The Darker Shade of Sports

Isaac Murphy’s grave at the Kentucky Horse Park

Most famous of the black jockeys by far is Isaac Murphy who is considered one of the greatest riders in American history. He was the first jockey to win three Kentucky Derbys and won an astonishing 44% of all races he rode. That record has not been approached by any other jockey since. He was the first jockey to be inducted into the Jockey Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Racing. Sadly, his career was cut short at the age of 34 when he died of pneumonia. He always had trouble staying at the light weight demanded of a jockey and was known to binge and purge. It has been speculated that it was vomit backing up in his lungs that caused the pneumonia which led to his death. He is buried next to Man O’ War in the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington

Willie Simms was a superb rider of the late 19th century. He brought winning mounts to the wire 24.8% of the time.Simms was born in 1870 in Augusta, GA, and began riding at East Coast tracks in 1887. During his career he rode for the most prominent owners of the era, including Mike and Phil Dwyer, Richard Croker, Pierre Lorillard, August Belmont, and James R. Keene.Simms won back-to-back Belmont Stakes in 1893-94 aboard Commanche and Henry of Navarre. He also was a two-time winner of the Kentucky Derby aboard Ben Brush and Plaudit and was the only African-American jockey to win the Preakness, aboard Sly Fox in 1898. One of Simms’ most dramatic races was a match between Dobbin and Domino in 1893. Simms and Dobbin finished in a dead heat with the previously unbeaten Domino.Simms found great success riding the New York circuit in the 1890’s. He also briefly rode in England in 1895. Many sources credit Simms with introducing the British to the short stirrup style of riding later popularized by Tod Sloan.Willie Simms was the nation’s leading jockey in 1894. He was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1977.

Swaps and Shoemaker in the San Vicente, © 1955 Santa Anita Photo; Willie Simms © Keeneland Library

In keeping with the theme of “Black History” Month the shortest month of the year to acknowledge the important contributions of the Black Race. Over the next few weeks I will profile some “Unsung Sports Heroes” individuals that many of you may have forgotten or never heard of. Enjoy

Willie Thrower
Ht/Wt: 5-11/182,Team(s): Chicago Bears, Toronto Argonauts (CFL), and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) (Signed as F\A in 1952 by Chicago Bears)
College: Michigan State 
Chicago Bears QB Willie Thrower became the first African-American quarterback to solely play quarterback in an NFL game on October 18, 1953 against the San Francisco 49ers. He played under center and received the snap directly, making him the first African American QB since Pollard in 1923. Thrower a native of New Kensington, Pennsylvania had already been the first African American QB in the Big 10 conference, playing for Michigan State from 1950 to 1952, helping them win the National Championship in 1952. In his historical game, Thrower went 3 for 8 for 27 yards in a 35 to 28 loss. What was unfortunate about the game was George Blanda, who had struggled was reinserted into the game at the 5 yard line to complete a drive Thrower had started. After his debut against the 49ers, Thrower never appeared in another NFL game. Before the next season Thrower, who made the Bears team in 1953 as basically a “walk-on” was cut the following year in 1954. Thrower wanting to play QB and without any other takers in the NFL decided to go to the Canadian Football League, playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and semi pro in Toronto for four years before injuries shortened his career. He retired at age 27. His feat of a black man playing quarterback was considered such an oddity for the time that “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” featured him in a story. Thrower had a good outlook on his brief time at QB in the NFL and told The Valley News Dispatch of Tarentum, Pa., before he passed away in 2002. “I look at it like this: I was like the Jackie Robinson of football. A Black quarterback was unheard of before I hit the pros,”

 Photo and info Courtesy of bqb-site.com  The African American Quaterback Website

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2 Corinthians 8:10-11

“and in this, I give advice it is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago, but now you also must complete the doing of it!

