Welcome to the first of an installment I call “This Week in Sports.” Every Wednesday, I’ll point you to some of my favorite sports headlines including the good, the bad, and the ugly. But it won’t just be about scores and statistics. Instead, it will mostly consist of in-depth analysis and human interest stories. If you ever find something that you think might be of interest to me, feel free to contact me.

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Kid With Cancer Makes a Touchdown Run

If you have a pulse, then this story has got to move you. At their recent spring football game, the Nebraska Cornhuskers ran a pretty crazy trick play. Lined up on their own 31 yard-line, the Huskers offense handed the ball to seven-year-old Jack Hoffman who ran it 69 yards for a touchdown. As he crossed the goal line, Jack was met by the entire Nebraska team who hoisted him on their shoulders.

Why is this a story? Jack Hoffman is currently battling inoperable brain cancer. At the request of his parents, Jack has become part of the Nebraska football family. And his touchdown run is just his latest feat in a Huskers uniform. I’m not a Nebraska football fan, and I know very little about the program. But I have tremendous respect for them for making this happen.

For more background on this story, check out ESPN’s piece here.

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Georgia Releases New Rap Video ‘Dawg Bite’

In other college football news, the Georgia Bulldogs celebrated their recent spring game with the release of their new rap video called ‘Dawg Bite.’ The video prominently features head coach Mark Richt’s son. Other notable cameos include Mark Richt himself and a portly Hank Williams Jr. lookalike.

As far as I’m concerned, producing rap videos for college football teams is not how I would ever choose to spend any of my time. Ever. But I do respect the right of others to engage in such activity, dubious as it may be. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t publicly register my outrage at the University of Georgia Athletics Department for allocating any of their resources to this. I mean, really? In case you’re wondering: yes, my wife is a Georgia alum and a filmmaker, but she was not involved with any stage of production of this video.

Here is one from my alma mater, East Carolina University: ‘My Heart Is Purple & Gold.’ Thankfully, there is no corresponding video, and I hope Pirate fans don’t get any ideas.

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Baseball Honors Jackie Robinson and Victims in Boston

This past Monday, Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day, an annual celebration to honor Jackie Robinson for being the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. Among other tributes, all players wore Robinson’s number 42.

Alongside the tributes for Jackie Robinson, there was also the fresh grief brought on by that afternoon’s bombings at the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts. The Associated Press did an interesting piece detailing the poignant intersection of Major League Baseball’s celebration of diversity and mourning the tragic events in Boston.

Of particular interest is Ben Revere of the Philadelphia Phillies. Revere made an incredible diving catch against the Cincinnati Reds while wearing a glove that bore the message “Pray for Boston.” Many other players wrote similar messages on gloves, hats, and cleats. But Ben Revere’s outstanding play was a cool moment on an important day for minorities in baseball, in the midst of a great tragedy.

Sometimes everything just comes together in one play.