Thirty-three years ago, Patrick Yarber, a Nashville Tennessee native, went to see a high school friend play in a football game for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Yarber, a 6’ 6’’ 280 pounder was given a genetic curse from his parents. From his mother, he inherited retinitis pigmentosa which has taken his peripheral vision. His father passed on macular degeneration to him which robbed him of his forward vision. The 53 year old retired banker is now legally blind with only 20 percent of his vision remaining. However, while watching his friend play on the fall day back in 1980, Yarber made a vow that he would watch a sports activity in every major city and view a football game in every Division 1 college stadium in the country. That would amount to 125 stadiums and heaven only knows how many sporting venues in every different city. On November 10th of this year, he saw Idaho play Old Dominion at the Kibbie Dome which was number 121 in his college football quest. He has seen professional baseball in 53 different ball parks, he has been to over 800 NHL hockey games, plus pro football and professional and college basketball games. He has flown 1,137 times. He has over 8,000 ticket stubs and 1,200 game programs. He is in a race against time as what’s left of his sight is going. He sees nothing in the dark. He can make out very little over twenty feet away. He cannot see a hockey puck being driven or a basketball hit the hoop. He can make out football and baseball players on the field but not the balls being thrown or caught. He still loves being at an event and feeling the thrill of the moment when he is part of the game crowd. Within two or three years his vision will be totally gone. Mr. Yarber isn’t bitter, though. He’s grateful for the opportunities he has had, the people he has met, and the memories he has made. Patrick Yarber is more then just another fan in the grandstand, he is a self declared “Super Fan” so I don’t think that losing his sight will keep him from attending the sporting events that he loves so much. We should all have his zest for life.
Colts Still Lead the AFC South
With their 22 -14 victory over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday (Dec. 1), the Colts still maintain a 3 game lead in the AFC South with an 8-4 mark as the Horseshoe head into the final month of the regular season. They can clinch a playoff berth with another win. This coming Sunday (Dec. 8), the Blue Crew is headed for Cincinnati to take on a tough Bengal team that is leading the AFC Central Division. The Colts started Donald Brown at the running back spot and he responded with 54 yards on 14 carries and scoring the game-clinching touchdown. A home game follows the Bengals and then a trip to brutal Arrowhead Stadium for a match up with the resurgent Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs always play the Colts tough and this game will be no exception. The Colts finish the regular season at Lucas Oil against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hopefully the team can notch up a couple of wins in the final quarter of the regular season.
snicewanger@yahoo.com