A SPORTS ANALOGY

I'm a big sports fan. This past week, while I've been pressing forward to finish A Ranger's Trail, I have watched quite a bit of the French Open Tennis Tournament, including the men and women's finals.


The question occured to me: We hear about the ones who win it all--from Super Bowl winning MVPs to the Miami Heat's Big Three to Li Na and Rafael Nadal. But how do the people at the bottom of the food chain feel: the players on the practice squad, the players who receive minimum salaries--the players whom the current NFL lookout might actually hurt. Players on the minor league level. Are they happy with their spot in the sports hierarchy? Or have only those who win it all succeeded?


I suspect a lot of players are happy just to play the game. (For anyone who's seen the movie The Rookie, about a 30-something baseball rookie who decides the minor leagues are worth it, because "Tonight I get to play baseball.")

For the past two years, I have supported myself by writing books and articles. It's taken me almost two decades to reach this point. I'm a professional writer.

I'm not the MVP. I am happy just to be a part of the team.

It's time to stand up for the little guy.