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A Kevin Carter Story
by MIDMOFAN (12/30)

St. Louis Rams Kevin Carter talks with the media after it was announced that he is one of six Rams that were selected to the Pro Bowl, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1999 at Rams park in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

After the game last Sunday, I headed over to Planet Hollywood with my son.

For those who may not know, a lot of the players and their families go over to PH after the game. the restaurant has a roped off area for them. This is also where the local post game radio show originates from.

As you might expect, the place is pretty crowded as lots of folks want to be where the players come. I suspect that the players don't have to pay for their meals in order to entice them to come over.

In any case, after the game, my son and I headed over to PH. At the door some young employee said the place was full and it would be more than 2 hours to get a table. Well, I did not believe him so we went into the merchandise store, thereby going around the door guy and found the girl with the reservation book. She said it would be about a 45 min wait. As it turned out is only took 20 min before we were seated.

As the players started to come in, all of the kid rush up to get autographs. Seemingly forgetting why so many people go to the place, some of the staff tried to discourage this clearing people out of the way, telling kids they could not stand where the players were coming through and telling the kids that the players could not sign right now. Most of the players signed a few autographs before being led by the arm by the staff to the roped off area.

That is until Kevin Carter came through. Not only would he not let the dweeb steer him away from the kids, he had them all line up to make sure that nobody left empty handed. Only after everyone that wanted an autograph got one did he go back to the restricted area.

Here is a great secret. Fans don't care if players make gazzillion bucks. Fans don't care if owners make multigazzilion bucks. What fans want is to feel appreciated. Some players seem to know this instinctively. Some know how much they mean to the fans, especially the kids. Some players know who, ultimately; pays their salary. Some players are just class guys who somewhere along the way were just brought up as great human beings as well as well as athletes. And some players are all of these things.