Will Manny and Stephon Step Up Once It's Over?

It is always such an honor to speak with former athletes who I have either grown up watching or have heard so many stories about. It is even more inspiring when these Hall of Famers and All-Stars take time away from their evenings and days to appear at charity dinners and raise funds for good causes.

I recently attended the The Boys Club of New York Gala Dinner with the likes of Don Maynard, Oscar Robertson, Orlando Cepeda, Sean Landetta and Janet Evans, just to name a few. I think to myself...10 years from now, will the likes of Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and Stephon Marbury be so genuinely forthcoming with their time and committment to change?

Orlando Cepeda told me he talks to current players he knows about the importance of giving back...without being compensated or your name being on something. Orlando said, "One day its all gone and then what?" EXACTLY! I would hope that current athletes will want to be remembered for what they do on and off the court, field and/or gridiron. They SHOULD fear fading into the abyss of "has beens" whose life was only about playing and not about living a good life. I know many current professional athletes have their own foundations and already do a lot to be good members of society. Kudos to that! I know that my night was made when after a 5 minute interview about triple double averages (Can Lebron do it?) and the election of the first African American president (he didn't think it would happen in his lifetime!) Oscar Robertson shook my hand and said "No, the pleasure is all mine." A true gentleman indeed.
-Lolita Lopez, special to Bobby v. The World