Professional sports take too much of the public's attention away from really important matters.

You're very right. It never registered with me how little society thinks of environmentalists, and how highly we hold professional atheletes. Athletes are the ones society hails as heros and role models, while people like Mr. Mendes are rarely noticed. I thank you for brining this to my attention.

Well done. We can never be too vigilant in questioning assumed cultural values. Chico Mendez did something truly admirable and persisted in the face of very credible threats to his life. In a just world, he'd be celebrated while boys playing games would be treated as what they are: boys playing games.