SPECIAL THANKS TO MY 'IRON' FAMILY

Behind every Ironman is a great support team, one that pushes, drives, and encourages an
athlete to achieve his goal of completing a grueling 140.6 mile test of endurance.

I couldn't have asked for a better one than my family, whom I got to share a very special
experience with on July 27, 2014. They were a huge part of my journey and a big reason why
I crossed the finish line in the iconic Lake Placid Ironman.

The two biggest cogs in the Team Devlin machine, were my sister, Kara, and my mother, who
have seemingly morphed into the same type of person over the years: thoughtful, unselfish, and incredibly generous.

During the last six months of training, I often felt Kara, who was a driven and an intense elite
swimmer, was more excited about the race than I was. She was always encouraging and
motivating me with inspirational stories of athletes who overcame great obstacles to finish an Ironman.

It seemed like every day I'd open up my e-mail to articles, pictures, and quotes from famous
athletes that would fire me up for the  big race. This was something my father used to do
when I was growing up and I guess Kara picked up the torch after his passing six years ago.

Kara also set me up with an energy and nutritional plan that helped me tremendously during
the race. I didn't drink alcohol in the 18 months leading up to the event and I have always been
pretty good about my diet (when I'm training), but her plan got me focused me on what I needed
to do for an endurance event and that was get leaner.

To be honest, I wasn't keen on doing a nutritional plan with a million and one supplements. I
wasn't looking to win the event, just finish. She pestered me so many times to get on the program,
I finally relented just so she would leave me alone. 

I got on the program which helped tremendously. I did drop some weight and my energy was
strong throughout the race. Thank you, Kara.

Mom, as always, was there, too. About a month before the race, she purchased a 3-day Ironman
camp in Lake Placid for me to attend. And again, I wasn't tremendously fired up for the race at
the time, I was just consumed with the training to get there,and mom, like Kara, became a huge
cheerleader. Mom felt if I learned "just one thing" from the camp, it'd be worth it.

So, of course, the day before I was going to leave for Lake Placid and the camp, mom slipped
and fell in New York City, fracturing a bone in her shoulder in the process.  I couldn't leave now,
but she said, "Get the heck out of here, I'll be OK." I did miss the first day of camp to care for
her, but my brother, Patrick stepped in to help out.

My sister's husband, Chad, also helped out tremendously in my training for the Ironman. He
treats Kara like gold and the rest of our family just the same. About three years ago, Chad bought
a summer home about 25 minutes outside of Lake Placid and he always said, "Whenever you
want to come up to train, feel free to stay here."

A lot of people say things like that, but as soon as you ask to come up, they respond, "Oh, that's
a bad weekend. The house is jammed-pack. Not a good idea."

Not Chad. He always opened the door and rolled out the red carpet for me no matter
the time, day, week, or month. He never said no. Truly awesome.

My niece, Sophie, and nephews Patrick and Christian also showed up to support me, which
put the cherry on top of a beautiful day. The Ironman event is amazing in and of itself, but
it can be a long, long day where supporters only get to see their family members who are
competing for a few brief moments until it is all over.

However, there was nothing better than crossing the finish line of a race that covered 140.6
miles and lasted just over 12 hours and seeing Team Devlin with huge smiles on their faces.
It was a spine-tingling moment.

This event is truly about the journey and not the destination. It's about the blood, sweat, tears,
and dedication to achieve. It was also a total team effort by Team Devlin.

To celebrate the Ironman with my family, the one who supported me every step of the way
was truly special and something I will never forget.

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PAUL DEVLIN: AN IRONMAN AT 50

Lake Placid,  NY. July 27, 2014. First Ironman: 12:12:36 

2.4  mile swim    1:02
112 mile bike      6:30
26.2 mile run      4:23

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YOGI BERRA: REAL AMERICAN HERO

I'll never think of Yogi Berra the same way. Ever.

I once thought he was one of the greatest baseball players the game had ever seen. A
3-time MVP, 10-time World Series champion and Hall of Famer, Berra had accomplished
things most players can only dream of.

It means nothing to me anymore. Nothing.

While scouring the Internet for inspirational stories on 70th anniversary of D-Day and the
Normandy invasion, I came across an article about Berra being honored for his participation
in one of the most significant and greatest events in our world history.

