Gene's Blog: Feeling lousy? Here's a place for good vibes

January 13, 2010

You’ve had it with winter. You’re weary of doing the penguin walk on icy sidewalks.

In sports, your Vikings’ offensive tackles are getting moved backwards as forcefully as Jay Leno and Conan.

2009 finished badly for your favorite striped animals -- baseball’s Detroit Tigers, football's Cincy Bengals, and golf’s Tiger.

You wagered on the Packers-Cardinals playoff game…  but took the under.

Your favorite basketball player, Gilbert Arenas, was suspended by the NBA… and honored by the NRA.

It seems like you never win anything. Recently, as the 13th caller to a radio show, you were awarded four prime seats… to a Timberwolves game.

You need some positive news, and fast. Here are a couple of ideas:

First, you should embrace NCAA Division III sports, one of America’s best-kept secrets. It's a world that emphasizes scholars instead of scholarships, and a place that boasts hustle and heart instead of hype.

Second, drop what you're doing and log on to this locally-run website -- created by St. Thomas alumnus Mike O’Halloran –- www.sportsfeelgoodstories.com

The website features links to video and print stories that capture the best in human spirit. It debuted on Groundhog’s Day 2009, but has a Fourth of July feel as it celebrates some of our country's best heroes and highlights.

“We like to showcase positive stories, of people overcoming obstacles and achieving against great odds,” O’Halloran said. “Many of the stories go beyond sports. I felt there was a niche that needed to be filled. A lot of sports websites are produced by 20- to 30-year old guys and have a lot of content that isn’t so family friendly. We try to find the type of stories that attracted people to sports in the first place.”

Chills, thrills

Most of the website's highlight clips will make you smile. Some even send chills down your spine.

Check out this short video from last October. It’s an emotional Iowa State locker room after the Cyclones’ upset of Nebraska -- the school’s first football victory in Lincoln in 22 years -- achieved with backups at QB and RB, and aided by a defense that helped force eight turnovers::

http://tinyurl.com/yetm3ls

Another inspirational story that’s linked features Team Hoyt -- a middle-class Boston father-son marathon-triathlon team with world-class appeal. Dick Hoyt pushes a wheelchair on the roads and swims while pulling a raft. What makes it remarkable is the fact that the wheelchair and raft are occupied by his special-needs adult son, Rick. The 2005 Sports Illustrated profile written by Rick Reilly makes you laugh, and the Today Show “Heroes’ video will probably make you cry.

That piece ranked No. 2 in the website’s top 10 stories of the 2000s decade. Blake Hoffarber’s seat-of-the-pants basketball for Hopkins High in the 2005 state tournament ranked eighth. (This one only makes you cry if you’re B.J. Viau, Zach Johnson or other Eastview players and fans).

Maurice Cheeks dished out 7,392 assists in his 14-year pro basketball career. But his best assist might have come in April 2003 while serving as the 76ers head coach. He spontaneously helped a flustered 13-year-old girl who froze during her rendition of the National Anthem. That made No. 7 on the chart.

The No. 1 story? Jason McElwain, the New York high school hooper who grew up with autism.  The team manager got an opportunity and illuminated the gym with a parade of 3-point baskets.

O’Halloran is currently preparing a piece on retiring Tommie baseball coach Dennis Denning.

Business background

After O’Halloran graduated from St. Thomas in 1983 with a Business degree, he went to work at General Mills. He eventually decided to pursue marketing. He went on to receive an MBA from the University of Minnesota, then worked in marketing and communications at a Twin Cities agency.

O'Halloran left to work for an educational software product called The Learning Company, which grew and later was purchased by the Mattel Corporation. He went on to become president of the Toy and Gift Company, which sold clever items like the popular word magnets for refrigerators. He invented a few dozen products before ending his association with that company.

“I decided to break off and start my own marketing company,” he said. “I focus on helping clients who are trying to bring new products to market, marketing planning and marketing communications.”

O'Halloran's writing background includes authoring a book on coaching youth basketball, Never Forget They're Kids -- Ideas for Coaching your Daughter's 4th - 8th Grade Basketball Team (available on Amazon.com) and producing four audio “Smart Attack” sports trivia games --  baseball, basketball, football, and all sports (available on iTunes). Along with designer Greg Johnson, he offers a line of award certificates and coaching forms for youth soccer, basketball, baseball, cheerleading and volleyball teams. (http://stores.lulu.com/wellpreparedcoach)

O’Halloran now works from his Eagan home, where he and his wife Mary Jo (anotherTommie grad) are raising four daughters, ages 10 to 20. Their oldest, Megan, is a junior at St. Thomas.

While coaching his daughters' basketball team a couple of years ago, he e-mailed a clip of McElwain’s touching story to team members and parents. The response helped convince O’Halloran that there was an audience for stories of inspiration, good deeds and sportsmanship.

The website has received several positive reviews and comments, and at least one prominent award. “We were selected one of the top 10 youth sports blogs last year,” he explained. “Our biggest audience is 13 to 17 year-olds, both boys and girls.  Right now, we're looking for a sponsor to help us offer a
free curriculum package to high school English and journalism teachers that will encourage students to submit their own written stories to our site."

While he’s not out to save the world, Mike O’Halloran is spreading a good message. And with nearly 220 posts in the first 330 days, and between 1,500 and 2,000 unique visitors a day, the good news is traveling fast.

Closing the gap

If O’Halloran is looking for feel-good stories on the Tommie campus, one of his first stops should be to check out Coach Tom Hodgson’s men’s swimming team.

The Tommies returned from a training trip to Florida and were greeted by single-digit temperatures all last week. They said goodbye to their pool and locker room at OSH and made the mid-season move to McCarthy Gym’s pool for the rest of the season.

With its tradition as a make-do, can-do team, the latest adversity will only make Hodgson’s men and women stronger.

St. Thomas' last MIAC men's swimming title came in 1954, and its last conference runner-up finish came in 1993. The Tommies had a breakthrough last winter with a third-place conference finish. Now they’re looking to close the gap on St. Olaf and Gustavus, who have combined to win the last 30 MIAC Championships.

Last February, the Oles (851), Gusties (738) and Tommies (487) placed 1-2-3 in the conference meet. At last Saturday's St. John’s Winter Invite, third-place St. Thomas (657) was just four points behind runner-up Gustavus (661), and All-American Peter Mullee had a hand in four victories.

This Saturday, UST will face the Oles in the St. Olaf Invitational. With five weeks until the conference meet, Tom's team will get a gauge of how it stacks up against the defending champs.