I've been less than productive the past couple of weeks, especially when it comes to this blog. But I have a reason for that. An excuse, if you will. I couldn't type! I had shoulder surgery last Monday to fix a few tears in my right shoulder, so I was limited to answering e-mails by typing with my left hand. (Try it. If you're right handed, it's very weird.)

But the shoulder's getting better and I can finally type with both hands for short periods of time. It'll be another four weeks until I can ditch the sling and then two months until I'm good as (better than) new. In the meantime, I'll be posting fewer updates than usual.

In the meantime, check out a story I wrote in the last issue of The Magazine on how teams deal with traumatic injuries to their players.

And check out a picture of the inside of my shoulder joint, courtesy of my surgeon, Dr. Bert Mandelbaum. This shot shows the anchors and fancy knots he used to repair a tear in my labrum. [Photo not actual size.]

The infrequency of my updates this month provides you the perfect opportunity to become obsessed with two of my favorite people: Lisa and John Siner. They are living my dream year right now, and possibly yours, too. If you've ever wanted to quit the real world and travel around the world for a year, you can do it vicariously through them. Starting now! (Well, actually, starting last week.)

John, who recently quit his job with the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Swissland, and Lisa, who is a freelance writer, are traveling the globe to gather research for a documentary on what sport means to different cultures around the world. You can follow their blogs, read more about the project and get to know the Siners here. You can also follow them on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and, if you ask very nicely, I'll give you their personal e-mail addresses, Skype names and cell phone numbers.

They posted their first blog entry a few days ago about their experiences in Cairo, Egypt, over the past two weeks, including a visit to the Giza pyramids. Next up: Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

The new baggage charges made it difficult for Lisa and John to take us all with them on their trip (although I am hoping to meet up with them at least once this year), but their website makes it easy for us to follow them from afar. And to wish them lots and lots of luck and safety throughout their journey.

This New Year's Eve, Travis Pastrana is following up on FMXer Robbie Maddison's jump onto the Arch de Triumph at the Paris Hotel in Vegas last Dec. 31 by jumping his rally car farther than anyone has jumped a car. The current record of 171 feet is held by TP's friend/sponsor/DC Shoes owner Ken Block. TP's already beaten those digits by more than 50 feet—in practice.

Last Wednesday, I went out to the desert to spend a day watching the third of seven days of practice, which will be spread between now and the first week of December. Check out my report on espn.com/action here. And check back for a full feature on Pastrana's New Year/No Limits jump. (And of course, the post-report. It should be a fun night.)

In this week's Five-Ring Circus Olympic blog, I introduce readers to Michelle Gorgone and the sport of snowboard PGS. It's still snowboarding, people! Check that post out here.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I started thinking about the way people express kindness, and why. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, because I've spent the past month with a sling on my right arm. For four weeks, it amazed me how much nicer people were to me because of a piece of cloth supporting my arm. Strangers held doors open and said things like, "No, after you," and, "Let me get that for you." I went to Houston's with a group of friends last Friday and a couple seated across the bar from us picked up our tab. They said it was a "get-well gift."

I went to a Lakers game with my friend Denege, and when a man bumped into her while we were walking into the arena, he apologized ... to me. A woman stepped on her foot with a stiletto heel and then shot her a look as if to say, "How dare you put your foot so haphazardly in the way of mine?" Then she smiled at me.

Five weeks ago, a few hours after his Huskies beat Louisivlle, UConn cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed in a brawl outside of a university-sponsored dance. The next week, the Huskies played West Virginia on the road. As the UConn players ran onto the field, the West Virginia fans cheered them. Before kickoff, players from each team met at midfield to hug, shake hands and greet one another in Howard’s memory. There was a moment of silence. The next day, journalists—and UConn coach Lew Perkins—praised the fans for their unprompted act of sportsmanship and kindness.

Last week, this Twitter post made the LA Times sports page the day after longtime Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler, who had never missed a broadcast in 25 years, was suspended for one game for seemingly innocuous comments about Iranian player Hamed Haddadi that offended one season-ticket holder: L.A. Times’ Lisa Dillman: “Classy move: Baron Davis had all the players sign the game ball from Friday night's victory and it was presented to Ralph Lawler.”

And two days ago, Shaquille O'Neal offered to pay for the funeral of a young girl who was brutally murdered in North Carolina.

These are all wonderful acts of kindness and great examples of sportsmanship. But my question is this: Why does it take the death of a player, the suspension of a legend or a broken appendage for people to treat one another with kindness, and for teams and their fans to act with sportsmanship?