Gomes Shows Heart

by Jeff Clark on Jul 19, 2007 7:31 PM EDT in Boston Celtics News & Links

Too often I find myself falling into the tried and true habits of old media by linking to bad behavior news items and skipping over the quiet achievements of genuinely good people in sports. Here's an effort to reverse that trend (in some small way).

Hats off to Ryan Gomes in his efforts to raise awareness about Sudden Cardiac Arrest. This from a HoopsHype article:

Boston Celtics forward Ryan Gomes is showing the true meaning of teamwork, hoping his latest effort will save lives.
Gomes announced on Wednesday that his non-profit organization, Hoops for Heart Health, has formed a partnership with another non-profit group, Parent Heart Watch. The goal is to raise awareness and funds for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
SCA is not a heart attack – it is a condition in which the heart stops abruptly and unexpectedly and no longer pumps blood. According to the Heart Rhythm Society, the international leader in science, education and advocacy for heart rhythm disorders, more than 250,000 Americans die each year from SCA.

See the link above for more details.

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Good for Ryan! There have been too many high school and college athletes dying of heart failure after strenuous exercise… to say nothing of “weekend warriors”. Maybe defibrillators available at all athletic venues?

by thirstyboots18 on Jul 19, 2007 7:44 PM EDT reply actions

imo, just 1 more reason to hold on to a great kid, a solid ballplayer and a good teammate.

by bucknersrevenge on Jul 19, 2007 7:45 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for posting this. It is really nice to see him help oth… UHHH …………

by richtrader on Jul 19, 2007 7:50 PM EDT reply actions

this team has way too many players on the roster that are genuinley great role models who i do not want to give up for this reason.

Hats off to gomes for this one.

by jackson_34 on Jul 19, 2007 7:54 PM EDT reply actions

You can tell he’s smart and a good guy by the way he plays

by www.ivaw.org on Jul 19, 2007 7:58 PM EDT reply actions

he does have a college degree, doesn’t he.
what percentage of current NBA players do?

A: 1-25%
B: 26-50%
C: I’ll stop there.

by mcpu40 on Jul 19, 2007 8:03 PM EDT reply actions

First of all, hooray for Ryan. It’s good to know that the player I’ve liked so much is such a decent person. Which, after all, is much more important than what he does on the court.

I’d also just say, though, that this would have been a fine post without the knock on “old media.” It’s false to imply we don’t get this type of thing in the papers. We do, usually to the exclusion of substance. It’s also not the job of a reporting outlet to do PR for teams or their athletes. It’s not their job to rip them all the time either, but I see that more from fans than from media.

I WANT my news outlets to be tough on billionaires who employ millionaires and charge me up the wazoo for the privelege of watching a crappy team. Otherwise, there’s no accountability.

by Wycsend on Jul 19, 2007 8:11 PM EDT reply actions

He appears to be the model of the “Code of Conduct” we apparently follow when no trade advantage can be had.

I like the kid and he plays, acts and deserves to be a Celtic.

by Master Po on Jul 19, 2007 10:24 PM EDT reply actions

Well thanks, after reading this won’t help me sleep any better tonight…

more than 250,000 Americans die each year from SCA.

by Michael on Jul 19, 2007 10:38 PM EDT reply actions

YAWN!

just kidding, just kidding

by Cousin It on Jul 20, 2007 2:07 AM EDT reply actions

Gomes also now sponsors the Connecticut Select AAU team who won the National Championship recently in the U-16 Division I believe. They were sponsored by ADIDAS previously but were dropped for some reason or another. Gomes picked up the slack for them and they beat Carmelo’s Colorado team in the National Finals. (I have no affiliation with CT Select. I just thought it was a nice gesture.)

by RichT24 on Jul 20, 2007 10:24 AM EDT reply actions