Kardiac Kids & A Chance To Relive 1980!

For most of my life in Cleveland, sports and the Browns were part of our lives in more ways than just Sunday afternoons. For many years, we helped the players to organize and lead a Bible study in our home. We often were asked to do the pregame worship services for both the Browns and even more often for the visiting teams who came to battle the Browns. Those beautiful fall days of September eventually gave way to bitter cold days of December and during most of our lives in Ohio, the team had meaningful games all the way thru Christmas.

When Sam Rutigliano was named coach of the Browns, his first speaking engagement was for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at John Carroll University. Little did we know that his leadership would also lead the city into the rallying cries for the Kardiac Kids of 1979 and 1980. One of my closest friends, who also happens to be turning 65 in 2010, is former Browns kicker Don Cockroft. Don also made countless appearances for FCA and still is helping whenever and wherever he can to share the Gospel. As a member of those teams, he will be forever linked with the field goal that never got kicked and the play called Red Right 88.

Don is in the final stages of bringing out a book on this subject but from a different perspective. Untold stories of players from that team and their victories and struggles in life after football are the themes that bring great memories of those times back to life. I highly recommend visiting the new website www.thekardiackids.com and see if you too can enjoy visiting the lives of those players and coaches from that era! You will also be inspired by many of these players and their families who experienced highs and lows that you may not have realized.

Luke 18:14 (RSV) “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Monday Morning Message Sent 12/14/09

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