I shared this Saturday night on both Facebook and Twitter (via Sulia, which I will admit I’ve NEVER used before).
This is going to be a quick thought from me before New Year’s Eve. It’s the last thing I want to say in calendar 2012. I’ll have plenty to say about the Baltimore Ravens during the course of the next fews days. It’s (once again) Indianapolis Colts week and a lot of people are going to have a lot of opinions.
I’ll save the majority of mine for January 2, 2012. In the meantime, this is it for me in 2012. I hope this final thought will strike you. It was the only thing I could think about after I learned Buck Showalter had been named the Baltimore Sun’s “Marylander of the Year” for 2012.
It’s really important to me.
This is genuine.
What Buck Showalter accomplished in 2012 was nothing short of amazing. There’s a reason why we named him WNST.net’s “Local Sports Person of the Year”.
That being said, it’s unconscionable that The Baltimore Sun create an honor called “Marylander of the Year” and screw it up so much.
There was ONE answer to this question this year. ONE.
I feel so strongly about this that I would prefer to wait until my show Monday to really discuss it, but because I only have two hours on Monday’s show I’ll do it here.
Perry Hall High School’s Jesse Wasmer was the only person that should have even been CONSIDERED for this award, more or less named a winner. I understand The Sun made this an open vote, but that’s their own mistake.
The title of “Marylander of The Year” is far too significant for a popularity contest. A hero who protected our young people and risked his own life/safety in the process should have made this a no-brainer.
I know Jesse doesn’t want the recognition, but as whatever form of public figure I am, I can’t let it go.
Perhaps when it comes time for “Marylander of the Decade” it will be made right.
(If you don’t remember, Jesse Wasmer was the guidance counselor and Perry Hall High School alum who confronted a gunman on the first day of school at PHHS this year after he wounded student Daniel Borowy. Wasmer was hailed as protecting perhaps many lives that day while placing his own life at risk. He was aided by fellow faculty members Richard Rosenthal and Kathleen Watkins. If you need your memory jogged, please go ahead. I shared some of my own emotions that day too.)
I add the disclosure that I am a Perry Hall alum myself and still involved with the school for multiple events every year. I add another disclosure that I know Jesse, having attended Perry Hall at the same time. His brother and I were classmates. Jesse was always the typed you looked up to because of how cool and collected he was. I never knew as a young man that composure would turn into completely legitimate heroism.
I’m not exactly impartial when it comes to my feelings here. I hardly believe that matters in this case.
As I reminded someone who told me “Whoever they picked, there would be controversy” Saturday night, there is absolutely ZERO debate about a real hero who risked his own safety to save the lives of area children. None.
Thank you Jesse Wasmer. You’re my hero. You deserve so much more than just “Marylander of the Year” for what you’ve done. It’s just a shame they couldn’t even figure that much out.
I promise I’ll ramp up some Indy angst and purple passion in the coming days. I just wanted to leave you with this final thought and image in 2012 as the tragedies of Aurora and New Town have dominated year-end recaps. I’m so grateful this doesn’t have to be remembered the same way, but I hope we recognize that as the year closes.
Happy New Year, Charm City.
-G
