While most of us are following intently our teams' selections and the trade and pick rumors in the 2011 NFL Draft, there are some who are suffering real tragedy. While most of us have complained about a lack of offseason NFL news other than lockout rhetoric, people in Alabama are suffering the aftermath of yesterday's tornado.
Our hearts go out to those who have suffered losses in the South, particularly Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker. He was caught in the middle of the storm and lost his girlfriend in it. He himself was injured, being flung 50 feet from his home. The girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, also a student at the University of Alabama, and was reportedly the first Alabama student to have been found deceased in the storm.
So while we are cheering or booing our teams and hoping for a great player of value and/or impact, let us also keep a place in our minds and hearts to remember that at the end of the day football is not the be-all, end-all in life. We have friends and family and should remember for at least a moment how fleeting life can be.