When Daddy Goes to War
In "Bedtime Stories for Catherine," Wright Thompson of ESPN.com offers us a haunting portrait of Matthew Conley, a high school quarterback from Alabama who joined the Marines, went to Iraq and didn't come back alive. Thompson shares Conley's story through the words of his wife, Nicole, as she shares stories about him to their daughter, Catherine. Throughout this profile, Thompson is a master of word rhythm, using short sentences for emphasis and adding quick quotes that pack a powerful punch:
Nicole tells Catherine about the disagreements, the scuffles, the ... aw, heck, let's be honest: Matt Conley liked to fight. And he was scared of nothing. But after the laughter dies down, a common thread emerges.
He stood up for people.
In the stands at a high school basketball game — during the game — a bully pushed Matt's friend, and Matt cold-cocked the guy. "They stopped the game," Thigpen says. "Coaches are running up in the stands. The whole stands are watching. Dude's head is swelling up."
Another time, when Matt was home from the Marines, a big ol' guy tried to pick a fight with Thigpen. Matt stepped in and started screaming at the guy, pushing him into a corner. The man, older and bigger, looked ready to cry. "If you ain't ever been cussed out by Matt Conley," Thigpen says, "you ain't ever been cussed out."
A big thank you to our friends at gangrey.com for suggesting this story. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=conley