BlackFive

RE:  Daniel Rodriguez - from COP Keating to NCAA Football - Someone You Should Know (January 2012)
RE:  This Ain't Hell:  Combat Vet to Play at Clemson (August 2012)

Over at This Ain't Hell, Jonn posts a request that we should all get on with and, for those of you on Facebook, vote for Daniel as the 2012 USAA Athletic Inspiration Award for Courage in Sports here.

Cleveland Browns' Seneca Wallace travels to Kuwait for a USO Tour and shoots everything he sees while he's there. NOC sits down with him for an interview describing all the exclusive footage.

On April 25, 1976 at Dodger Stadium, Rick Monday of the Chicago Cubs, grabbed and secured the American flag from two individuals as they were attempting to burn our flag in the middle of the playing field. It was an outstanding display of American Patriotism...

Ranger Up and American Sin Bin are giving away free tickets to the Collegiate 7's Championship in Philly....

All you need to do is write [email protected] and tell "T" how many tickets you need, give your name and email.  If you can get to Philly, you can party and enjoy some great rugby for free.

Marines and soldiers on the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team have overcome their wounds and excelled in athletics. One opportunity to showcase this was the 2nd Wounded Warriors Amputee Softball Celebrity Classic, where the team took on local and national celebrities in the Washington, D.C. area at Nationals Stadium. Produced by Lance Cpl. John Tucker.

Photo courtesy of 10th Mountain Division PAO

On August 23, 2011, family, friends, and the grateful community of Duxbury, Massachusets, lost a True American Hero when U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Timothy J. Steele gave his life in combat while serving his beloved county in Afghanistan.

Tim was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum N.Y. He was a 2009 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Tim’s military awards and recognitions are numerous and distinguished.

Tim was a member of Duxbury High School’s Class of 2004 where he excelled as both a student and athlete, but most impressively as a role model and leader for those around him. He was president of his senior class and captain of the track team where he carried the Stars and Stripes in his last track meet as a sign of his commitment and love for his country.

Those serving under Lt Steele in the U.S. Army remember him as a born leader whose command they followed with unquestioned loyalty and respect.

Please join family, friends, and others in paying tribute to Tim as the Holy Family Knights of Columbus in cooperation with the Holy Family Women’s Club sponsors The Lieutenant Timothy Steele Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 12th. The tournament and following reception will be hosted through the generosity of the Duxbury Yacht Club and Holy Family Parish. It is extremely important to preserve the memory and accomplishments of Lieutenant Steele, who like too many before him, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

Your support for this event will send a lasting message to Tim’s wife Meaghan and daughter Liberty Hope, his parents Jack and Maryellen, siblings, and other loved ones that Lieutenant Tim Steele will never be forgotten by the residents of Duxbury.

Whether you had the honor to personally know Tim and his loving family or like many of us who have since learned of his character and strength, we invite and encourage you to support this worthy cause.

One-hundred percent of net proceeds shall be distributed to the Steele Family in preserving the legacy of Lieutenant Timothy J. Steele. All donations received are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Go here to learn more, make a donation, or sign up for the golf tournament.

It's snowing here today...but there's hope.  Baseball starts soon.
"This is our year!" - Blackfive, Cubs Fan, said every year since 1974

"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those of heavy hearts. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his poverty no more." - Proverbs 31:4-7

"See, there must have been Cubs fans back then." - Blackfive, 2006

At the Houston Texans game, a plot was revealed...

Marine Scott Wood died four weeks ago after suffering injuries during combat in Iraq. Before his burial, his wife dressed him in two uniforms. On the outside, Scott wore his military dress blues. Underneath, he wore the blue No. 80 jersey of Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson.

Sara Wood had been married to Scott for eight years. They have a five-year-old son together named Landon. Now he and Sara live in a single room in her parent's house.
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When Sara got an offer to go watch the Houston Texans play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, she jumped at the opportunity. She knew her husband would have loved to go the Reliant Stadium to watch his beloved team play. Plus, she and Landon had never been to a game before.

As described in a column by Tully Corcoran on FSHouston.com, the team brought Sara to the game under the pretense that she and her son would be part of a halftime ceremony in which Landon would receive a bike and Scott's memory would be celebrated by the 71,500 in attendance. Both those things happened, but a much bigger surprise awaited...

Go check out what awaited Scott Wood's family.  Nice going, Texas!

Showtime shows us that playing for a military academy (not to mention in a time of war) is not like playing for any other team...The Army-Navy Game is this Saturday...

From Stachebash.org:

From now until the MMA fight on 10 December 2011, we’re asking every MMA fighter, celebrity, or organization that wants to make a fundamental difference in the lives of our men and women serving abroad to “Mustache Up” and sign up for a team. Your team can be as many or as few people as you want. We’ll post anything you want about yourself and your team. We’ll link your page, your sponsors, anything. What we ask of you is that you get the word out and ask your fans and friends to donate to your team via this website.

Our dream is that on 10 December when Jon Bones Jones faces Lyoto Machida, the cage is full of fantastic facial hair, showcasing amazing support for our men and women in uniform.

All donations are tax deductible and will go through Soldiers’ Angels accounts.

SO WHAT THE HELL IS BLACKFIVE DOING TO SUPPORT THIS GREAT EVENT?

Soooooo, Uncle Jimbo and I asked the team to join in.  Well, I asked.  Jimbo sent this sensitive and altruistic message out...

FFS, how many chicks do we have writing for this rag? I can knock out a creditable Fu Manchu by morning if needed...

I guess that means that we are in! 

Deebow, McQ, Grim, Subsunk, Jimbo, Crush, and more are in it to win it.  Here's just four of us suitably adorned.  Go here to donate on behalf of team Blackfive.

AND HERE'S SOME INCENTIVE:

For the military taking part in this stache-bash (with photo), I will send a pair of Wiley X P-17's (Black Ops Collection) with case - courtesy of the awesome folks at Mastiff Games and Wiley X - to military overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq.

So PLEASE DONATE NOW!

Last, here is what Jungle from Action Figure Therapy has to say about Soldiers' Angels and the Stache Bash!  Thanks, Jungle, for the extra mustache power (NSFW):