When it comes to sports, especially at the collegiate level where so many fans, especially in the Southeast, live and die with their teams, there is a tendency to think the biggest concerns in life are winning and recruiting.

But the fire that destroyed Clemson head baseball coach Jack Leggett’s home last Sunday is proof positive that sports is merely an outlet – albeit an important one – to our everyday lives. When tragedy – such as a death in the family or a sudden or long-term illness – takes place, we realize how insignificant sports really are.

It has often been said that losing one’s home to fire is the closest thing to death that one can experience. After all, our homes are more than buildings made of brick or wood, they contain precious memories that cannot be replaced – perhaps, the first steps our children take, family get-togethers or Christmas and other holiday gatherings.

That is why I join with those whose hearts have gone out to the Clemson coach and his family, mostly through talk radio shows and Tiger sports web sites. While we are all tremendously thankful that no one was injured, the impact of the tragedy shouldn’t be diminished.

I had the privilege of first meeting Jack Leggett in 1998, while co-hosting a morning sports show on WCCP-FM. Coach Leggett would come into the studio one day a week and talk enthusiastically about his Tiger squad. He was and is a tremendous ambassador for the great game of baseball and has always represented Clemson University in a manner in which all could be proud.

The thing that most impressed me about Leggett is what a truly nice individual he is. There are many coaches that are too caught up in themselves, but Leggett certainly isn’t one of them. Ironically, I saw Coach Leggett at a local eatery just five days prior to the fire and, while unsure whether he actually remembered me (after all, a decade is a long time for coaches who are constantly in the public eye), he was just as nice as he was a decade ago.

This past season was a tough one for Coach Leggett, as his Tiger team failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 22 years and endured a double-digit losing streak along the way. But what happened this past weekend is further evidence that our way of life can dramatically change in a split second, quickly diminishing the importance of a win-loss record or other temporal things.

It’s good to see Coach Leggett receive the support he so richly deserves – not only from the Clemson faithful, but also USC fans. Tragedy plays no favorites and it is good to see individuals throughout the state – regardless of their school loyalties – figuratively embrace a rival coach and his family in need of all the love and support they can receive right now.

I realize the upcoming days and months won’t be easy ones for Coach Leggett and his family. But, hopefully, the Leggetts will take comfort in knowing they are in the thoughts and prayers of many individuals. They are certainly in mine.