What is it about the start of a new year that brings about a renewed sense of hope and causes people to stop and reflect on their life or current situation, why is it that we wait until the start of a new year to set resolutions or goals. Question is it really a new goal if you keep rehashing the same ones over and over again? You know the ones I’m referring to lose weight, save money, better relationships, new job or career, etc.  Maybe it has something to do with the season as many parts of the country are experiencing a deep freeze that forces us indoors where we have time to reflect on our success and shortcomings from the previous year.  I to was among the masses who rode the new year’s resolution merry go round, until 2009 when I shifted my focus and tried a new approach, one that would help me actually achieve some of my goals including the publishing of “An Unsung Coach”

This year if you really want to see a difference in your life and actually accomplish some of the goals you set forth , instead of just  broadly writing your goals down on a piece of paper that eventually ends up in your sock drawer or the trash receptacle make your goals specific how many pounds will you lose by June 30th, how much money will you have saved at the end of 3 months, what type of training or certification do you need to get ahead in your present occupation, then  mentally condition yourself to embrace the philosophy of finishing what you start.  If you make this simple strategic change, you will be well ahead of over 90 Plus percent of the population in reaching your goals.

Transitioning to this philosophy will not be easy, in fact it will require lots of practice and discipline to become a habit, habits are those things we do so often that that they become a part of our normal routine without much thought like driving the same route to work each day, brushing your teeth, watching your favorite television show, but if the goals you desire are worth having they are worth putting in the time and effort to make them a reality. Everyone of us is guilty of starting something we never saw to completion perhaps a new business venture, piecing together your family tree, writing a  new song, going back to school,  and we had every intention of completing it, we were filled with passion and enthusiasm, we researched every detail to the point we experienced sensory overload, then after a few months, we lose steam and eventually move on to something else, often times at the expense of never seeing the benefits of bringing the current project into fruition. In this country we love to boast about how we can multi-task however most successful people, people that have built multi-million dollar corporations or head large corporations will tell you the key to their success were in focusing on one task at a time and seeing it through despite the distractions and excuses.

So as you review your New Year’s list of resolutions and prepare to embark on the journey of making 2010 the year you can’t lose, adopt the principle that has helped me and countless others establish a new definition of success, finish whatever you start and next year at this time when you reflect on the year, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come and how talented you truly are!

Recently I was the featured speaker for a fund-raising event to help raise money for a youth center. When I accepted the invitation, I immediately began to think of what I would say to the large gathering and the spirit led me to share 2 words, Exceptional and Expectations and how they can impact the next generation.  When we think of things that are exceptional we tend to focus on  feats that are rare, outstanding, exemplary in other words things we don’t expect to see often. An example is watching a pitcher throw a complete game, a game in which he or she allow no hits, walks or runs, those are rarities indeed for the sport, in fact not many people go to the ball park expecting to witness this feat. On the other hand when it comes to our expectations we tend to be more flexible in this area often times we set the bar or standards very low, today we don’t place much emphasis on high expectations and having people meet them, we allow room for negotiations or excuses, we settle for an average attempt and then walk away feeling that as long as some progress was made then our jobs are done, please understand that I’m not condemning anyone for taking that approach, as someone who has spent a great deal of my life working with and on behalf of youth, I understand the importance of making progress but I don’t believe you have to compromise high expectations in the process.

 To wrap up my presentation I shared with the crowd a real life example from my own family, I told of a story of how my youngest daughter scored a 92 on a geometry test and how excited she was to share the good news with her family. Now I was no math genius so I would have done just about anything for that kind of score and I imagine some of you feel the same. I shared how she first went to my wife and without missing a beat her mom did what many mothers do when their child comes home excited she made a big deal out of the moment and my daughter felt 10 feet tall, then she came to me and I told her that her score was nice, she did a good job (notice my words nice, good job), then I informed her that scores like that are what her mother and I expect from her, because she is brilliant, talented and has greatness within.  Unfortunately her countenance changed  it was like ” Gee  Dad”, thanks for raining on my parade, now my intentions were not to damper her spirits , no it was to inform her that she is capable of achieving those kind of grades every time especially if she applies herself.  A few weeks go by and I picked her up from her friends house as we were driving home she says dad did I tell you about my recent math test and I said no , she turns towards me with the kind of confidence you have when you have a winning hand at cards, and says  I got a 98,  immediately I acknowledge her efforts and let her know that I could not be more proud of her than at that moment, then I turned to her and said , do you remember our conversation a couple of weeks ago and what I said to you and she gave me a wry smile and said yeah , you said that’s an expectation.

