For all my new readers, welcome to your first feature on the Honor Roll. Old readers love this feature because it’s that place where I take time to praise the accomplishments of truly superlative individuals who set the bar higher for all of us in any field of endeavor.
My friend and former soccer teammate Lee Sossen made the Honor Roll for the second time. After graduating form Harvard U and Harvard Law and practicing at a sterling NYC white shoe firm, Lee transitioned into a biathelete. (Running and biking). Last year, Lee actually won a major race and began travelling all over the world to compete…including Australia for the TriSports team.
Well guess what? Lee just won NYC’s March Madness Biathalon!
Yeah, you read that right. He WON.
But that’s not all – he set the course record (SET THE COURSE RECORD!)…which was held by him. Simply amazing.
But Lee’s not just a great athlete. Like former Olympic Luge rider Cameron Myler, who competed in four Olympiads (she carried the flag in one…CARRIED THE FLAG!) and now is a national expert on steroids in sports representing athletes, they are leaders and role models off the field.
1) They are humble and grateful. 2) They inspire others to elevate not just their game, but to be the consummate sportsman win, lose or draw. Hanging out with them makes you a better person. That’s the true hallmark of an Honor Roll Member.
Who else makes the Honor Roll? Not just athletes. Let’s see…David Wadler and Ian Clarke for their pioneering work in the field of computer science. David Rose for being a brilliant entertainment lawyer and saving a choking guy’s life with a lightning fast Heimlich, Janine Small for keeping the Bonnaroo festival running smooth, Nyla and Pete Adams and Laurie Trombley for their epic music documentary on Jeff Buckley (wait till you see it, it will break your heart…click here to see), Jay Flemma for running down and tackling a fleeing burglar – Lee, I still got my jets! Not like you, but I had enough to run that chump down! As Jerome Bettis said “There is no substitute for speed” – Steve Czaban for being one of the nation’s epic sportscasters and the voice of the great American sports fan, Brian Silva for his brilliant and flawless reconstruction of The Country Club of Charleston to Seth Raynor’s exact specifications, Bowling for Soup for nailing down a massive co-branding deal and headlining an epic 70 city national tour with four bands under them, Jay Kogan for being Superman and Batman’s lawyer and getting them off any collateral damage claims, Aden Holt for being one of the nation’s greatest music managers, Heidi Strantz for her new chick book which will be published soon…there’s plenty more I forgot. But as we say here at the Honor Roll, from time to time they’ll do superhuman things and I’ll tell you about them. To quote Samuel L. Jackson, “Dats how we do.”
Hey! Samuel! Snakes on a plane! (That’s a new hot Samuel L. Jackson movie coming out for those of you scoring at home. Really. It’s called “Snakes on a Plane.” Can you say “plot spoiler?” Check it out, it’s hilarious…google it, you’ll find it..guess what it’s about? Some lunkhead lets some snakes loose on a plane. Bet you didn’t see that coming!)
What’s next? “Alligators on a Golf Course?” Wait I know, “Bees in a car.” “Chumps in a bar.” “Nerds in a girls dorm.” “Pirannhas in a hot tub.” “Lions in an elevator.” “Barracudas in a shower. “Gnus in the living room.” “Jay with a keyboard.” These jokes write themselves.
[…] He sets a great example; not just on a sad say like today, but everyday. That’s why he makes The Honor Roll, that short list of people who by hardwork and perseverence make this world a better place in their respective ways. Who else is on the Honor Roll and what did they do to deserve it? Click here and here and here. They’ll keep doing superhuman things from time to time, and I’ll tell you about them. By the way, to “give credit where it is due” ESPN has done a phenomenal job getting video and information on this tragedy. We skewer them here when they make the game lowest common denominator, but they were excellent journalists last night and acquired the fastest information on both the tragedy and on Lidle’s life. We didn’t need wall-to-wall, but they were “the fastest with the mostest” last night. […]