Another day of basketball, a win for the Cards, and a chance to meet Kevin Ware

Kevin Ware, University of Louisville

My cousin and I were talking about athletes at lunch, the international celebrity they quickly gain, the false promises many make them, and the industry that often uses them for their own financial gain. It isn't only in the U.S. - it is in Africa, too.

I told him about the research of Damien Quinn, one of my freshmen this year, who unraveled in his research on athlete fanaticism that during early Olympics, athletes were given these tools to scrape their perspiration into jars. The sweat was sold in markets for others to bathe in. It was considered magic. I could make millions with the amount I sweat.

Then we talked about an incident, a speeding ticket, that was issued to Kevin Ware in Kentucky 4 days ago and the controversy it caused on whether he was given a car or loaned a car to see a friend in Bowling Green. Two hours later, who do we walk into? Kevin Ware. His claim to fame arrived last year with the grotesque leg injury during the elite 8 game against Duke (his bone broke through the skin - one of the most memorable breaks of all time).

What a great kid! Super friendly.

I feel fortunate to have bumped into him and get this photo, too. What is even crazier, however, is when he went back to his room to watch tapes with the coaches a kid walks up to Mark and asks, 'Are you Mark Crandall?' It turned out this kid was here supporting UNC and has been working with Mark's Hoops4Hope program from down south. Mark never met the kid, didn't know he would be at the tournament, and only had an email relationship. Recently, the kid spent time in Zimbabwe with Hoops. The kid said, "I saw the picture of you on Facebook...the both of you, and I said to my friends, I think that Mark Crandall guy is here, too."  He looked for us and, wusah, we were talking with Kevin.

Crazy coincidence...day #2.