Now what if I made a really huge deal about the 92 do you think she would have challenged herself to reach even higher, or is it possible she would have been contempt with that level of success, lets not forget a 92 is a good grade, but a 98 is closer to perfection.  See I believe if you raise the expectations of a person or perhaps even yourself, they will give you an exceptional effort to accomplish their Dreams & Goals and that’s something we all can feel good about!

Great Brothers of Soul Magazine (GBOS) names “An Unsung Coach” Inspirational book of the year for 2009. Author Tony Price to receive an award at the 40^th Annual GBOS Image Awards on November 7, 2009 @ The John Hancock Hall, Boston, MA.

GBOS magazine is a New England based publication that recognizes the important contributions of Everyday people who are doing extraordinary things within the community.

Hebrews 12:1 Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

Well since I’m stranded this morning I can’t think of a better time to sit and write a new entry. It has been a while since my last posting so the timing is perfect. As I have traveled promoting the book with signings, radio and television appearances and delivering “Key Note” speeches in venues I never could imagine, there seems to be one common theme that keeps coming up as others ask that all too important question, what did it take to write and publish your book?  In other words how did you get past the FEAR to get it done?  And my personal favorite where did you find the time with your busy schedule?

The answer is quite simple, yet complex so I don’t want to trivialize it. My initial response to the question is this, I had to complete the book, and there was no other option.  An Unsung Coach is my story, my ministry and no one can tell my story better than me. I then lead the person along a journey of personal accountability on how each of us has a ministry and it’s our story. I inform the individuals who ask this question that people today are seeking answers to some of life’s challenges and your story may have the answers to their prayers, but they’ll never receive those wisdom keys or signs of encouragement and motivation that they can make it, if you selfishly keep your story within.

The next obstacle that you have to overcome is the feeling of doubt that what you have to say and share is of value, which can paralyze your dreams and cause you to invite the biggest Thief of Dreams, PROCRASTINATION into your realm.  I constantly heard that negative voice in my head asking “who wants to read your book”. Why would someone care about what Tony Price has to say, when they can purchase some well known celebrities autobiography.  I was able to quell that voice by reaffirming to myself and saying out loud that someone out there is in need of this information, the book may not be for everyone, but it is for someone.  Once I adopted this philosophy the next step was to just start, many dream and goals never materialize because people never take the first step, they think about it, talk about it but never do it, they want all of the answers first, it has been my experience that once you start the process the answers you seek will come, once I began to type the first words of what would later become a manuscript the words flowed like a raging river that had been bottled up by a beaver dam.  Lastly I encourage others to practice the discipline of finishing what you start; regardless of the outcomes this will separate you from over 90 plus % of the world and opportunities will arise. So as you can see the answer is simple, but the process is your greatest challenge and hurdle, on your mark, get set, Go!

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you may not be judged”

Well it seems that the Rick Pitino saga has taken some interesting twists, as we now know of a self confessed sexual tryst six years ago between he and Mrs. Karen Sypher at a restaurant on a table no less.  Slick Rick has even admitted to paying $3,000 in hush money for an alleged abortion  or insurance. Mrs. Sypher also accuses Pitino of orchestrating her marriage to Tim Sypher the equipment manager as part of his plan to keep her silenced, disturbing to say the least.  As this case continues to play out I couldn’t help but draw a comparison with the Steve McNair case and the similarities of both. I also find the media’s reporting of both cases a stark contrast. In McNair’s case he comes off as a good guy, but a person with a dark side a miscreant. He is portrayed as someone just short of a pervert for gallivanting around with some young thing he met at Dave & Buster’s and it cost him his life, while there is a sort of romance mystery novel destined for the Life time network being played out in the Pitino case. I’m sure I was not the only person duped into initially thinking that Mrs. Sypher was some kind of deranged lunatic who singled out Pitino because of his fame and wealth, but as more of the facts are presented, you get a different perspective of Slick Rick’s role in the matter. James Ramsey the President of the University of Louisville has already made a statement on where the college stands “Its time to move on, Coach is our guy” colleges and universities are quick to react with stiff penalties when an athlete gets in trouble, funny how the roles change when their “Golden Boy” the person who helps generate millions of dollars for the institution is in trouble.

