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Wednesday, Apr 30, 2014

Opinion: A Kind Act

Cathal Pendred

By Jesse Heitz

So often we get caught up in sensationalist stories that do absolutely nothing but infuriate.  To be sure, such stories usually need comment and sharp criticism.  Yet, it’s a welcomed relief when a truly decent story, something heartwarming comes along.

In a story that has captivated numerous news outlets, Irish fighter and “The Ultimate Fighter” contestant, Cathal Pendred, noticed a baby dolphin struggling to free itself from the shore along the Irish coast while taking a beachside stroll with his girlfriend.  Pendred, as witnessed and photographed by nearby bystanders, relieved a man struggling to get the little beast back into the water and picked up the injured dolphin, carrying it into deeper water.

In an article by USA Today, Pendred was reported to have said,

“There was a man in the water trying to help the dolphin and I went in to help. The man told me he had been there for a while trying to push him back out but the dolphin kept getting washed back in. The man said he was now exhausted so I told him I would take over trying to help…. I continued trying to push the dolphin out past the waves but he continued to get washed back in. He was bleeding and had a lot of cuts so I think it was due to these injuries that he wasn’t strong enough to swim past the break.”

Unfortunately, it appears that the little dolphin was found beached again the following night, but the outcome has little bearing on how refreshing this story is.  Finally, there’s something pleasant to talk about.  No more smear campaigns by MMA critics, or foul-mouthed vitriol from one fighter to another.  No more random and obscure one-time fighter battling personal demons stories that cast the sport in a poor light.

Nope, this one is very different.  Here a fighter, the sort often portrayed by certain segments of the media to be mere skull-thumping barbarians, did something selfless.  This is precisely the type of story we should be talking about, a truly feel-good story.

 

posted by FCF Staff @ 5:20 pm
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