"Morrison and Mantle"

Boxer Tommy Morrison would have been 50 today.  Instead, he died a little over 5 years ago, at age 44,  because of complications from AIDS. His life and death story is a very, very sad one.

I've written about Tommy here before (see my Feb. 23rd, 2018 blog), comparing HIS defeated life to the triumphant life, and death, of (of all people) BILLY GRAHAM.  And today, on the 50th anniversary of Tommy's birth, I'm likening him to New York Yankees' legend, the late, great Mickey Mantle.  (See, I do think about Morrison a lot, but it's almost like I can't bear to write about JUST him, I have to tie his tragic tale to someone a bit more positive.)

It seems to me that Morrison and Mantle had much in common.  Both were Irish, blond haired, good looking, charismatic, strong  "country boys" who excelled in their sport.  Both were womanizers and heavy drinkers and totally self-destructive.  Morrison starred in "Rocky V" (1990) and The Mick appeared in "Safe At Home," as himself, in 1962.  (So how is MANTLE "a lot more positive," you ask?? )

........Bear with me.  

I'm getting there!!

When Mantle found out he was dying of liver cancer in spring of 1995, he told the world that they should consider him a role model of what NOT to do (destroying your body with alcohol.) He died in August and six months later, Feb. 1996, Tommy Morrison announced he was HIV Positive.  He contracted it from sleeping with hundreds of women during the peak of his popularity, and he ALSO told the world that he wasn't a good role model.

Tommy lived 17 years after his death sentence but there's no evidence that he ever repented before God and got saved.  But as for MANTLE??...the testimony of his former teammate, the solid Christian minister Bobby Richardson, is that Mantle WAS saved in his last months before he left this world.  Richardson ministered to The Mick at the end and says Mick is TRULY "Safe at Home" now, in Heaven, because of the grace of God in Christ.

THIS is why Mickey's story is "a lot more positive."  I don't mean to be funny, but the only thing really positive about Tommy's story is his HIV results...and in that case, "positive" is very bad news.

I've ordered a new book about Tommy Morrison which promises to shed light on details of his religious beliefs.  When I get it, and read it, if there's any solid reason to hope that Tommy is with the Lord now, I will come back and write about THAT.  Until then, I'll go on in 2019 writing about various topics and people as I did LAST year (see the Index of my 2018 blogs, a few posts back.)

It would really, really be nice to write something upbeat about Tommy Morrison "by himself" for a change.  If  I'm able to come back and honestly affirm that there is hope about his eternal soul, I will do just that (God Willing)!!

For today, however, on his 50th, I mourn a man who gained the World  boxing Title in but, to all appearances, lost his soul in the process.