EVERY football player and coach should read this

[Jim Rome]

<A HREF="http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2001/0731/1233494.html" TARGET=_blank>http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2001/0731/1233494.html</A>

This is ESPN.com's story about Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer, who died early Wednesday morning after collapsing Tuesday at the team's training camp in Mankato, Minnesota. The heat caused his body temperature to rise to 108 degrees and he died of organ failure.

How does this apply to the rest of us? We're all pulling for SMU to have a bounce-back season. We're all geeked up about the fact that Chuck "The Diesel" Faucette has the Ponies working so hard to get bigger, stronger and faster. And reports suggest that they are doing just that.

But while we're all pumped up about the fact that the Ponies are, well, getting more pumped up, remember that our guys are staring at 2-a-days in the August heat of Texas. If someone can collapse from the heat in Minnesota, it sure as hell can happen in Dallas. I know Cash Birdwell and the training staff do an excellent job of pouring water into the kids while the coaches try to squeeze every available ounce of effort out of them. The hardest whip-crackers are the players themselves, many of whom -- like Stringer -- will push themselves to the limit as they battle other players for jobs, or to get in better shape.

Fellas -- we're all pulling for you. But we need you to stay healthy.

[BUS]

Hard to handle the thought of someone going down like this. Always be careful and come to camp in good shape. Pray for his family.

[RedRiverPony]

Hard to believe this happened to such a young man with so much going for him, family-wise and professionally.

I hope all the Ponies heed BUS's advice - come to camp in great shape. And do some of the remaining offseason running in the heat, so it doesn't hit you when you arrive at the end of the month. You're carrying a lot of weight, plus 10 (?) pounds of pads, plus wearing a helmet that keeps heat in around your head - that's great when we play that bowl game this December and you need to keep the heat around your head, but in August, you need to pay attention to your body.

With all the attention that has been given to Stringer's passing, a lot has been said about the toughguy mentality that's instilled in so many players at a young age. DO NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. If there are players who need a break from the heat and need to hit the water, do so. Do not pick on your teammates for asking for water. Some college coach (don't remember who it was) said on ESPN last night that a player is not made tougher by not asking for water - but that the decision to ask for water might separate those who are smarter than others.

[smudad]

Saw an ESPN story on this Sunday. The disturbing thing was, most of the answers dealt with hydrating the day of a given strenuous event - a 1 mile timed run, for instance. They gave them water upon completion - really harped on it.

As most runners, bikers, etc. know, if you wait until the day of the event to hydrate, it's too late. Further, they're finding out that there is such a thing as over hydration, if water is all the athlete takes in. It's at least as dangeruous as dehydration. I just hope our staff is up on the REAL issues concerning the health of these guys.

fwdad

Good to see Joyous posting again. We just returned last night from a funeral in Houston . From what we experienced, I'll bet you're glad Comet and the guys are working out in the heat in Dallas and not in Houston.