God Bless Brandon Backe!

I'm not a big fan of sports teams. I haven't had time in years to pay attention to any of them really. When I do post about some of them it's usually because they were hurt and ended up with brain injuries or have done something wonderful for the wounded. Ok, so maybe some of the posts are done with a bit of guilt on my part. After all, as much as I love Keith Olbermann on MSNBC Countdown, I leave the room as soon as he starts talking about sports. It's great what they do and all, but while they are regarded as heroes, compared to the troops, it's no contest. Sorry, just my opinion.

This post is about one of them. Brandon Backe had the open eyes to see what trips like the Astros meant to the troops at Walter Reed. On the surface, it seems like a good thing to do until you actually have the ability to think more deeply. Backe did. God Bless him for the ability to see with his heart.


Astros visit Walter Reed center
Group talks to soldiers, tours rehabilitation facilities
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com

WASHINGTON -- For as many years as the Astros have been visiting Washington, D.C., they've made a trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit with soldiers who were recently wounded in Iraq.

The visits always are both touching and difficult for the Astros, who meet with dozens of soldiers who've lost limbs and nearly lost their lives during their time overseas.

"It's very touching, motivating -- all in one," Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. "You think your situation in life is glum, you think you're in a real difficult situation sometimes, worrying about wins and losses, how you hit, how you're throwing ... then you see those guys in the positions they're in, and it makes you appreciate where you are, what you have, how blessed you are."

Brandon Backe, who spends a lot of time at, and donates generously to, Shriners Hospital near his hometown in Galveston, Texas, had a somewhat different feeling when he visited Walter Reed this time. While he wants to believe the Astros' visit is uplifting for the soldiers, he wonders how much good can come out of a group of 30 people invading the lives of people who have been through what can only be described as a living nightmare.

"Here we are, invading in their privacy and their space," Backe said. "It's just basically like it's a zoo, like we're watching them and looking at them. I don't want to feel that way. I'm there to thank them, more than anything. Sometimes it's not enough. They just want to be left alone, and if I was in their shoes, I would want to be left alone, too."

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