I said to myself, "Are you kidding me? Yogi Berra fought for our country that day? How
the hell did I miss that?"

As a baseball junkie growing up,  I was obsessed with playing the game and the history of it.
I memorized stats on the back of bubble gum cards and spent more a lot of time learning about
the great ones by studying the Baseball Encyclopedia. Every Saturday, I was glued to the
television for NBC's 'Game of the Week.'

Yogi Berra always intrigued me. He was a small man who put up some incredible numbers.
During my career covering baseball for various television stations and networks, I'd often
see him on the field and wondered to myself, "How the hell did this little, funny-looking guy dominate the game?"

Turns out, that wasn't the question I should've been asking. I should have been wondering
how anyone could fit so much courage into a 5-foot, 8-inch body.

Berra was in Normandy on June 6, 1944, right there in the midst of a bloodbath when
American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. 2, 500 U.S.soldiers lost their lives
that day,  many of them cut down almost as soon as the front portion of their boats were
dropped down for the rush to fight the Germans.

Berra was just a 19-year old kid that day. 19-years-old. Think about that. What were you
doing at that age? Partying in college? Spending spring break in Daytona? Just chilling
out with your friends?

Berra was in a 36-foot boat with five other men launching bombs at the Germans to
provide cover for the troops rushing the beach among heavy gunfire.

Can you imagine the things Berra saw that day? Can you imagine what was going through
his mind when saw the ocean turn into the Red Sea from all the blood that was shed just
yards away from him? Can you imagine how frightened Berra was as a 19-year old kid.

Unbelievable.

Our country sure loses perspective when it comes to sports. We idolize players because
they appear to be super human freaks who can run, jump, and throw better than 99.9
percent of the population. We think they are super heroes because they are on TV every
night mastering a kids game.

Broadcasters talk about players having courage because they take a big hit going over
the middle to catch a football. David Ortiz compares a baseball game with a heated
rival as "war".  Good, grief.

Yogi Berra was once a baseball legend to me. Not anymore. He's a true American hero now.
After discovering Berra fought the courageous fight in Normandy, I will never look at him
the same. Ever

I admire Yogi Berra far more today than i ever did. All the baseball stuff is meaningless.
What he did for our country means everything.

Who knew? Now, I do. Thank you, Yogi Berra.

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BOWE BERGDAHL: DO WE HAVE ALL THE FACTS, JACK?!!!!!!

After the lies about Pat Tilman's death and the saving Private Jessica Lynch story,  I've learned
not to trust what our U.S. government has to say when it comes to war time activity.  Having
worked in the media for as long as I have,  I also know how things can be twisted, edited,
and exaggerated to influence public opinion.

With that said, does anybody really know what exactly happened with Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl?
Do we know for sure why he left his post or the reason the government decided to pull
off a seemingly ridiculous 5-for-1 swap with the Taliban for his release?

I certainly don't. And don't pretend to.

But I do know, whether it be from age or experience or probably a little of both,  I don't stand
among the masses in this knee-jerk, rush-to-judgement world that we live in. The media and
court of public opinion have already cast Bergdahl as a sell-out and deserter who shacked up
with the Taliban for the last five years. They see his father with the long beard and tweeting to
the Taliban and believe he's a terrorist and traitor.

I'm sure if you had a child in the hands of the Taliban for five years, you'd have many sleepless
nights and do just about anything to keep your kid alive and get him home safely.  Imagine the
stress of dealing with having a son not only in a war, but in the hands of the deadliest people in
the world. Do you think Mr. Bergdahl wanted to see his son's head cut off or hanging
from a rope on a bridge? We seen that before, haven't we?

I'm not defending Bergdahl's father, but unless I know for sure  he was sleeping with the
Taliban and ready to commit some heinous crime on American soil, I'm not condemning him.

I'm not condemning his son, either.

I've read where Bowe left his post and wandered into the hands of the Taliban. Do we really
know that for sure? Do we really know all the details and circumstances surrounding the event?
Right. His own troops have even said that Bowe sold them out. And of course, that would make
them the first and only soldiers to ever be confused, misunderstan, or misinterpret an event
that happened during a war. Stress would never affect their rationale or thinking, would it?
Noooooo.

