Mobile is a Special Place

This letter has been 20 years in the making, so it’ll probably be longer than it ought to be, but I hope somebody reads it because it’s something that needs to be said.

Over the past couple of decades or so of cartooning, I have played in several hundred celebrity golf tournaments with, among others, Bob Hope, General Westmoreland, a bunch of senators and congressmen, all kinds of country music singers, movie people, pro golfers, a lot of judges, quite a few defendants, TV people, and it seems like just about every former and current NFL, NBA and Major League baseball player who has ever so much as slowed down in central Florida. 

A while back, I missed the Bryant Gumbel tournament here in town because I forgot it was happening.  I’m going to have to skip the Lou Holtz tournament because I’m scheduled to get my truck tuned up and it’s harder to get an appointment with a  mechanic around here that it is to get into a celebrity golf tournament.  You can’t swing a dead cat or a nine iron in Orlando without hitting somebody who used to be famous at something, or used to hit, throw, dunk or run with some kind of ball.  They all have a charity golf tournament and I play in most of them.  I think 32 or 33 a year. 

They all bill themselves as “special”.  As far as I can tell, none of them is.  If they were, I’d probably remember how many I played in.  They’re good.  They help charity.  But they're not “special”.  When a bunch of people who routinely sign contracts for millions make a few thousand for charity, I can’t regard that as a “special” effort. 

I play in one special tournament a year.  It’s in Mobile.  Without a big-time corporate sponsor to underwrite the effort, without real celebrity draw or deep personal pockets to dig into and with little or no personal recognition, these folks have put on a first-rate tournament for 16 years now.  I’m amazed every time I see it happen. 

It’s just a bunch of regular old folks who have jobs and children, no extra time and a lot of extra obligations that they ought to be tending to.  But they find the time and money to do this fund-raiser for child abuse prevention efforts in Mobile. 

They’re not “special” like all those Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood types we have here putting on golf tournaments.  They’re just the kind of plain ole folks who won this country a couple of world wars.  Mobile ought to be  proud to have them in town. 

Meanwhile, I just wanted to thank the rest of the bunch who put on the That’s Jake Charity Golf Tournament. All those who play, sponsor holes, cook sausages or drive the drink carts.  I appreciate all of you.  I’m proud to know you and I’m proud of Mobile for having you here.