Sadio Mané: Sustainable Human

Sadio Mané, Sustainable Human

I recently read this inspirational, heart-warming story on Facebook. It’s a feel-good breath of fresh air on social media. Typically social media is full of negativity with trolls quick to judge and criticize others. Case in point, this story was in response to trolls commenting on the fact that his cell phone is cracked.

Sadio Mané, Sustainable Human
Sadio Mané

Sadio Mané, a Senegalese Soccer Star that plays for the British team in Liverpool, earns approximately 10.2 million dollars a year and has given the world a lesson in modesty after fans spotted him carrying a cracked iPhone.

His response is legendary: “Why would I want 10 Ferraris, 20 diamond watches and two jet planes? What would that do for the world? I starved, I worked in the fields, I played barefoot, and I didn’t go to school. Now I can help people. I prefer to build schools and give poor people food or clothing.

I have built schools [and] a stadium; we provide clothes, shoes, and food for people in extreme poverty. In addition, I give 70 euros per month to all people from a very poor Senegalese region in order to contribute to their family economy.

I do not need to display luxury cars, luxury homes, trips, and even planes. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me,” Mané said.

Who is Sadio Mané?

After reading the story, I researched Mané to see who he is and if the story was true. After all, it is difficult to believe much of the stuff you read on Facebook and other social media accounts.

I am happy to report that indeed he is a very philanthropic athlete, keen on supporting his hometown of Bambali in Senegal that he left behind to become a professional athlete. CNN has this story about a few of his generous projects within his hometown.

It appears that although Mané has physically moved from Senegal, his heart is still very much there with its less fortunate.

The world needs more (humble, modest, grateful, generous) people like Sadio Mané.

Superbowl LI: Mesmerizing

Even though I was rooting for underdog Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons in Superbowl LI,  I have to admit that the comeback by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots was mesmerizing.  

The much less experienced Matt Ryan and the Falcons were winning 28-3 at halftime, a lead that carried them well into the third quarter.  Falcon fans and Brady haters were celebrating everywhere.  Even the Patriots’ cheerleaders looked less than spirited.

It seemed like the Patriots could not get anything right when the extra point was missed on their first touchdown.   However, another touchdown with a two-point conversion brought the Patriots back into the game.  A Falcon fumble and injury in the fourth quarter continued to fuel the train wreck orchestrated by Tom Brady and his offense.

From that point on, it was the Falcons that could not get anything right in Superbowl LI, especially when committing a few undisciplined penalties, one of which left them out of range for a field goal that might have slowed the Patriot’s momentum and run them out of time.  Instead, the penalty resulted in the game-tying Patriots’ touchdown.

In the first-ever Superbowl overtime,  the Patriots won the coin toss giving them first possession of the football.  This meant that a touchdown would win it for them; a field goal would give the Falcons their chance to score. The Patriots needed no further encouragement; they marched down the field and over the goal line, with very little resistance from the stunned Falcons, for a Patriots (and Tom Brady’s)  5th Superbowl win.

superbowl LI
photo credit: YouTube

Whatever you think of Tom Brady and however tired you are of him winning, it was an awesome and mesmerizing game to watch, at least the last half was.  If you only tuned in at halftime to watch Lady Gaga, I hope you watched the rest of the game.   Whether or not Tom Brady upstaged Lady Gaga is debatable; she did perform a spectacular show.

Football and snow angels?

photos by Katherine Shayanpour and Kimberly Boville-Belair

Today in Ottawa, the hometown RedBlacks are taking on the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL’s Eastern Conference final for the chance to play in the Grey Cup.  For you American football lovers, that’s our equivalent to your Super Bowl in the NFL.  Although Edmonton plays in the Western division, the fact that their season record was better than other Eastern division teams gave them a chance (called a crossover) to play off in the Eastern final.  If they beat Ottawa, there would be two Western division teams in the Grey Cup final next week.

The weather forecast predicted snow and blustery conditions today after unseasonably mild temperatures for the past month.  For once, the weather forecast was bang on.  Here in Canada we are somewhat used to playing football in the snow, although apparently there are some players on the field today that are not.

Greg Ellingson has obviously played in the snow before.  After catching a beautiful pass for the Ottawa Redblacks’ first touchdown, Ellingson created a celebratory snow angel in the end zone…

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photo by @CFL

Although the Ottawa Redblacks were winning 17-3 at halftime, there were a few tense, nail-biting minutes in the last quarter where the Edmonton Eskimos came close to tying it up, the score getting as close as 28-23.  Lots of slipping, sliding, and fumbles, a few too many dropped pass completions and turnovers, but the Redblacks held on to the lead and came out on top 35-23.

photos by Kimberly Boville-Belair and Katherine Shayanpour

Congratulations to the Ottawa RedBlacks. Bring on the Grey Cup!