The recent felony charges for sexual abuse of a minor against Pittsburgh Pirate closer Felipe Vazquez sickens me.

It should sicken all of us.

But it also provides another example — and additional perspective for me — as to why I'm grateful every day for the privilege of covering sports at the youth, high school and small college levels.

I don't have to write about the Vazquez situation, or the ongoing Antonio Brown saga, or the repeatedly flawed instant replay system in pro sports, or athletes sitting out a season because they want to make $15 million instead of $10 million, etc.

I do get to write about a guy like David Bednar, a former Mars pitcher who reached the major leagues as a 35th-round draft choice, a moment that made his mother recall the time he smeared mud on his unifiorm as a T-ball player to make himself look like a big leaguer.

I do get to write about a guy like Brandon Fusco, a Seneca Valley offensive lineman barely recruited by any college out of high school who went on to an eight-year career in the NFL.

I do get to write about a guy like Jason Cherry, a Butler place-kicker who walked on at the University of Massachusetts and wound up winning a national championship there as a freshman while setting a record for most points by a kicker in a Div. I-AA title game.

I do get to write about standout Butler basketball players like Ethan Morton and Olivia Bresnahan, both of whom value picking up an assist much more than sinking a shot themselves. Bresnahan went on to a Division I basketball career and now works in sports administration at Wake Forest. Morton is headed for Purdue after his senior season.

I do get to write about a guy like Brian Minto, a Butler guy who grew up learning boxing in the Butler Cubs gym, didn't turn pro until age 28 and wound up fighting for a world cruiserweight championship.

I do get to write about a guy like George Mihalik, retired football coach at Slippery Rock University, who invited myself and my wife to his home to join in a celebratory party after winning the conference championship.

Mihalik joked that night: “I doubt if Nick Saban has the Alabama media over to his house after a national championship win.”

I guarantee Bill Belichick hasn't done that after Super Bowl wins.

In the overall picture of athletics in this country, I'm covering sports on the ground floor, at the very foundation, if you will.

The people are genuine and open, often times putting sports articles written about themselves in scrapbooks, frame them on walls or stick them on their refrigerator with a magnet.

Sadly, people like Vazquez are gonna do what they do.

But where I'm at and who I deal with every day?

Good people.

And I'm grateful for them.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle