Tough Guy

I like to think of myself as a tough guy.  I throw around some heavy weights, I’ve got a few boss looking tats (yes, I said “boss”), I ride a Harley and I can grow a fierce looking moustache (and yes, I said “fierce”).  However, I am prone to feeling a bit weepy at times.  This happened yesterday as I sat at home all alone watching TV.   I don’t just weep for the sake of weeping—I am a man for crying out loud—there is always a catalyst that precedes the weeping.  So I decided to blog about the 5 things that always make me tear up a little.

5.  Watching Brandi Chastain kick the winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup to defeat China for the championship.  I remember watching that game and when she scored and tore off her jersey with clenched fist yelling at the top of her lungs my emotions spilled over.  I was watching highlights of this yesterday when I got a little weepy.

4.  Watching Old Yeller, Marley and Me, Turner and Hooch, or Eight Below (also listening to Elvis sing Old Shep).  Something about a dog dying opens the flood gates.  I even get all sad watching the ASPCA commercials when they have the sad looking dogs on it and am about to call and make a donation until they show a cat (I don’t much care for cats—not that I would be mean to them, but their sadness doesn’t make me cry).

3.  Watching the 1997 Red Wings celebrate their Stanley Cup championship.  I think of the March 26^th game against Colorado, I think of my son Richard being born, the long road to get there for Steve Yzerman, but what really sets me to crying is when I see Vladimir Konstantinov celebrating and think how his career will be cut short a few days later because of the tragic limo accident.

2.  Watching replays of Kirk Gibson’s home run in the World Series against Goose Goosage.  It wasn’t a walk off homer, but once he hit it you just knew the Tigers were going to win the World Series.  It was also the first championship of any team I had experienced as a fan.  I have fond memories of that summer: being carefree, going to Toronto, getting my driver’s license, and watching my favorite baseball team dominate.

1.  Being proud of my kids always makes me cry.  Whether it is thinking about Terry Jrs incredible sacrifice made in Iraq to how beautiful and hard working my girls are to special moments like Cole’s huge tackle in a football game (video below) or Richard winning most outstanding wrestler at a tournament (pictured above).