Most people read, hear, or see a comment by all the experts on Facebook and believe something
to be true. I don't quite understand why, but that seems to be the case more often than not.
Yeah, we heard then President George Bush tell us the Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction and
most of us believed it because, after all, why would the president lie? (We've known that answer
for quite some time. Most of them do to satisfy their own agendas).

And how bout  all those weapons of mass destruction? Nothing. All those high-powered
satellites and inspectors on the ground and there was nothing.

I believe very little the media tells us. They've certainly been wrong before, haven't
they? John King of CNN was more than a little off when he told the world the Boston police
had "arrested a light-skinned black male" in the marathon bombing case. Ooops, my bad.
King didn't bother to double-check his sources but instead just kept looking at his Blackberry
as he told Wolf Blitzer the marathon bomber had been caught.

The media was way off the mark in its initial information in the Newtown case. They gave
us wrong names, wrong death counts, and a wrong timeline. saying Adam Lanza killed his
father in New Jersey, went back to Newtown to shoot his mother who had been a part-time
teacher at the school (she wasn't) and then went on a rampage at the Sandy Hook Elementary
School.

Lara Logan of CBS just returned to '60 Minutes' after a seven-month leave of absence for
botching a story. Logan anchored a report in which security contractor Dylan Davies claimed
to  have been present and active at the Sept. 11, 2012, raid on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.  He wasn't.

'60 Minutes' wrong about something? No way! Way.

So, we should believe everything we've heard in this Bergdahl case? Really? Why?

Has anybody heard from Bergdahl on why he left his post? Have we heard his side of the
story? Man, the NBA had Donald Sterling on tape making racist comments but they still
allowed him to give his side of the story and explain what happen.

For some reason, the court of public opinion thinks Bergdahl is a sell-out and traitor who
allegedly cost six of his fellow troops their lives in the hunt for him. How the heck do we
know what went on a world away in a place we know absolutely nothing about?

Let the guy have his say. Get the facts, get the truth, and then feel free to condemn him.

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MARK REARICK AND THE END OF AN ERA

Mark Rearick is a New Canaan institution, as much a part of the bucolic Connecticut town
as Gates, God's Acre, and the great little station that trains Wall Street sharks, blue chip
CEO's, and corporate lawyers to and from New York City every day.

But in late June, Rearick, who is known to everybody in town as  "2-5-0",  a name given to
him when he tipped the scales at that number as a senior in high school, will head to North
Carolina with his wonderful wife, Diane, and put New Canaan in his rearview mirror. He
is retiring to the Tar Heel state for the next chapter of his wonderful life.

While the footprints he makes on the beaches of Wilmington will be swept away by the
waves of the Atlantic almost as soon as he makes them, the impact 2-5-0 made on
the people and the entire town of New Canaan will never be rinsed out. Ever.

2-5-0 is 'old school' New Canaan through and through and if  he had a food label pasted on
him it would read, "100 percent all-natural, no artificial ingredients added." He's as genuine
of a person as they come and a refreshingly unselfish character in a world often filled with
selfie-obsessed, self-absorbed people whose first question  seems to be, "what's in it
for me?"

2-5-0 not only graduated from the high school in town, but worked and coached there for
42 years. He was hired by the late, great athletic director Joe Sikorski in 1972 to operate the scoreboard during the basketball season and never left, helping countless students and athletes
through the often trying years of high school.

During his career at New Canaan High School,  2-5-0 coached a lot of different sports and
ruled the cafeteria. He wasn't the in-your-face, spray Red Man tobacco juice on your shirt-
type of guy Bo Hickey, another character and coach is, but 2-5-0 always told it like it was
and few people dared to cross his line.

I transferred into New Canaan High School as a sophomore and like so many students and
athletes, I gravitated toward the mountain of a man who put the "barrel" in barrel chest. He
reminded me of Merlin Olsen, the former NFL Hall of Fame lineman and broadcaster, in size,
intelligence, and towering presence. And yes, he even sported the heavy beard like good
ole Merlin that became one of his trademarks.

2-5-0 seemed to coach everything and New Canaan High School, but baseball was his
true passion and sport. He lived it, breathed it, and knew as much about the game as
anybody not named LaRussa, Torre, or Bobby Cox.

He started  the Babe Ruth program and probably coached, in some way, every kid who picked
up a a baseball in town. 2-5-0 is, was, and always will be New Canaan baseball. His impact
on the sport was that big.