 Here are a few additional comparisons for you to consider

1.       Both Men had extramarital affairs that have played out in the court of public opinion

2.       Both men garnered Fame & Fortune through Sports

3.       All Families involved have been damaged and left to pick up the pieces

4.       Lives have been lost or in Pitino’s case allegedly lost(abortion)

5.       Both men were revered as leaders in their respective fields and positions and had thousands of people who looked up to them

6.       Both men gave back to the community and were active in charitable causes

Both McNair and Pitino lived in a world that 95% of men admire or envy, they made millions for their proficiency in athletics, one as a gifted athlete, while the other for his brilliance as a motivator. They also lived in a world that is far from the norm for the lay person, especially when it came to female adulation. For the average guy, we have to work hard to impress the ladies and have them notice us and the success rate is in the range of 10-30%, while men of fame, power, wealth and prestige, often have their pick from a bevy of available beauties. In their world the success rate even if for one night is higher. I’m not justifying the decision these men made, but I do thinks it’s important to consider the varied angles. As a country we are no longer shocked when we learn of affairs of some of the most powerful men in the country, in fact it occurs with such common occurrence the public expects it to some degree and many men often fantasize about what it would be like to have the tables turned on women and be on the receiving end of their attention or affection and being in the position to say Yeah or Neah as that delicate flower approaches you for a telephone number and date.

The questions still remains with all of the cases that are being played out before the public why do men continue to have these affairs, hoping that no one will ever find out? Is it a moral or character issue? Do they think they are untouchable?  Is the temptation greater than mans will power that they are willing to risk everything? And what about the woman’s role in the matter, often times we like to think of her as some lowly, desperate tramp a home wrecker, however in many cases she is quite the opposite, she is bright, articulate, educated and very calculating. Why aren’t they held accountable?  They are aware that most of these men are married, do we justify their actions or their temporary lapse in judgment based on the intoxicating aroma of prestige and wealth of the men they are involved with.  The answers may not be as easy as you think or better yet, maybe we just have to view each case separately, as no one can say with 100% certainty why these types of scenarios continue to happen.

 I have never walked in the shoes of these powerful and rich men hence I can’t imagine the pressure they face or the discipline they have to exercise on a daily basis to avoid the snares that are set before their feet. Nor will I judge them for their indiscretions, which amongst us has that right; each of us has a vice or kryptonite we hope no one will ever discover from addiction to low self esteem. However I do know the importance of understanding that every action has a consequence good or bad and you have to live with that.  I discuss this in depth in chapter 9 of the book “An Unsung Coach” Change the game, don’t let it change you. It’s important for any of us to remember why we got involved in the professions of our choice, generally it was to make a difference while at the same time earn money to support our family. It is important for you to remember the core values of who you are and do your best to see through the illusions of the trappings of success, no one is perfect, but continue to hold yourself accountable or find someone you trust to hold you accountable this may lessen the risk of questionable behavior.    

Revelations 3:8

“I know your works. See, I have set before you and open door, and no one can shut it.

Well it’s been over two months since the release of “An Unsung Coach” and the quest to market promote and share the message or as I like to say the ministry of the books contents has been filled with peaks and valleys.  As a novice to the publishing game, I had no idea how difficult it would be to get the book “out there”. Of course the road would be much smoother if I had a major publishing engine paving the way, but alas my works are self published.  I cannot tell you the hundreds of emails, phone calls, and announcements I have sent to  the major networks, publications,  television and radio personalities  many whom claim to care about the community only to receive no or minimal response.  Honestly at times I wonder if it’s all worth it, I thought I was doing what God would have me do and share my testimony  and message of encouragement on how to overcome tremendous odds to create your own definition of success, but why has it been so HARD to get the message out there?

Maybe it’s because I’m not a celebrity, maybe it’s because no one wants to admit there is a problem, borderline epidemic that thousands of young people are pinning their futures on becoming pro-athletes or entertainers to no avail without a back up plan.  Maybe if I spread gossip, or slandered someone’s name, talked about all of the stuff we now call news, I’d become the next great literary sensation with a calendar filled with events and appearances.  I just don’t get it at times I feel like scrapping the whole mission and jumping on the “Give the people what they want” bandwagon.  But this is not who I am,  it’s funny whenever I encounter the detour of self defeat, God will send a friendly, but much needed GPS signal that directs me back to the right road. A couple of days ago, while shopping at the local grocery store, a young girl no older than 10 approached  me , looked up as  if I were a giant standing over 8 feet tall, I suspect from her  point of view  I was as she barely came to my waist and gleefully stated “I remember you, you spoke to my class” I was taken aback , this elementary aged child remembered me coming to her classroom to share the popular TPC principles which I share in the book with her classmates  and that was over eight months ago, coincidentally I also received a wonderful surprise in the mail this week, it was an envelope containing a couple of letters and reviews written by students from the various schools I visited throughout the year,  they had to answer the following question, of all the speakers who visited your class this year who was your favorite and why? They also had to rank the speakers; low and behold I ranked as the number one speaker and the favorite of quite a few.  

