What's up fellow Packarino's? It's been a usual quite June, so I thought i'd share a story with you guys.
I had a meeting at 1pm today with a Kansas contingent who flew to our London office, and one of the women I met was called Janet Delaney-Paul. Now, I always wear one Packer-themed piece of clothing or an accesory every day, and today was no different, I had a simple Packer tie on.
So, the meeting finishes and we are all chit chattering in the board room, and Janet mentions my tie, and so begins a football conversation. She is a die hard Chief, about 20 years my senior (I am 24). We proceed to talk news around the league and up pops hold-out situations, and what she then proceeded to tell me still has me reflecting right now.
She is the first cousin of late Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney. I am sure some of the older folk who visit these forums will remember the name, for those that don't - well he was a pro-bowl back whose life was tragically cut short by trying to save three childrens lives' who were drowning.
Wiki link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Delaney Usually, I tend not to emit an emotive response to players' philanthropy - the reason being that whilst an act of monitory genorosity is good, I am not going to feel upon that which I do not know, i.e. motive. I feel it isn't my judge to say "He is good/he is a douche".
Joe Delaney changed that for me today.
Janet recalls Joe Delaney's simple dream, and how disillusioned he was with the global distribution of wealth. His plan was to play until he couldn't anymore, save money, live like a hermit and use all of his accumulated wealth to build a Malaria prevention and treatment center in Zambia. He planned to pay himself a workman's salary per annum, enough to live, but not live extravagantly.
Some may some he was too idealistic, or even stupid for having a plan that pushes familial "Obligation" into the background, but hearing a
first-cousins account (a credible source if any) of the calibre of man an NFL player was, I think he is a model template for character, perhaps not in the literal, but certainly in the abstract - i.e. care, give a damn.
Delaney's family and Chiefs fans should be proud of having such a man associated with them.
Zero2Cool is my captain.