And yes, there was "Chicken Street", a softball team in town he founded that was the New
York Yankees of the softball leagues in the area. It was a dynasty. Heck, I don't know how
many championships we won, but I'm certain we had more fun than 99 percent of the beer
leagues in the enitre country. If 2-5-0 asked you to play for "Chicken Street", it was considered
a pretty special honor.

Several years ago, 2-5-0 was honored for all he did for New Canaan baseball. People came
from all over the state to pay tribute to 2-5-0. I don't remember how many games and
championships they said 2-5-0 won and it didn't matter.  The love, admiration, and respect all
his former players, opposing coaches, administrators, and umpires showed 2-5-0 with was
enough to give you chills. The man is truly, truly loved by so many people.

And that's what it's all about. Nobody remembers the wins, trophies, or final records. It's the
impact you make on others and few people in the history of New Canaan High School have
touched as many lives as 2-5-0.

There will never be another 2-5-0, that's for sure.

New Canaan today is far different than the one many of us grew up in. It has become
extraordinarily wealthy and  now home to celebrities like Harry Connick, Jr. Paul Simon,
 NBC's Brian Williams, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, and high-powered CEO's like General
Electric's Jeff Immelt and ESPN's George Bodenheimer.

2-5-0 is "our" celebrity, a New Canaan original who has, in a small way, connected so
many people to the town's past. He is a walking history book who knows just about
everybody who has passed through the tony town of 19, 000 and all the events and things
that helped make it a very special place.

I recently took a picture of 2-5-0 at the New Canaan High School and posted it on Facebook.
The response I received was swift and plentiful, many people chipping in with their thoughts
on 2-5

1. • 

     Stacey Smith Great man!

     
     
   • 

     Vikki Stone Corliss Congrats to him!

     
     
   • 

     Tina Swallow Gaines Wow! A true nchs legend!

     
     
   • 

     Holly Nichols LOVE HIM

     
     
   • 

     Perry Seelert Wow, the Fiver was a legend, who I vividly remember playing for in Freshman baseball and basketball......the belt was the "indicator" for any baseball signal!

     
     
   • 

     Heather Bowler Now there is a name I haven't thought of in decades ! Best of luck to 2-5-0. !

     
     
   • 

     Whitney LeGard Williams I see him regularly at the HS. He's still so cheerful, loves to chat about the good old days, and loves the kids. It's incredible to me that he could still be there, and yet, I won't be able to imagine it without him…I hope he retires somewhere that has a great baseball team!

     
     
   • 

     Jason E. Green My freshman basketball coach, thank you for everything. We only lost one game that year, a great man!!!

     
     
   • 

     Paul Karl Fiver - all the best to a true original and more importantly to a caring and compassionate coach and educator that "made a difference".

     
     
   • 

     Samantha Loomis He is the best! Hope you can somehow share these great comments with him, he deserves to see them!

     
     
   • 

     Laura Celaya Wilson A truly wonderful man! I am sad that my freshman son won't get to see him all 4 years at NCHS!

     
     
   • 

     Billy Jalbert Wow...what a run. Congratulations 2-5-0...and enjoy your retirement.             
     
     Many of us will never achieve great wealth, but those with New Canaan ties
     are far richer for having met and known a person like 2-5-0.
     
     2-5-0, you are the best! You will be missed.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY KID SISTER, KARA

I am proud.

My kid sister turns 40-something today and I've never be more proud of her and the person
she has become than I am right now.

No, Kara is not the CEO of a Fortune 500 company,  a movie star, or anybody famous, for
that matter. She is much more than that.

Kara is a mother who has raised four incredible children, all unique in their own way. She is
the loving wife of Chad who has given her the great life she richly deserves.

And she is my sister. An incredible one.

Kara has  always been there for me through the trying times, and there have been many of
them over the last several years. She has been my Dr. Phil, the one to  make a call, drop a
note of encouragement or kick me in the ass when I needed it.

That's my sister, Kara, who when growing up, was so much like my father: tough, driven,
resilient, but with a huge heart and a great sense of humor to match. It was that drive and
mental  toughness that helped her become a world-class swimmer and an All-American at
both Florida and USC.

