SHOMARI REMINDS US ...WHAT IT IS REALLY ALL ABOUT

"There is time for one more play, the team is down, and it is all on the line."

Any kid that has ever thrown the ball around in the local park or played hockey on a frozen pond has said something like that in his mind as he catches the throw from his buddy or scores the winning goal, before the street lights come on and it is time to head in to do homework.

In this year's CFL draft the first pick overall reminded everyone what playing sports is all about, and it is not the money. When Queens linebacker Shomari Williams was handed his Saskatchewan Roughriders jersey by none other than the great George Reed, his smile said it all. He didn't have to say a thing - you could tell that this young man was sincerely honoured to not only be picked by an organization with a tremendous football tradition but that, by getting drafted, he has been given an opportunity to live out his childhood dream.

Williams will not become an instant millionaire by being picked first overall in the CFL, and because he won't get a signing bonus equivalent to winning the lottery, he won't automatically be given three or four years to develop and make the team. What Williams has been given is a chance, an open door to put his foot through and see if he has what it takes to go that next step and enter a small fraternity.

There are two professional football leagues in the world and Williams - like 47 other players in this year's CFL draft - has been given an opportunity to play in one of them.

His interview was sincere and his facial expression reminded us that it is not about the money. We are all trying to make as much cash as we can, and I certainly don't begrudge an NHL or NFL first-round pick for becoming an instant millionaire, but that is not why we play, or at least it shouldn't be.

I have always felt that the money an athlete makes is simply a product of the market and the willingness of an owner to sign the cheque. I once had a conversation with an NHL hockey star who will remain nameless, and I asked him, "If you were getting paid $100,000 a year instead of $6 million, would you still play or would you do something else, and if you were paid less would you change your approach and effort level?" He of course said absolutely not, that he loved the game and while he obviously appreciated the lifestyle the money provided him, it wasn't his main motivation to play. An athlete should not be famous because he or she is rich, but famous because he or she has dedicated a life to being the best in the sport and playing at the highest possible level. When they are out there doing their thing, we as fans marvel at their skill level, and find inspiration in their competitive nature.

When it all comes down to it, that's really what every child that has played road hockey or thrown the ball around on the streets has in mind. Kids aren't counting money as they try and keep their toes in-bounds by the curb, or make that perfect pass to the front of the net; they are doing the play-by-play of themselves catching the winning touchdown in the Grey Cup or the Super Bowl or scoring the winning goal in the Stanley Cup final.

In this year's CFL draft the first pick overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Shomari Williams, reminded us of that with his reaction.

"Last play of the game, the Grey Cup is on the line...Williams drops back into coverage, there is the throw, it's picked off...Williams at the ten, Williams at the five, touchdown! The Riders' first round pick in 2010 wins the game in overtime!"

Hey, you never know, it could happen for Shomari Williams, and the first step for him on that journey at the professional level has begun. What we do know is that a chance to be part of a championship moment in sports like that is why you play the game, not the money.
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