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HUGGING IT OUT — Sure, competition is important. It teaches us the value of setting goals, sharing them with friends and family, and working toward one end until we accomplish them.
But there are some things much more important than sports.
Two Pac-12 football players taught us that this week, as well as two basketball teams in North Carolina.
As always, click the video above for more Great Clips of the Week. And enjoy your favorite college football team’s bowl game — from Alamo to Rose to Zaxby’s latest title sponsorship.
Brothers don’t shake hands
Few in the stadium should have been happier than Penei Sewell. The sophomore offensive lineman had just helped Oregon win a Pac-12 championship, demolishing Utah 37-15 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
But Sewell wasn’t thinking about that; he just wanted to find his brother.
His actual brother, that is: Nephi Sewell, a junior defensive back for the Utes who was playing in just his second game of the season. The two found each other at midfield, and — with Nephi Sewell in tears — embraced for a long, emotional exchange.
Brothers don’t shake hands, or gloat over a win in the other’s face; brothers hug.
The touching moment was captured by Brandon Kamerman of KVAL in Eugene, Oregon, too.
It didn’t shock either of his parents, Gabriel Sr. or Arlene Sewell. Football is important to the Sewell family: oldest brother Gabriel Jr. plays at Nevada, and younger brother Noah — who has committed to Oregon — recently led Orem High to back-to-back state titles. But nothing is more important than family.
“If I were a betting man, I’d say the odds were in my favor. Regardless of the outcome, I get a ring in my trophy case tonight,” Gabe Sr. told the Pac-12 Network before the game.
“At the end of the day, we aren’t really concerned with wins and losses. We just pray for their health and strength coming out of this game.”
Watch the full interview in the video above.
Lift others
Joey is an 11th-grader with autism and the student body president at Greater Vision Academy in North Carolina.
He’s also a basketball player and a pretty darn good shooter, too.
Joey made a 3-pointer during a game against Rockingham Rage on his mom’s birthday — and both benches cleared to celebrate with the rising superstar.
We will never get tired of these videos.
Don't tweet and catch
Emmanuel Sanders had himself a game in the 49ers’ 48-46 win over the Saints. The San Francisco wide receiver caught seven passes for 157 yards and a touchdown and threw a 35-yard TD strike in the shootout win Sunday.
But he made just as many headlines for what he did off the field.
Sanders’ Twitter account was caught liking and retweeting his own highlight during the game. After the Saints and Niners went into the locker room for halftime, Sanders’ account popped up with activity as it liked the NFL’s tweet of his 75-yard score, for example.
The social media faux pas probably wasn’t Sanders himself, but in the eyes of the league that doesn’t matter. Engaging in social media by a player or any of his handlers is prohibited by NFL policy.
Here’s the rule:
"During games, no updates will be permitted by the individual himself or anyone representing him on his personal Twitter, Facebook or any other social media account."
The likes and retweets were deleted by the second half. But screenshots last forever.