But a funny thing happened to Kara almost as soon as she hung up her goggles and retired
from the sport. She morphed into my mother. Kara became so unselfish, thoughtful, and
giving. She put everybody else before herself. Never asked for anything and would not only
give you the shirt off her back, but the sweater, coat and scarf, as well.

Oh, she didn't lose my father's toughness or drive, it just became camouflaged by her
kindness,  thoughtfulness, and spirit. And that sense of humor passed on from my father
hasn't gone anywhere. It just seems to have gotten stronger. Kara is one helluva funny girl.
She is also a fitness junkie, who after four kids, has a six-pack and has the body fat of
welterweight fighter.

Kara is not perfect. She sometimes talks like she knocked off a case of Red Bull for
breakfast. When she's on the phone, the words often come out so fast, I have to get
a translator from the United Nations to figure out what the hell she is saying.

Other than that, Kara is truly amazing.  An amazing mother, wife, and friend. She is my
sister and I admire her so much.

Happy Birthday, Kara, you are the best!

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V. STIVIANO GETS HER 15 MINUTES OF FAME

Believe it or not, there was a time when people had to have a real talent to be a star.

Long before steroids, implants, and mindless reality shows, stardom was achieved the
old-fashioned way: by working hard on your craft and earning it.

Not anymore.

Thanks to social media, the land of 1,000 channels, and the aforementioned reality
junk, which ironically, are from from being real, anybody can become a star almost
instantaneously.

Say something stupid, do something controversial, or release some kind of sex tape or a
tape with heavy dirt on someone else and all of sudden, you become important. Katie,
Oprah, or Dr. Phil want to get the "exclusive" interview. The Today show wants to have
you on "live" because that would be a big "get" and a boon for the ratings and, after all,
in television, it's all about the ratings.

We've seen the likes of Snooki, Sitch, the housewives of everywhere, and all the
 Kardashians become rich and famous without having any discernible talent. Rachel Uchitel

achieved instant stardom for being Tiger Woods' girl. Yes, she was just one of the many
who Tiger had an affair with, but the media made her the most recognizable.

Now, V. Stiviano's 15 minutes of fame is on the clock.

Stiviano is the girlfriend or ex-girlfriend (In L.A., you just never know if it's current or
former) of Donald Sterling, whose racists comments got him banned from the NBA life.

Stiviano, who gladly accepted a Ferrari, two Bentley's, and a $1.8 millon condominium from
the longtime Clippers' owner, took a tape recorder into his home and all but egged her
80-year-old boyfriend (Sugar Daddy) into making insensitive comments.

From where I'm from and how I was raised, that's what you call a rat. That's what you
call sleazy. But in our world today, snakes who do this, seem to get glorified.

So, it wasn't a surprise when I clicked on the computer Saturday and saw that Stiviano is
going to be interviewed by Barbara Walters, who beat out everybody for the exclusive.

Yep,  Stiviano, who recorded Sterling spewing hate against minorities but said she wasn't
the one who released the tape to TMZ, is now a somebody. Right, and if you believe that
she didn't control who receieved the tape,  you have an I.Q. of less than two.

That's right, it just happened to be released so everybody on the planet could hear what
most people already knew: Sterling makes racist comments.

Stiviano knew exactly what she was and is doing. She's angling for her moment in the
spotlight. She has taken the shortcut to stardom, albeit temporary. I guess she had to do
something to cover up those blemishes on her rap sheet. Stiviano was arrested twice
in the past for petty theft and possession of a controlled substance. Sounds like a class
act to me. (wink, wink.)

There Stiviano was on the Barbara Walters special all dolled up, looking serious, and
trying to sound intelligent. She, of course, played the role of the victim and just about
every news outlet on the Internet picked up the story and promote it.

Stiviano is now a somebody. All she had to do was throw Sterling under the bus. Man,
that was easy. She'll be an Internet sensation and probably be "trending" over the weekend.

I'm sure there will be other interviews to come and offers to be made. A reality show is
likely in the works and you can bet Playboy will ask her to bare all for hefty sum.
.
Stiviano knows her star has a limit on how long it will shine and she is going to milk it
for as long as she can. What a beautiful human being.

Stiviano is bad news. She brought down Sterling and now she's being rewarded for it.

Only in America. Yes, only in America.

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