In the lead-up to the Sunday Night Football game this past weekend between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, TSN premiered My Brothers Keeper, a moving TSN Original Feature focusing on Ravens lineman Maake Kemoeatu, who made the decision to retire from the NFL before this season in order to donate a kidney to his ailing younger brother Chris, who is himself a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers. Alex Chiasson Jersey . For TSN Front Row, we asked TSN Original Feature director Matt Dunn to recount his uniquely personal story of how My Brothers Keeper came to be. Heres what he told us: Some feature ideas come easy, some dont. This story struck me like a lightning bolt, and when it was complete I would be emotionally drained but entirely grateful for the experience. You see, I had a personal connection to the subject matter… In the winter of 2012, my wife and I learned that our second son, Charlie, then only a few months old, would need a kidney transplant at some point in the future. I dont really recall the words coming out of the doctors mouth, but I do recall other details of the moment: the room at Torontos Sick Kids hospital, the colour of the doctors sweater, the silence of my wifes reaction as tears began to roll down her cheeks, and the doctor appearing overwhelmed and leaving quickly. She was young and clearly didnt have much experience at breaking news like this to families. So this past September, when I read the headline on the NFLs Twitter account, Former Ravens DT retired in order to donate kidney to brother, I was immediately invested, and became determined to share this story. I wanted to explore the emotional dynamic between the brothers, and I knew the arc of the story would be their awareness of the stakes before the transplant surgery. The brothers agreed to allow TSN to tell their story, and when I arrived in Baltimore with the TSN camera crew, we were greeted warmly by the Kemoeatu family at a rental home. Maake, the kidney donor, Chris, the kidney recipient, and their brother Benji were in the midst of moving back to Hawaii where they own a gym and operate a foundation. The walls were empty, the furniture was limited, and they had a lot on their plate. Especially Chris, who was moving and speaking slowly, his body still adjusting to the new organ functioning within. But they gave me their full attention and then some. Upon learning that my son would need a kidney, the brothers wanted to know more and were happy to answer any questions I had before, after, and during the interview. The same went for Dr. Bartlett, the surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Centre who oversaw the transplant surgery. He turned off his frequently buzzing cell phone to answer my questions about donor waiting lists, the chances of any individual finding a living donor match, and anything else I could squeeze in. When our plane lifted off, I knew we had the story we wanted to tell. I was hopeful the story would inspire Canadians to register to become organ donors. But I was also moved personally: I felt more optimistic about my sons future, and I felt less alone. Upon parting ways with the brothers, there was one more special moment. Maake, the eldest of seven siblings who gave his brother the gift of life, shook my hand and looked squarely into my eyes. Both of us having shared our stories with each other, I felt the strength and compassion in his gaze, like he wanted me to feel a little safer, a little more secure. And I did. I still do. Devante Smith-Pelly Jersey . Top-seeded Djokovic swept to a 6-1, 6-3 win over 51st-ranked Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in just 57 minutes, but fourth-seeded Federer had to see off a serious challenge from 48th-ranked Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic before coming through 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3. Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey . Trailing by a goal after 20 minutes of play, Joe Pavelski responded with three goals and an assist as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. http://www.capitalsauthority.com/ . Ribery, who won UEFAs best player in Europe award for the 2012-13 season, helped Bayern Munich win the Champions League and Bundesliga and German Cup titles. Messi, winner of the last four Ballon dOr awards in voting by coaches, team captains and media, was injured late in the season and could not prevent Barcelona from being beaten by Bayern in the Champions League semifinals.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss the NBAs fine on the Toronto Raptors, the ice bucket challenge, Candlestick Park and Jimmy Grahams reaction to the NFLs goal-post no dunking" rule. Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star My thumb is up to the $25,000 tampering fine that the NBA levied against the Toronto Raptors this week. The fine came after the rapper Drake, the teams unpaid but omnipresent global ambassador, spotted league MVP Kevin Durant in the crowd during a Toronto concert and all but openly recruited him with the aid of a chanting crowd. So, the team received the fine, and its about time. Drake is popular in NBA circles, and you can bet hes talked to guys like Durant off-stage, too. In the NBA, the best players choose their destinations, and even if the NBA insists they never asked for Drakes removal as ambassador, that makes him sound like a threat, right? Which, he may yet be. And finally, with this fine, the Raptors have at least paid something for his services. Steve Simmons, Sun Media My thumb is up to the ice bucket challenge, the charitable campaign inspired and enhanced by social media that has worked so well to raise money for the dreadful disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease. Suddenly, in recent days weve seen the likes of Sidney Crosby, Gary Bettman, Henrik Lundqvist, P.K. Subban from the hockey world and other athletes and celebrities dumping a bucket of ice over their head inspiring donations worldwide, the likes of which we have never seen before. A year ago this timeframe, ALS had raised $32,000 in a two-week period. Since the ice bucket challenge began, the brainchild of former college baseball player and ALS sufferer Peter Frates, more than $5.5 milllion has been pledged. Jay Beagle Jersey. Sometimes a simple idea, for all the right reasons, with the aid of social media, can go an awfully long way. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated My thumb is up to memories of San Franciscos Candlestick Park, the 54-year-old stadium whose swan song was sung this week at a concert by Paul McCartney. It was fitting Sir Paul closed the place considering the Beatles gave their last live performance there, in 1966. Candlestick chilled the body. Giants fans wore parkas in June. But it often warmed the sporting soul. This was hallowed ground where Willie Mays roamed center field and Joe Montana connected with Dwight Clark on "the catch." The Stick held up well, especially during the 89 World Series as I sat worriedly in the auxiliary press box during the Loma Prieta earthquake. For that, and for everything, thanks. Dave Hodge, TSN My thumb is down to Jimmy Graham, the New Orleans Saints standout tight end, who is probably the best at his position in the NFL, even better than the grown-ups. Graham is responsible for the so-called "goal-post no dunking" rule because he went too far and managed to bend a goal post. Well, he hates the rule, has vowed to protest it by ignoring it, which he did twice after touchdowns on Friday night. Now, you can call it the "no fun league," you can say that pre-season games arent to be taken too seriously and that unsportsmanlike penalties after touchdowns are no big deal, but if you play for Saints coach Sean Payton, who was suspended for a year by the NFL, you do not show up the league because you know your coach - any coach, I guess - will tear into you. Thats what Payton did and Graham yelled back and a sideline shouting match ensued, during kindergarten. China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap NFL Hoodies NFL Jerseys Cheap White NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts From China Cheap Jerseys Online NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Throwback Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping NFL Jerseys Wholesale White NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys China NFL Gear Cheap Jerseys ' ' '