Kumbaya, Y'all: Athletes Who Care, in Their Own Words

With all the examples of reckless and selfish behavior headlining the sports pages, it's often easy to miss the positive notes.

Let's take a moment to review some of the more endearing things athletes have said and done of late.

From Baghdad to the Bronx, sports stories are giving us something to smile about.

Buckeyes Urge Fans: "Cheer for Navy"

"We would hope we would treat every opponent with great respect...But I think it's even raised a notch when you're talking about people running out on the field who are pledged to defend you."

- Ohio State coach Jim Tressel asks Buckeye fans to give Navy players a warm welcome in the Sept. 5 season opener.

Mutombo Sends the Elevator Back Down

"Kinshasa lives inside of me and I have made it my purpose to help ensure that the children of the Congo will have access to the same types of medical facilities that are common in many other parts of the world.

"When you are born in such poverty, where you go in your life, whether you become the president or the CEO of a company, you never forget where you come from...There is a proverb in Africa: When you take the elevator to go up, you always must remember to send it back down. This is my way of sending it back down.”

- Dikembe Mutombo donated $15M to build a hospital in his native Congo and was named the world's most generous athlete by FoxSports.com.

Shaq Wins with Affordable Shoe Line

“I came out of practice one day, and this lady was upset. What’s wrong? ‘My son won’t wear nothing but your shoes, and I can’t afford them ‘cause they cost a hundred dollars.’ ...I’m thinking about that on my way home, remembering the time I asked my father for a pair of Jordans.

He said, ‘Hundred dollars? No.’ Told me to get a job. So we started to make shoes that are affordable. Now you go to any shoe store in the ‘hood, anywhere in the world, and you’ll find Shaq’s shoes for thirty-nine dollars.”

- Shaquille O'Neal's affordable Dunkman shoe line outsold LeBron's $140 signature Nikes four-to-one last year.

Sorenstam Advocates P.E.

"Schools nationwide are dropping physical education as a class, and children today simply are not as active as they need to be to stay healthy. When I grew up, we had gym class three days a week, and I golfed and played tennis and soccer, too. Kids need this. The benefits go far beyond building muscles and getting faster. It's about team building and working together toward a goal."

- Annika Sorenstam was named one of USA Today's "Most Caring Athletes" in 2008 and is working with Orlando education leaders to improve p.e. programs in public schools.

Yankees Introduce HOPE Week

"I believe all of us have some time during the course of the week that we can give back. It's amazing what a little bit of time does. People love relationships, and we have built some bonds during this week. For the coaches, players and myself, it's very rewarding to see what a little bit of time can do. We need to do more of it."

- Yankees manager Joe Girardi praises the team's HOPE (Helping Others Persevere and Excel) Week project in which all players and coaches participated in outreach programs.

Federer Embraces New Title, Takes Up Cuddling

". . . Cuddling them because they need a lot of love, obviously. I love doing that and making sure they sleep well."

- Roger Federer dishes on his new role as father of identical twin girls. The tennis star announced the births and posted the twins' first photo (taken at home by his father) on his Facebook fan page. To date, he's received over 250,000 comments.

(http://tinyurl.com/mtmd6f)

Iraq Says, Play Ball!

"We loved it because it's a new and strange game for our society."

- Ysir Abdul Hasan is the assistant coach of the Iraqi National Baseball team. The players will soon be sporting new threads thanks to the efforts of McClatchy Newspapers, MSBNC, and Rachel Maddow's "Operation Iraqi Baseball."

Aaron Boone Keeps Hal McCoy In the Game

"He told me about what was going on with him and that he didn't think he was going to be able to continue. . . . I just listened to him and told him, 'No. That's not good enough.' I think everybody respects him. I think we're all better off that he's still doing what he does and still, as much as ever, he has his finger on what's going on in this clubhouse.

Of course, I joke with him from time to time: 'Hey, I'm over here.' "

- Aaron Boone, now with the Astros, talking about Hall of Fame Sportswriter Hal McCoy, legally blind, who almost quit his post on the Reds beat for the Dayton Daily News after suffering two strokes. Boone played an integral part in keeping McCoy in the game. Hal says Boone sat him down and lectured "the hell out of me." Other former Reds Sean Casey and Ken Griffey, Jr. stepped up to the plate to keep McCoy comfortably in the clubhouse.

(Thanks to BR's Illya Harrell for the tip on this 2003 story.)

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