Go Team!

Who is Zoltan Mesko?  Even now, I’ll bet if I ask my wife, Carrie, to answer that question she’d have trouble coming up with the correct answer.

How ‘bout you?  Do you know who he is?  Need a hint?

Here’s a portion of the Wikipedia run down on Zoltan Mesko – In the mid-1990s, his parents, Michael and Elisabeth Mesko, were highly educated engineers in Romania.  The family supplemented its income selling homemade clothes in the market.  On May 8, 1997, when Zoltan was 11, his family moved from his native Romania after Michael Mesko won a United States Permanent Resident Card (green card) in the Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery for the single child family to move to the United States.

Have the answer yet?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Zoltan Mesko is the punter for the New England Patriots.  Find out more of his story here:  www.thepostgame.com/blog/good-sports/201202/new-england-patriots-punter-zoltan-meskos-long-journey-war-glory

Upon hearing about Zoltan’s background during the Super Bowl pre-game show, Carrie quickly and enthusiastically grabbed the remote and rewound the program that was responsible for revealing that critical information.  It was ALL the information she needed in order for her to pick a team to cheer for during the Super bowl.  She then proceeded to show our daughter Amanda and Amanda’s college roommate the emotional clip again … and again … and again.  She also sent this information via text to our son Kyle attempting to sway his allegiance away from the Giants because of this newfound discovery.  Well, it was “fish on” people.  Carrie found what she needed to gain a hint of interest in the watching THE game.  She finally had a seat on board the Super Bowl train along with the rest of the world … thus beating the long shot Vegas odds that said it couldn’t be done.

It’s always humorous to watch Carrie not watching my sports shows.  I can’t help but smile.  Even during THE game she cannot sit still, choosing instead to gaze out the window for long periods of time … perhaps imagining a meandering boat ride through the canals of Venice, Italy.  Truth be known, she probably gets the same smile watching me struggle to stay awake for an episode of “Little House on the Prairie” as I too dream of that Venice boat ride thingy.  I wisely kept two TV’s fixed on the Super Bowl in case one inadvertently got changed to the Walton’s.

In twenty-five years of marriage, we’ve found areas of common interest and areas of uncommon interest.  And we’re gonna do both together.  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  We’ve decided to live, laugh, and experience life together ... for richer, for poorer, through sickness, health, and even enduring those dreaded Little House on the Prairie episodes.  YIKES!  Can I be water boarded instead?

Even though Carrie may not remember the guy’s name, his team name, or even the final outcome of THE game (it was sooo two days ago), she will never forget that Romanian dude’s life-story and that he happened to be playing during that World Series or whatever.  If you ask her about it, the Vegas odds say she’ll be able to elaborate on Zoltan’s Romanian plight far beyond that wimpy Wikipedia run down.

On Sunday, it seems I got a front row seat to view yet another example of my wife’s compassion for others.  Her unique perspective helped me realize that there were real people inside those clashing helmets … and each helmet on the field carries its own life-story of success and struggle.  That gave me a different view of this Gladiator type sport of football for sure.  Carrie made me smile on Sunday and I again realized that I am grateful for my teammate and her refreshing look at life and sports.  Go Team!

(That last part is where I could’ve contacted my inner Tom Cruise and said something like, “She completes me”.  Although true, I chose to finish this thought with a rousing “Go team!” yell instead.  You’re welcome.)