When one thinks of the charitable contributions of NFL players, paint rollers usually come to mind. Whether it's a school, a playground or a school playground, the big burly linemen are in suspiciously non-paint-flecked sleveless t-shirts, painting over decades of benign neglect. Reggie Bush tells kids to get exercise. Payton Manning has United Way and, umm, Sprint.
That's why I'm so surprised to see Bears QB Kyle Orton emceeing an Earth Day festival today at the Lincoln Park Zoo featuring such halftime show favorites as Me'shell Ndegeocello and The Chicago Afrobeat Project.
Have I been underestimating the wide breadth of interests of professional jocks? How come we can't have gametime PSAs featuring uniformed players in drum circles, or instructing inner-city kids on how to maintain an efficient compost heap?
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