These two experiences coupled with recent invites and requests for appearances instantly refueled my spiritual engines to continue with this labor of love.   I leave you with this thought; the results you seek when trying to fulfill your purpose may be slow to come and at times will cause you to question if you are in fact walking in the right direction, but don’t give up, if God gave you the vision press on, an keep your eyes and ears open as the rewards may come in small packages!

The biblical story of David VS Goliath is often preached and used in sports circles the story is usually told from the perspective of the underdog overcoming impossible odds , but I often wonder how the story would differ  if told from Goliath’s experience.  Recently an old high school friend called to inform me that a former high school basketball legend had just passed, the young man was in his Forty’s.  As we reminisced about how talented this young man was back in the day and what it meant to play against him during our formative years. A thought that had been buried in my subconscious finally found its way to the surface. This young man was considered by many to be the best BIG man to come out of the area in a long time. It was during this reflection that I recalled a troubling phenomena that is taking place all across the country and has been for a decades.

The sports world is always in search of the next dominant force in the game, yes the NBA has been valiantly trying to find someone to replace the marketability of Jordan, with Lebron being the closest. However, there is still the quest to find the next “Shaq” This search is not limited to the men’s game as more and more coaches on the women’s side too are seeking that dominant force in the paint.  The thing that has always disturb me about the whole concept is the damage we do to our youth at a very early age in trying to make them live up to such lofty expectations. You have seen this occurrence take place on playgrounds and courts across the country. Whenever there is a young boy or girl who is taller and bigger than everyone else, coaches and fans alike expect them to take over a game even at the tender age of 11.  What people often miss when this occurrence happens are the feelings of the individual.  They fail to appreciate the beauty of their game if they are not breaking back boards, dunking on someone’s head or sending people flying as they make their move to the basket.  Nor do they consider for one moment the person’s damaged psyche when they fail to live up to the “Big Man” mystique. I have personally witness the harm this can do. In fact the friend who called to tell me about the passing of the high school all star, was expected by many to take the mantle of becoming the next great Big man, but instead his game was not one of brute force, despite being the tallest in his class. His game was more finesse think Ralph Sampson as oppose to a  younger Patrick Ewing, he had a beautiful jump hook, could run the floor like a gazelle, rebound and when he blocked shots he kept the ball inbounds much like Bill Russell instead of sending the ball to the 5^th row.

The fans never truly appreciated his talents, despite helping our high school team win a state championship. He was often the target of crude remarks, jokes and taunts. I use to feel bad for him, especially being his best friend.   To his credit he never showed or let the naysayers have the pleasure of seeing how they got to him.  He developed a layer of skin so thick, you’d need a diamond tip drill just to break the surface. I use to wonder how he dealt with all of the negative comments. Years later it dawned on me how he dealt with the pain. My friend turned to alcohol to anesthetize the pain and rejection.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to coach a young woman who stood 6’4 the tallest player in the school’s history. Not only was she tall she was built like a wall. She had all of the physical appearances of “Shaq” but her skill level said otherwise. People quickly wrote her off, all of the big universities didn’t give her a second look. I recall while watching one of her high school games another college coach who was in attendance shared his opinion “ What a god given waste of talent and size, she is AWFUL” I was stunned that a person who is in charge of leading young people  and share values could make such a disparaging comment.  I recruited her anyway, because I saw and appreciated the potential she had, all she needed was someone to believe in her. In fact the line I used to get her to attend my institution was “I’m not recruiting you to be “Shaq” instead I want you to be the best player, you can be”. I’ll never forget the look on her face, finally there was someone who believed in her and appreciated her skills just the way they were. She was a beautiful person inside and out we had a great four year run together. During her four years I watched her go through some of the same antics my high school teammate went through, the comments she endured were brutal “she sucks, if I had that height I would” the fans taunted every facet of her game from physical appearance to her limited skills, and the referees were just as bad, they would allow her get beat up and manhandled on a regular basis, her arms were covered with bruises and scratches. I would give the refs an earful whenever I witnessed this unfair treatment by shouting ”Goliath has feelings too” or “there is nothing in the rule book that states if you are bigger or taller than everyone else  you should be allowed to take more punishment. Unfortunately this is all too common, for some reason just because an athlete is bigger or taller than their peer that somehow disqualifies them from being human or having the same rules apply. The late Wilt Chamberlain could attest to this fact.  My center also had an escape mechanism; she would immerse herself in drawing beautiful illustrations of scenery, places that brought her serenity. And we also had long reassuring pep talks affirming that I believed in her. It was because of our relationship that she worked extra hard and gave me everything she had and she played a pivotal role in our successful run during her career. 

