I missed this story a few days ago when it originally happened, but it deserves to be highlighted.
The organizers of the Special Olympics in Minnesota have scheduled a series of 20 "Polar Plunges" that they're using to raise money for their cause. For the uninitiated, a "Polar Plunge" is exactly what it sounds like. . .you get the privilege of jumping into a lake in the middle of a Minnesota winter. Think of it as the "Ice Bucket Challenge," multiplied by roughly a thousand.
(Along with, one would presume, some Costanza-esque side effects.)
Well, they kicked off their series this past week, and Minnesota Vikings' general manager Rick Spielman was among those that took part (along with the presidents of the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Minnesota Wild).
The Special Olympics are a cause that are near and dear to Spielman's heart, as he told the Vikings' official website.
"Special Olympics does a great job of getting us all together. It's such a great cause, and to get all the four major sports teams together, is a pretty unique thing," Spielman said. "I have a younger daughter that competes in a lot of adaptive sports. She's a seventh grader, and to go out there and see these kids compete, I'm pretty fortunate in my position, I see a lot of great athletes, but the heart and competitiveness you see in the Special Olympics kids going out there, it's something very unique. It's one of the things I appreciate the most, to go out and watch my daughter."
On a lighter note. . .check out the arms on Spielman, would you? I know he played linebacker in college. . .maybe there's a chance he could play linebacker now, too.