Some general observations while wondering why wedding planning isn't considered a contact sport.
n Glad to see Ben Roethlisberger taking responsibility for his actions, while at the same time withholding judgment to see if he can walk the walk as well as he talks the talk.
Credit the Steelers' organization for standing with the NFL in support of the suspension, on the heels of dealing away another problem child in Santonio Holmes. The black and gold are joining the league in sending a powerful message about expectations for players on and off the field. Hopefully that will resonate through the locker room and onto the gridiron, and give us more reasons to be proud of our country's most popular sport and the men who play it.
n I recently enjoyed the opportunity to hear Dr. Evan Offstein, a professor from Frostburg State University, speak about principals of sport that apply to business.
The author of "Gridiron Leadership" took the issues from the sports arena like teamwork, strategy and coaching and related them to management: motivating co-workers and employees, goal-setting, etc. The aim is to be victoriousin business and in life. The presentation was entertaining, with YouTube clips ranging from coaches' rants to extraordinary examples of sportsmanship. Not only was it educational from a leadership standpoint, it was a vivid reminder of the values from sport that we can translate to our everyday lives. Looking forward to reading his books, and more information is available online at GridironLeaders.com
n Kudos to the Penn State fencing team, which recently brought home its fifth NCAA championship in the last decade.
Head coach Emmanuil Kaidonov has guided the Nittany Lions to a dozen national team titles, and coached 27 individual champions. He called this year's win "unexpected", after entering the final day of competition in third place. But as champions do, the fencing team rose to the occasion.
The team tends to go unnoticed compared to sports like football and basketball, but its commitment to excellence is amazing, even though they've made their national domination look so easy.
n Sad to hear of the passing of 22-year old Dolan Mosser over the weekend.
The former Claysburg-Kimmel wrestler and football player is at peace after a long and valiant battle with cancer. During his fight, he inspired many with his courageous spirit and positive attitude, including his cousin, Kelbi Berg.
Kelbi was a star pitcher at Chestnut Ridge High School who dedicated his 2007 senior season to Dolan, and collected pledges for every strikeout. Berg's teammates got on board, and not only did they raise thousands of dollars, they also won the District 5 Class AA baseball championship, the first for the Lions in almost two decades.
Dolan and Kelbi shared a never-give-up attitude; while Kelbi has the district baseball medal, Dolan will also be remembered as a true champion.
Goodman can be reached at kellie@bedfordcountychamber.org. Her column appears on Tuesdays.
