ST. LOUIS -- How many Sikeston natives can claim this sports-travel pedigree? In a five month period, you will attend the Super Bowl (from the sidelines no less), spring training (with access to the clubhouse) and the Stanley Cup playoffs (flying with the Blues on the team plane).
Certainly there are members of the sports media who could claim this, but after removing them from the list, there might be only one person who lives this ultimate sports fan's dream.
His name is Rick Wright, MD, Washington University orthopedic surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and team physician for the St. Louis Blues, Cardinals and Rams.
It should be noted just because he's on the sidelines at the Super Bowl, it doesn't mean he's watching the game.
"You are, but between hoping there's not a medical problem and the anxiety that goes along with that makes it hard," says Dr. Wright.
People at home with their nachos are treated to repeated replays of all the action. Working on the sidelines without the advantage of Pat Summerall and John Madden, none of the three team physicians in attendance are able to watch more than a bit of the game at a time.
Four Washington University physicians at Barnes-Jewish are affiliated with St. Louis' three major sports teams. George Paletta, MD, is the head physician for the Cardinals and works with the Rams. Matt Matava, MD, serves as head physician for the Rams with additional duties with the Blues. Robert Shively, MD, is an assistant physician with the Cardinals, but only Dr. Wright -- the Blues' head physician -- has the good fortune of working with all three teams.
While working in sports medicine is what Dr. Wright wanted to do out of school, he admits, "No one dreams of becoming team physician for the St. Louis Cardinals."
After medical school at the University of Missouri and five years in the orthopedics program at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Wright chose an additional year of sports medicine at Minneapolis Sports Medicine Center. There he worked with the Minnesota Vikings, Twins and Timberwolves.
Having worked with baseball, hockey and football teams, does Dr. Wright have a favorite sport of the three?
"It's like a 'Which child do you like the most' question," says Wright. "Growing up in Sikeston listening to Cardinals games with Jack Buck makes baseball special, no sport can really match the speed of hockey, and there's nothing like the energy of the NFL on Sundays."
That said, the aforementioned anxiety level is much lower at our nation's pastime.
"Injuries in baseball are more attritional, like 'My arm's been sore for a week," says Wright. "Football and hockey have more immediate bumps and bruises."
Now that the Rams' season is over, Dr. Wright continues the sports fan's dream with the Cardinals, as they go through spring training in Jupiter, Florida.
And of course taking care of patients who visit the Center for Advanced Medicine's 6th floor is a dream as well.
"Working with the elite athletes allows us to better team the weekend warrior in our regular practice," says Wright.