A moment of silence

The death of Daytona Beach Thunder player Javon Camon after Monday night's game against the Columbus Lions serves as an unfortunate reminder that helmets and shoulder pads don’t guarantee invulnerability.
Camon, who had intercepted three passes in the game, was knocked unconscious by Columbus’ Cedric Ware. Nobody has taken issue with the cleanliness of Ware's hit. It was simply a matter of two fast, strong men of comparable size colliding violently.
Those who witnessed it, from Columbus coach Jason Gibson to Daytona Beach team officials, described it as being no different from any of the forceful blocks and tackles routinely featured on the ESPN highlight loops.
Quarterbacks get decked from the blindside every day. Special teams players get knocked off their feet during kick returns.
We're used to seeing them get up. Some of them are woozy and wobbly-legged, but they always get up.
Ware got back on his feet Monday night with a concussion. Camon, who was treated on the field by paramedics, died of cardiac arrest en route to a nearby Daytona Beach hospital.
Both young men are victims of circumstance. Camon was described by his coach at South Florida as a bright young man with a ready smile. A life full of promise was interrupted far too early.
Meanwhile, Ware will try to play on while battling through the cruelest sort of emotional trauma.
There will be unimaginable grief in knowing that a chance collision on the football field resulted in a death.
And, undoubtedly, there will be a mix of guilt and relief in knowing that he was able to get up afterward.
Please remember both young men in your prayers.

Fore play

We've heard of soccer riots and soccer players head-butting opponents in the World Cup.
This week, however, there was an entirely new example of a soccer player behaving like a butthead.
Craig Bellamy, reputedly a hot-tempered player for English Premier League power Liverpool, is in hot water for attacking teammate John Arne Riise with a golf club.
According to the Associated Press, Bellamy must pay a $155,000 fine after belting Riise in the back of the legs during an argument that took place at a team training camp in Portugal.
The cause of the argument could very well make professional sports history.
Bellamy bludgeoned Riise because of an argument over a karaoke contest.
We can only hope the team doesn’t place bets on the outcome of the next ‘‘American Idol’’ episode or else it could lead to a riot.
Bellamy’s future with Liverpool is in doubt, but Riise wasn’t seriously injured.
He can still play, but he might think twice before he grabs the microphone again on karaoke night.

Center of attention

Before the other day, I didn’t know the difference between former NBA center John Amaechi and actor Don Amechi.
Amaechi had an unremarkable NBA career with such teams as the Cavaliers and Magic, but he took one extraordinary step last week.
He admitted he's gay.
ESPN exploited, I mean reported, his big news. The more cynical among us might wonder whether the timing of Amaechi's self-outing had anything to do with the release of his book, ''Man in the Middle,'' which contains his personal reflections on being a gay NBA player.
In the aftermath of Amaechi's announcement, there was a rush to praise him for his courage and his openness.
Let's get real for a moment.
This wasn't any sort of Jackie Robinson moment in which a barrier came tumbling down. Gays remain unwelcome in locker rooms.
Amaechi made his revelation from across the Atlantic Ocean, from his home in England, four years after retirement. It's admirable that Amaechi decided to be honest with the public, as well as himself.
At the same time, real bravery would have been exhibited by ''coming out'' during his NBA career. Saying, ‘‘I'm gay. You got a problem with that?'' to a locker room full of teammates would have made a far more emphatic statement and done far more to foster a climate of inclusion in professional sports.
So far, only a handful of pro athletes have admitted to ‘‘playing for the other team’’ — Amaechi, major leaguers Glenn Burke and Billy Bean, as well as NFL veterans Esera Tuaolo, Ray Simmons and David Kopay. All had retired from their respective sports before revealing themselves to be gay. All fit the description of being journeymen in their respective sports.
It's naive to think that homosexuality in the NBA, NFL or major leagues is confined to bench-warmers. It's likely that active gay athletes in all professional sports will shroud their sexual preferences in secrecy until a high-profile player makes the sort of announcement Amaechi did four years too late.
If such an athlete came out and then proceded to dunk all over punks during a 30-point night or rush for 150 yards or throw a two-hitter, it would encourage players, coaches and fans to worry less about questions of sexuality and spend more time appreciating athletic ability.