...that it is a good thing that cancer is often talked about as something that has been “fought” and “beaten.” I’ve had some relatives who have dealt with cancer. I’ve spent more time at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka than I care to remember. And my fiance is a nurse who works with cancer patients everyday. And from what I’ve seen with my own eyes and what I’ve heard from these healtchare professionals is that when a person gets a cancer diagnosis, they can go one of two ways. They can either get depressed and give up, or they can fight. The ones that give up don’t live very long. Even the patients that “give up” have the surgeries and go through the chemo, but attitude really does make a difference. If people think they’re defeated, the cancer usually “wins.” If the person “fights” it, then they have a much better chance. So, in this instance, I think the language we use matters and I think it helps. If the media’s usage of terms like “fighting” and “beating” cancer helps spread the message (either consciously or subconsciously) that cancer is something that can be fought and beaten, then more power to them.

has a great deal of trouble differentiating between sports stories and human interest stories. The fact that Lester being a cancer survivor is brought up whenever he succeeds at baseball is an example of this. I’d much rather just enjoy-to the extent that I can, what with my allegiance to the Royals-the moment for Lester, who really does seem like a cool guy on a team with some interesting personalities. There’s no doubt Lester has worked hard to improve as a major league pitcher, and that’s what really makes me happy for him.

It’s one of the reasons there are so many more sports bloggers that I’d rather read than most sportswriters…columns these days seem to be so jammed full of spin or sap that I don’t know why I bother most of the time. It’s true in Boston, too, of course. I hate Shaughnessy. I hate McMullan. I’m totally indifferent on silly Bob Ryan. end tangent, but my point’s clear…I don’t need to be reminded Jon Lester beat cancer every time he pitches well. I’m already quite aware of the fact he beat cancer without filler articles or ESPN “coverage” about it.

Just look at political coverage. Its ridiculous. Debates are not meaningful discussions about the issues, they are a “BATTLE ROYALE TO THE WHITE HOUSE! WHO WILL SLIP UP? WHO WILL PULL PUNCHES? WILL THERE BE A KNOCKOUT PUNCH? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS BLOOD!”

she is fine now though.. caught it early and it didnt spread anywhere so she “survived”

i really hope after all the cancer,no hit shenanigans the royals can go out the next 3 games and light it up. It would seem only fitting the way this year has gone so far.

and yeah, you either live or you die, period. Its not a game, good point RR.

http://www.overthemonster.com/2008/5/20/523994/some-a-little-soar-after-l

I like the first commenter who went “over there” and found the majority of us were “classless,” and belittled great baseball accomplishments with our “small market paranoid crap.”

“Ok, they’re mad because they’re team suck.”