Miner Still Covered In Coal Dust Drops Everything To Take His Son To Basketball Game
He didn't even care if he smelled.
Twitter / John Calipari A Kentucky coal miner has set the bar high for father's everywhere when he put his desire to spend time with his son above all else.
A photo in the crowd at a University of Kentucky Wildcats practice game has gone viral after the sweet moment between a father and son was shared online.
The Kentucky coal miner was pictured at the basketball game with his son still covered in dust.
According to CNN, Kentucky fan Sue Kineer posted the photo of the man with his son on Facebook. She wanted to share the miracle she had seen with the public, “in hopes that someone from the coach’s staff would see it and send the little boy an autograph.”
RELATED: How Having An Absent Father Fundamentally Changes Your Brain
Many people were in admiration of the father.
The father’s clothes, hair and beard were covered in dust. Basketball Hall of Famer, John Calipari, shared this story in a tweet and stated that had decided to invite the family to Lexington for a game.
“My family’s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home. From what I’ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son & watch our team. Don’t know who this is, but I have tickets for him & his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!!”
In the video above, Calipari praised the father and said the viral image has hotels, restaurants, and car dealerships offering the man resources so he can spend more time with his son.
He then goes on to say that he appreciated what the Kentucky coal miner stood for.
“You’re bringing light to a good man…Who does everything he can to make time for his family," he concludes.
The father, who has now been identified as Michael McGuire, says he was in shock when he saw that the image had gone viral.
According to CNN, McGuire told reporters at WKYT that he only had about 45 minutes to make it to the game when he got off work on Saturday.
Not wanting to miss his son Easton’s first basketball experience, he chose to go to the game in his uniform instead of wasting time getting changed.
“It was either go straight there, or miss half the game to go home and take a shower and everything,” he said.
And it was all worth it when he got to enjoy the special moment with his son.
“He had a blast. He was dancing and every time they would slam dunk it, he would go crazy."
It is a fair point to wonder whether this would have gotten the same attention if it was the mother who had done the act instead of the father.
Taylor Haynes is a writer on YourTango's Entertainment and News team based in Chicago. You can find her on Instagram here.