The “Sports Teams Being Nice To Kids” meme is moving forward nicely. First, a 7-year old with brain cancer got to run in a touchdown for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He got his own card and even got to hang out with the President (and, I assume, grill him on his policies). East Carolina similarly honored a kid, and WWE Champion John Cena devoted a chunk of Raw to introducing three Make-A-Wish kids as new WWE Superstars.

Now it’s soccer’s turn. Yeah, I’m glad nobody threw firecrackers and beer bottles at this kid, too.

Here’s Atticus Lane-Dupre, an awesomely-named kid with cancer who got the chance to play in front of more than 3,000 Portland Timbers, score four goals and win the game for his ‘Green Machine.’ He got to exchange jerseys with team captain Will Johnson after the game and everything. At the end of the day, it’s just a video of a normal kid having a hell of a lot of fun playing soccer, and sometimes that’s worth celebrating, even without the inspirational story.

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In the spirit of 7-year old brain cancer patient Jack Hoffman’s inspirational run for a touchdown at the end of Nebraska’s spring game and got his own football card comes Noah Roberts, an 8-year old East Carolina University fan with cancer who cannot stop splitting defenders in spring football.

Before you think ECU is copying Nebraska’s kind-hearted gesture (which you shouldn’t be, because seriously), Noah’s no newcomer to the inspirational football game.

He’s been a part of the team for a couple years now. His battle inspires players and coaches. Today, they got a chance to lift him up.

“He came out about two years ago and wasn’t doing too well and it was good to see him out here now still and you know it was a cool experience for him and us,” said Junior Linebacker Jeremy Grove. Head coach Ruffin McNeill said when he thinks of Noah he forgets “any hurt, or complaint, or pain that I may have. You can see how the kids reacted to Noah so that tells you what Noah means to us.” (via WTCI 12)

Noah entered the game in the final moments of the spring game and ran the ball in for a touchdown from about 45 yards out. The clip is after the jump. Come for the inspirational sports story, stay for the defense’s adorable diving tackles.

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By now you’ve probably seen the video of 7-year old Jack Hoffman taking part in a play at the University of Nebraska’s spring game on Saturday, but if you haven’t you need to skip the rest of these meaningless words and watch it after the jump immediately. Then you can come back and join us.

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Rex Burkhead learned last year that Hoffman was battling brain cancer so he started “Team Jack” to show his support for the young boy, and that including having him as the star guest at the team’s spring game. On one play, Hoffman came in as the RB and the Huskers let him carry the ball for a 69-yard touchdown as the crowd of more than 60,000 people went crazy. Players hoisted Hoffman on their shoulders in the end zone and then I removed my eyeballs and heart because I don’t want to ever see or feel anything else ever again.

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Yesterday we shared with you a clip of a Texas high school senior bench-pressing 700 pounds. Today, it’s the story of Iram Leon, a former juvenile probation officer in Travis County, Texas, who has an inoperable, untreatable, cancerous brain tumor and won a marathon. Texas can be pretty cool, sometimes.

Leon’s story is amazing, and proof that you can always push harder, even when your body tells you to stop.

Two years after his brain-cancer diagnosis, he recently ran a sub-five-minute mile for the first time since high school. What has startled the medical community even more is what Leon did this month in Beaumont, Texas. He won the Gusher Marathon, finishing in 3:07:35. That was one second slower than his personal record in the 26.2-mile event, set days before he underwent brain surgery in early 2011. (via WSJ)

The most heartwarming/wrenching aspect of the run is that he spent the 26 miles pushing his 6-year-old daughter, Kiana, in a stroller, while she got free food from volunteers and listened to Disney songs. Here’s a clip of them running, and an explanation from Leon as to why he brought his daughter along for the race. Warning: your room is about to get mad dusty.

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It came as a bit of a shock to most basketball fans that Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss had been battling cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for the past several months, but some reports from his family indicated that he was “doing fine”. Sadly, it turns out that was not the case.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss passed away this morning. A sad day for L.A.

— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) February 18, 2013

This is obviously a sad day for Lakers fans and NBA fans in general, and there will be plenty of information and reports coming in today and this week as to what happened, as well as the well wishes of the countless players, coaches and fans that he has touched along the way. Prior to the NBA All-Star Weekend, Kobe Bryant touched on the enormity of Buss’ presence in the grand history of the league, and I think that the Mamba’s words were a great start in helping people truly understand the Buss legacy.

“It’s beyond measure,” Bryant said. “I don’t think there’s any way to really define it. What he’s done, it’s tough to really find a match for that in any sport. He’s been a model of consistency.”

“He’s meant everything to me in my career, taking a risk on a 17-year-old kid coming out of high school and believing in me my entire career,” he said. “For the game itself, the brand of basketball, ‘Showtime’ carried the league. You think about the rivalry that took place between the Lakers and the Celtics, and what that did for the global outreach of the game.

“It reached me, and I was in Italy.”

Much respect.

Here’s a story that will make you laugh, then cry, then want to find like four cats and tie them together and try to make things right.

Meet Stewie, the Guinness World Record holder for “World’s Longest Cat.”

The longest domestic cat is Mymains Stewart Gilligan (Stewie to his furr-ends), who is 123 cm (48.5 in) long. He is owned by Robin Hendrickson and Erik Brandsness (USA) and was measured on 28 August 2010.

Mymains Stewart Gillligan is a 5 year-old Maine Coon.

I wish the story could end with THIS CAT IS LONGER THAN EVERY OTHER CAT EVER THAT IS AMAZING, but it doesn’t. Stewie spent the last few years battling cancer and passed away earlier in the week. I can’t think of anything more directly saddening on the Internet than “a special cat has died.” Stewie’s owner posted a farewell video on his Facebook fan page (because he has that) and gives the poor guy a chance to say goodbye. The tears we cry for Long Cat are long.

Here’s a clip of Stewie in happier days, from his Guinness World Records video.

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