Finn's Files | Fate connects families in triumph over tragedy

It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since former College of Wooster basketball player Mark Kiper lost his life in a tragic road construction accident, but his legacy lives on through an award that bears his name and honors his memory.

Kiper graduated from Triway High School and had just completed his first year with the Scots when the accident occurred. He was highly regarded for his positive attitude and fierce dedication, which led him to spend countless hours in the weight room and extra time on the court in an effort to refine his skills.

Kiper’s parents, Charlie and Joan, established the award in recognition of their son’s strong work ethic in both athletics and academics. It is presented each year to a sophomore who embodies those characteristics.

This year’s recipient was an easy choice. J.J. Cline, also a local high school product, having played at Northwestern, and also having been deeply affected by a roadway tragedy when his younger brother, C.J., lost his life more than a decade ago.

“We wanted our award to reflect more about the person than the player who receives it,” said Mark’s mother Joan at the team banquet earlier this month. “Because Wooster recruits such fine young student-athletes, there are always several who could represent Mark well; however, watching J.J. ever since he was a young boy and following him through high school, we’ve always hoped that we would be in the position where he would be the recipient.

“J.J. is always a vocal leader, whether he is in the game or on the bench,” added Mrs. Kiper. “He is more interested in team success than individual success. That’s what Mark was all about. In high school he always considered leading his team in assists his junior and senior years his best award.

“The fact that J.J. shares with our (other) sons the tragedy of losing a brother, and the way he showed his faith and determination throughout that time also shows what a great young man he is. We could not be prouder that he was the recipient of this year’s award.”

Cline accepted the award with his characteristic class and dignity, saying later:

“After hearing Charlie and Joan Kiper describe their son, I learned that we were similar people on and off the court. When the Kipers announced my name, it was emotional for me because Mark was the type of person you want to be like.

“When it comes to basketball, we both would rather be the person that has the most assists, rebounds, charges, and hustle plays,” he added. “The Mark Kiper Award is a tremendous honor, and I am very thankful to the Kipers for selecting me as this year’s recipient.”

Monumental Desecration

Our nation’s monuments have endured serious scrutiny and even destruction during the past several years as we come to grips with the uncertain legacy of those being honored.

The sports world has not been immune to such actions. The most recent incident occurred earlier this month in State College, Pa., where the iconic Penn State Nittany Lion was splattered with paint and had one of its ears knocked off.

While some people see such incidents as harmless gamesmanship, destruction of property, even that of an archrival, is never acceptable.

Speaking of archrivals, the color of the paint used in the vandalism was red (or perhaps more accurately, scarlet). You don’t suppose that the perpetrators would be from the capital of Ohio, do you?

Excuses, Excuses

First, it was Hue Jackson claiming that he was encouraged to lose games during his tenure as head coach of the Browns. Now Baker Mayfield is alleging that he was set up to lose in last year’s season finale against the Steelers.

Hard to tell who is telling the truth, but either way it is a bad look for the Browns, who are coming up on nearly a quarter-century of futility. How much longer this can continue is anyone’s guess, but the Browns really need to get their act together and start operating like a professional sports franchise.

Bronx Bums

The incident between Yankee fans and several Guardians outfielders last month revealed another dark side of fandom. Rude remarks and vulgar language are bad enough, but when you start throwing items from the stands, especially things that can injure others, then you’ve gone too far.

The only bright spot in the incident was the response by Guardians’ outfielder Oscar Mercado, who delivered a thoughtful, classy response to reporters during an interview in front of his locker, where he said after the game, “You can root for your team all you want. I’m not denying that. Honestly, I think it’s good for the game when people are diehard fans, but do it the right way.

“There’s a right way of doing things,” he added. “It’s easy for them, standing outside of the field, to be able to do and say whatever they want, but we’re the ones that are out there busting our butts day in and day out, and the last thing we need is people cheering for us to get hurt or people trying to get us hurt by throwing things on the field.”

Mercado, in his remarks, showed more class than an entire section of Yankee fans. Good for him. He took the high road. How could you not root for this guy, regardless of what uniforms he wears.

Big-Top Bonanza

Tom Brady will reportedly sign a 10-year $375 million contract with Fox Sports to serve as a color commentator for NFL after he retires (which may not happen before the end of this century).

What does this say about the migration of professional football from a game to a show, or more accurately, a circus under the Big-Top?

The Super Bowl halftime show is as much a part of the festivities as the game itself. The NFL Draft is also “Must-See TV.” Now, the release of the schedule, which occurred this past week, is a spectacle unto itself.

Heaven knows what the league will do for an encore, but as for me, I just want to watch the game, and I don’t really care who fills the role of color commentator or performs at halftime.

Far-Out Fanatics

The NFL Draft is always exciting and intriguing, but I’m glad it’s over for several reasons. First, I spent too much time in front of the television set when I should have been doing yard work.

Second, I was put off by the rabid fans who paint their faces and pierce various parts of their body. They are over the top and often rude. Perhaps they, too, should find something else to do during next year’s draft, like find gainful employment and ease our country’s labor shortage.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Finn's Files: Fate connects families in triumph over tragedy