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By Randy Gardner

As I spent some time on the internet over the weekend, I was so surprised to see stories from so many athletes that had the world at their feet and it got away from them. What are these people thinking?

First, Allen Iverson, a professional basketball player that made over $150 million (not including endorsements) had his bank account seized for not paying a jewelry bill. How do you mismanage  on $150 plus million dollars.

This is just one of many stories from athletes, actors and actresses. So many people think that winning or having huge sums of money would solve all of their problems, it seems from the stories that it only causes problems.

What ever happened in this world to family values and working hard for your money and being responsible with it?

This seems to be the society that we are living in now. Everyone wants everything to come easy and not have to work for it. There is so much satisfaction to earning what you get in life and to pass that work ethic to your children.

Children Often Learn More from Losing

This applies to life and to sports. If your child plays on a team that wins all of the time and never has any real challenges does he really learn anything about sports?

There are so many lessons that cross into real life. Losing helps all of us to understand how sweet winning really is. There are so many kids that walk around with this ego that they are better than other kids because of their wins and loss records in sports. This is absolutely ridiculous.

I actually laid into a parent one day that was telling me about how their sons team is like 35-0 and beats every team by 15 or so goals. I asked, “does this really help your kid to learn or is it about you having the right to brag about it now as a parent, because it doesn’t impress me at all”.

I don’t think that is what they wanted to hear, but it is the truth.  I was fortunate enough to win a State Championship in soccer at Aquinas but in college lost in the Final 16 in San Diego. I have thought more about that loss and how I never want to feel like I did on the plane flight back to St. Louis after the game. That feeling motivates me to do things at 110 percent all of the time.

Cards and Mark Lamping Fly South

It is hard to believe that pitchers and catchers are reporting to Spring training in just a few days. Our snow season could just starting here in St. Louis. It is going to be a cold early home part of the season for the Birds.

Next time, I want to get into the whole Jacksonville Jaguars and Rams connection with Mark Lamping becoming the Jaguars new president. Does this set the team up for a move to St. Louis after Kronke takes the Rams to L.A. in a few years? The structure might be falling into place.

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