Parenthood
Dirty coal miner attending basketball game with son makes headlines for all the right reasons
Not all superheroes wear capes.❤️
Elijah Chan
11.09.22

There’s nothing manlier than a family man doing everything in his power to spend time with his family.

Heads turned in a college basketball game when a man sat on the front row seats.

Much like everyone else in the stadium, he was a fan too. But unlike all of them, he came in “a little bit underdressed.”

A viral photo circulated showing a man watching the game in utility overalls.

He even has the orange stripe reflector, showing that he’s doing hard labor.

His uniform was almost pitch black with dust and dirt and you can only see the whites in his eyes because his whole face, including his hair, was caked with coal dust.

In a different setting, people would’ve avoided this coal miner.

But his attendance in this game speaks volumes of how he is as a father.

Michael McGuire had just gotten off from work at a local coal mine.

YouTube Screenshot - TODAY
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - TODAY

Without taking a shower, he drove all the way to Rupp Arena at the University of Kentucky.

As a father, he has one important mission and he doesn’t care if he looks “messy” doing it – he wanted to spend time with his family.

Mollie McGuire, his wife, described him as humble and hardworking.

She shared with CBS that he’s a man who takes pride in pulling himself up by the bootstraps.

His work down in the mines might be dangerous and laborious, but he makes enough so that his wife can stay at home to care of the family.

YouTube Screenshot - TODAY
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - TODAY

She also shared that this wasn’t the first time Michael rushed somewhere with his coal mining uniform on.

YouTube Screenshot - TODAY
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - TODAY

A fan snapped a photo of the family and the post quickly became viral.

One person, however, felt the power of the picture to his very core.

University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball Coach John Calipari shared the photo.

In a press conference, he said the image hit him “right between the eyes.”

The photo had a profound effect on him because he could relate to it.

“My family’s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home,” he wrote as a caption to the picture.

After asking around, he eventually got in touch with Mollie.

Calipari commended Michael because of his willingness to just drop everything and waste no time just to spend time with his family.

“It was that he wanted to be there with his son. That’s why he did it,” the coach said.

He then offered Michael and his family VIP seats in the succeeding games.

But it wasn’t only Calipari that appreciated Michael.

When the photo became viral, establishments have been calling.

Hotels were offering rooms, restaurants were offering dinners, and a car dealership even called to offer Michael a car.

“Isn’t it neat for someone like that, who is a quiet, humble guy, to know people appreciate you, and we appreciate what you stand for?” Calipari told CBS.

And we hope that more parents are moved by Michael’s actions and learn that taking care of the family is not just providing them with their needs but spending time with especially when time is fleeting.

Watch how a miner moved a basketball crowd when he showed up in the game caked with coal.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Advertisement