (Bale)’s mother, I’m a little young. Thank god, I went to the meeting."
"David wrapped me into the film, and the idea that I could be his Alice. I am forever grateful for that, David. Those few hours we spent in the Maritime Hotel –forever, thank you, No no no no… you don’t know what kind of girl I am. It was all work, man. Mark Wahlberg, you are a prince, you’re amazing. It was beautiful to play your mother, it was so beautiful to see you and your team work and thank you so much for working with the Ward-Eklunds for so long and so hard so that Mickey’s legacy and Dicky as well will live on so much longer and brighter. Thank you so much, Mark."
We absolutely love Leo, but this award should've gone to Jacki Weaver, who was incredible in "Animal Kingdom."
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