As the world tunes in for the start of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic, There are 2 big men who will be on center stage Orlando’s Dwight Howard and the Lakers Andrew Bynum, one of them will play a pivotal role in the series and for the other hopefully he has people around him who truly appreciate and love him just because.

The spring season is finally upon us, time to put away the winter coat, stock up on the antihistamines, open the windows for some much needed fresh air, watch a few baseball and softball games and time to reflect on my progress toward those New Years’ resolutions.  Recently I attended an event that recognized individuals and corporations that gave of their time and resources to support a program that focuses on encouraging young people in the 5^th grade to reach for their full potential.  One of the speakers who addressed the gathering shared his personal testimony about how it was a teacher that was instrumental in his life as a child and helped him become the success story he represents today. His words inspired me to reflect on whom that “Unsung Hero” was that influenced me at a critical point of my childhood.

For me that person was a coach named T-Bone, he was a tall, slim, dark skin young man who spoke with a soft tone, a few decibels above a whisper, that my team mates and I thought was so cool. T-bone always came to the game clean, well dressed and he had a way of motivating us without yelling or using abusive language. He was the epitome of cool and I admired him as a role model.  I was a lanky 13 year old athlete who just started to pick up the game of basketball after segueing from my first love of baseball.  I decided to join a local league at the urging of a classmate who happened to be the best player in the league; he noticed my height and convinced me to sign up.  The details of my first game are still vivid, I was nervous to say the least, as I knew my skills were not up to the level of some of the players in the league. I didn’t possess an arsenal of ball handling wizardry such as a killer cross over, behind the back or between the leg dribble that would wow you and in the hood if you don’t have game everyone will let you know about it, but for some reason T-Bone saw something in me and started me for the game, I did not score a basket, but I did defend, rebound and made some great passes to help the team to victory.  As the season progressed I settled into my role, my stat’s were hardly anything to brag about, but I quietly came to the game, played within myself and left, we went undefeated that season and won the championship, it helped that we had the best player in the league on our team, who surprisingly was very unselfish. T-Bone was great at keeping the focus on the team and not just one player; he somehow convinced us all that we had an important role.

T-Bone was the perfect coach for me at that time, as I was just coming from an abusive relationship with a former baseball league coach who kicked me off the all-star team in my last season of little league. This coach was the antithesis of T-Bone, and took my confidence.  At the conclusion of the championship game Bone took us to a local pizzeria to celebrate, it was here that he made his biggest deposit into my life, as he dole out the accolades MVP, defensive player and so on, he announced that he had a special award to issue the “Unsung Hero” . To paraphrase T-Bone it was like the MVP, and he began to describe the characteristics, played hard, sacrificed personal stats, efforts often over looked, etc he concluded by saying the award goes to Tony Price, I was both dumbfounded and elated as my teammates and I didn’t really know what the award meant, but I do remember catching the words it was like the MVP and that’s all I needed to feel 10 feet tall.  I raced back home to the housing projects to share the good news with my mom.  From that day on there was no stopping me, T-bone made me a believer. Fortunately I had the chance years later to thank him. Who was that unsung person in your life?  Are they still alive?  Have you ever thanked them?  Now is the perfect time for some spring cleaning