{"id":4579,"date":"2010-12-17T13:11:09","date_gmt":"2010-12-17T19:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flovalleynews.com\/?p=4579"},"modified":"2010-12-17T13:11:09","modified_gmt":"2010-12-17T19:11:09","slug":"family-friends-passion-for-the-game-is-what-we-remember-the-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=4579","title":{"rendered":"Family, Friends, Passion For the Game is What We Remember the Most"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Randy Gardner<\/strong><\/p>\n

As this is my last column of the year, I am so thankful for many things. First and foremost, my family and all of the blessings that comes with that. I would like to say thank you to all of the readers of my column who stop me at the mall or grocery store and say that they agree or disagree with what I have to say.<\/p>\n

\"Randy<\/p>\n

It\u2019s funny how sports can evoke so much emotion in people but when you look at what is talked about at the water cooler or the local bar. It is always sports. That will never change. Whether it is about the big pro game or your youngsters little league game, sports spark conversation.<\/p>\n

Hopefully we will be having a jolly conversation about the Rams deep into the new \u00a0year. Do you think they have even a slither of a chance or should be start getting our wishes to Santa right now?<\/p>\n

They hung in this past week against the Saints but just couldn\u2019t get it done. There were a couple of pivotal plays that changed the whole complexion of the game including the interception at the end of the first half that would have brought the Rams to within one point. The next thing you know they’re down by 15\u2014 on just that one bad throw by Sam Bradford.<\/p>\n

Fans Look the Rams’ Effort<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love the effort. Everyone that I have talked to has said the same thing, that they love the effort this team is giving even though they have a lost a few games. Sam Bradford is a true professional and this is a guy that young kids should look up to. He can make a mistake, shrug it off and come right back. That\u2019s a professional.<\/p>\n

Brett Favre\u2019s streak came to an end last night and I don\u2019t care what anybody says, this guys is a true gamer. He has played hurt most of his career and he is in his early 40s. Some people hate him and some people like him but either way, he played with a ton of passion and that seems to be missing in the world of pro sports lately.<\/p>\n

I see this same passion in\u00a0\u00a0 a couple of the Rams players this year, most notably, James Larinatus and Steven Jackson. I love their passion\u2014it is how I would play if I played. If we all lived our lives with this much passion about our jobs, family, and friends, what a great world this would be.<\/p>\n

Finally, my last thoughts of 2010, for many of us it has been a difficult year in many different ways. To everyone who has experienced any kind of hardship including health, financial, or anything else. Keep your head up, most of the times in this world, we are just one step away from something great, but we have to be willing to be open and accept it.<\/p>\n

Take some chances in 2011. Remember a motto I live by is \u201cPlay it safe and be good or Take a chance and be great\u201d, also \u201cExcellence.. Expect nothing less\u201d. Thanks again for reading my column for the past 12 years and Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Randy Gardner As this is my last column of the year, I am so thankful for many things. First and foremost, my family and all of the blessings that comes with that. I would like to say thank you to all of the readers of my column who stop me at the mall or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columnists","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nFamily, Friends, Passion For the Game is What We Remember the Most - flovalleynews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=4579\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Family, Friends, Passion For the Game is What We Remember the Most - flovalleynews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Randy Gardner As this is my last column of the year, I am so thankful for many things. 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