[nfbmi-talk] Those of you who hurt Jeff should apologize, behavior unbecoming of Federationism

[joe harcz Comcast]

Nice story Eric. You should really talk to this reportor who wrote it. Maybe 
you could let him know you can read it as I posted it right here and educate 
him about blindness.

Best,
Joe

Calhoun has a true love for the game



By

Nick Burton

· Daily Trojan



Posted April 23, 2014 at 10:40 pm in

Columns,

Sports



His name is Eric Calhoun, and if you've ever been to a USC baseball game, 
you know who he is. He is always the loudest, most boisterous fan at Dedeaux 
Field

- the first to start a "Let's go Trojans!" chant when the team needs a 
rally, or to urge the opponent to "quit stalling, already!" during a mound 
visit.

Home-field advantage · The USC baseball team has performed well in front of 
its home fans this season, with a 16-9 record at Dedeaux Field. - Tucker 
McWhirter

| DailyTrojan



Home-field advantage · The USC baseball team has performed well in front of 
its home fans this season, with a 16-9 record at Dedeaux Field. - Tucker 
McWhirter

| DailyTrojan



To be honest, Eric probably has no idea who I am. I interact with him 
briefly at almost every game, but we've never formally met, never spoken 
beyond a

quick interchange, and I know for a fact he has never read my coverage of 
the team.



I can say that with such certainty because Eric is completely blind.



I contemplated approaching Eric several times for this piece; it would only 
be logical, after all, to talk to the subject. I wanted to ask him why he 
takes

the bus from Crenshaw to be at just about every USC home game - and quite a 
few road games as well. I wanted to know how he does it: navigating from bus

to ballpark, up and down bleachers and stairs, always by himself.



I realized, however, that answer is obvious: Eric loves the game, simple as 
that. But what I really wanted to ask was this: How does he know?



When Eric is at a USC game, he sometimes doesn't even face the field - not 
that it would matter, I suppose. His eyes are open, but rolled to the back. 
Usually

they are obscured by his hood, pulled low over his forehead. And yet Eric is 
somehow keenly aware of what is happening on the field. He knows if a ball

is hit on the ground or in the air (he'll urge a fly ball to "get going" 
when a Trojan hits it). He always knows the situation ("Make 'em hit it on 
the

ground," if the Trojans have the opportunity to turn a double play on 
defense). He can seemingly even tell if a pitch is a ball or a strike 
("Throw strikes,"

he'll remind the young Trojan bullpen. "You gotta throw strikes").



Is it the sound of the ball off the bat? The reaction of the crowd? Some 
sort of sixth sense? I've seen Eric stand next to the press box and listen 
to the

announcers in there, but I've also seen him sitting many sections away. No 
matter what, he always seems to know exactly what is happening in the game.

It is nothing short of amazing, and I came very, very close to asking him 
about it.



But I didn't. Because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it's the sound 
of the bat or the crowd or if Eric is just the best guesser ever. Honestly,

it doesn't matter if his cheering even makes sense in the context of the 
game (although it almost always does). What matters is that he is cheering 
at

all - not to mention there in the first place.



Eric is in many ways simply a fan - and a damn good one at that. But he is 
more than just that. He is an eminently recognizable presence, both visibly 
and

audibly. Though he rarely asks for it, he is always thankful for any help he 
receives, be it a reminder when the next game is or simply letting him know

he has walked past the ramp up to the stands at Dedeaux.



He is greeted with smiles he cannot see, yet returns them anyways with his 
devotion and commitment. That's not to say he is perfect - many of us have 
had

our fair share of difficulties with Eric. I recall him simply walking right 
past the ticket turnstile at Blair Field in Long Beach for a game there back

in 2011. Chances are he had no idea he even did so, but the usher collecting 
tickets was understandably flummoxed.



USC has eight home games left in this 2014 season, and you can bet that Eric 
Calhoun will be at all of them. If you find yourself there with him, go say

hi. I know I will. Eric might not be perfect, but he's just about the 
perfect fan.



Nick Burton is a senior majoring in broadcast and digital journalism. His 
column, "Any Given Saturday," runs Thursdays.  To comment on this story, 
visit

dailytrojan.com or email Nick at burtonn at usc.edu.



Source:

http://dailytrojan.com/2014/04/23/calhoun-has-a-true-love-for-the-game/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Calhoun via nfbmi-talk" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 12:11 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Those of you who hurt Jeff should 
apologize,behavior unbecoming of Federationism


> Let us apologize to Jeff, and mean it.
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