<p>I think a smart choice for Notre Dame for the new recipient of the Laetare medal would be another great Catholic Layman, John Thompson II. With the first Black US President coming to speak at Notre Dame, it would make great sense to honor the first Black coach to have won an NCAA Basketball title, on the 25th anniversary of that title. </p>
<p>CBS and the media made little note of Thompson's achievement on the 25th anniversary of that barrier breaking event and I think Notre Dame would do well by honoring this former altar boy. It would be tear inducing actually, to see Monk Malloy, Notre Dame's former President present the medal to Thompson, who was his former teammate at Caroll High School in Washington.</p>
<p>1) Suffocate the Abortion controversy from Obama’s speech with a positive uplifting story that would push the other negative stuff aside.
2)Truly honor a Catholic layman whose philantrhropic works and those of his players(notably Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo) have helped to change the world in a very Catholic way, in the true spirit of the award.
3) Remove residual bad feeling between the Board and Malloy, who I am sure would love to see his teammate and friend honored.
4) Cement Relations with Georgetown University to further develop a partnership that could help American Catholic Higher education grow and advance.</p>
<p>When I think of Cathoic Humanity I think back to a basketball game which illustrates why Thompson is worthy of this award.</p>
<p>The 1982 Championship Game between North Carolina and Georgetown was hard fought. A shot by Michael Jordan with 16 seconds to go had given the Tar Heels a one point lead and Georgetown moved up court. A Georgetown player Fred Brown spolied a five on four break by throwing a pass to the wrong man. UNC had won its championship. I think about what losing that championship in that way must have meant to John Thompson after a lifetime of striving. He must have been furious and angry and frustrated. But what I saw happen was extraordinary. Thompson hugged his player, Fred Brown and told him that a mistake could happen to anyone and that he had done as much as anyone to get his team there. That picture of Thompson hugging Brown is what I think about when I look at the criteria for the Laetare Medal. It is not only the the thousands of lives Thompson changed by protesting a mechanistic rule the NCAA was promulgating for all college sports scholarships in 1989, but that act of Christ like forgiveness that makes me think Thompson is the right person for this award in this year. </p>
<p>What Thompson showed was that we forgive those who anger us, who maybe we disagree with and that above all a Catholic and a Christian forgives. With all the acrimony at Notre Dame this year surrounding this commencement, wouldn’t Thompson and his spirit of forgiveness be something to celebrate on commencement day?</p>
<p>When I think of Catholic Humanity, I think back to the picture of John Thompson unceremoniously dumping his wife of 32 years. Nasty and messy, it was.
Next nominee.</p>
<p>The Pope is not a layman so he is out. The writer James Carroll might since he is not divorced and therefore able to pass Claremarie’s scrutiny. He would certainly pass Fr. Jenkins apparent test of being controversial with the statements he has made about the Pope.</p>
<p>I still think Thompson on the 25th anniversary of the championship with the first Black President there makes sense. It would sure make news!</p>
<p>You were joking about Thompson, right?
Or do you honestly think that “forgiving” a kid who made a mistake while playing a game demonstrates character and integrity worthy of a major academic honor, and is comparable to Christ forgiving those who crucified him?</p>
<p>Yes. Worthy of what some see as the highest honor for American Catholics. </p>
<p>Howard Cosell, the great sportscaster wrote a brilliant essay once. He was asked, why a man of his accomplishment, the Editor in Chief of the NYU Law review, who could have had a legal career arguing at the Supreme Court Bar and riches as great as any he received from his place in popular culture, chose to be a meager sportscaster. Cosell answered that when all of us watch the great events of the very best athletes, we are all affected by the games and what happens there. More people saw Thompson’s example than what could have been preached in all 90,000 US Churches and Synagogues that weekend. </p>
<p>The feeling of pride and national resurrection that this country went through after the US Hockey team beat the USSR in 1980, is another example, of what seemingly small games can mean.</p>
<p>As Cosell says more eloquently than I, the GAMES ARE THAT IMPORTANT. Thompson will live forever from that momemt. It taught and teaches us all.</p>
<p>I’m sure the board for deciding who receives the Laetare Medal reads this message board, so thank God you illuminated how undeserving Fred Thompson is. Toast Eater, despite the fact that I agree Fred Thompson is a great man, I think the idea of him receiving the Laetare Medal is laughable, he’s frankly not very significant. </p>
<p>But you know what the best part about it is? We have absolutely no input. Put forward as many suggestions as you’d like, and then wait for someone else to talk about how they just might well be the worst Catholic ever to have lived, it doesn’t matter. This is one of the least significant debates ever to arise on this board. Please, everyone, don’t let your already heated typin’ fingers let this become another argument - we’ve already got plenty. Let this thread die.</p>
<p>And all this is completely divorced (no pun intended) from the literally thousands of young lives Thompson’s protest of the initial NCAA Scholarship rules had in 1990. By walking off the court at various games, he put the NCAA on the spot and kept opportunity open for those poor kids from sub-standard schools.</p>
<p>By the way something like between one quarter and one third of the enitre US population at the time saw the 1982 NCAA Championship game.</p>
<p>This whole thing is problematic, not just for the administration but for any new medal candidate. Who would want to be an afterthought? And who would want to (at least tacitly) admit that Glendon’s concerns should be dismissed, to say, in effect, “I have no such qualms”? I think it should be left this way;the honor was offered and declined in protest.</p>
<p>They’re not going to award the Laetare Medal this year.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and like I said on the other thread, whoever suggested that a GEORGETOWN basketball coach be awarded the highest ND honor, you gotta be kidding me</p>