Many Christmases ago my oldest brother gave our parents a couple of framed photos. They were of his two kids playing sports. In one, his firstborn daughter with blue mouthguard showing, making a defensive stop during a field hockey game on a typically dodgy elementary school field. In the other, his son alongside his defensive line teammates, in a three-point stance before the snap on a muddy gridiron, sporting a helmet and shoulder pads that look two sizes too big …