My love for sports is deeply embedded in my soul.

 

I’ve been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. Some of my fondest memories of childhood revolve around watching and enjoying the spectacle of sports.

 

At the age of six, my two heroes were "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Jeff Gordon. What a pair of heroes they were!

 

I remember sitting on my father’s lap while watching Austin throw the Intercontinental Belt into a river.

 

I can also remember watching, with my Grandpa Farver, Jeff Gordon winning the 1998 NASCAR Championship.

 

Those aren't the only two guys who fueled my ever-growing passion for sports. I loved to watch team sports as well. My favorite teams were the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Bulls.

 

Of course, I was a big fan of Michael Jordan, and still am to this day.

 

However, when my mother once offered to get a Bulls jersey for me, instead of asking for a Michael Jordan jersey, like most kids at that time would, I asked for a Dennis Rodman jersey.

 

So, by the age of six, I had already learned to appreciate a good defender and rebounder; well, that, and I liked his flamboyant hair and attitude!

 

I have also been steeped in Notre Dame Football fan since I left the hospital after being born. The very first outfit I wore was a Notre Dame baby outfit.

 

So, with the help of Steve Austin, Jeff Gordon, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Notre Dame football, I became a huge sports fan at an early age.

 

But no one helped me find sports more than one person: My Grandpa Farver.

 

He is the biggest reason for me being a sports fan. Our favorite teams are all the same and the way we look at the sporting world is very similar. In fact, you might say that I modeled my opinions of sports after his.

 

Without him, I'm not sure whether or not I would be a sports fan at all. I can guarantee, though, that without him I wouldn’t be anywhere close to the fan I am today.

 

It is with him that I remember watching most of my first sporting events with, and still to this day I watch many sporting events with him.

 

He gave me the Notre Dame baby outfit, showed me my first Cubs' game, and it was with him that I watched an Andre the Giant documentary. I had already been a pro wrestling fan but after watching that documentary my passion for pro wrestling grew.

 

He did tell me after watching the documentary that pro wrestling was fake, but I didn't understand how it could be fake, nor did I care (I now know that the results are pre-determined).

 

That is the kind of person he is, though. If he doesn't like something or he feels fervently about something, he will tell you.

 

His love for his favorite teams is only outweighed by his abhorrence towards their rivals and opponents.

 

While watching a NASCAR race with my Grandpa a few months ago, we saw close to five Tony Stewart commercials.

 

Every time they would pop onto the TV screen, he would quickly turn the channel!

 

It’s the same way with Ozzie Guillen, Brett Favre, and Kyle Busch. That's just an illustration of how much he loves his favorite teams, how much he detests their rivals.

 

That, and other attributes, makes him the biggest sports fan I know. He would watch every sporting event he could, which was a lot.

 

Then, on April 21, 2009, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. This significantly altered his way of living.

 

After just two months of being diagnosed with ALS, he is a shell of his old self. He can no longer walk, hold long conversations, or find humor in many things.

 

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