Missing at Sea

Two NFL players — Detroit's Corey Smith, now a free agent, and Oakland's Marquis Cooper — have been missing off Florida's Gulf Coast since Saturday night. They were accompanied on their fishing trip by two former University of South Florida football players.

The men were supposed to return from their trip on Saturday night but failed to do so. Conditions were choppy on Sunday but not so bad, from the reports I've read, on Saturday.

No distress signal was received, and reports I've read indicate that Smith and Cooper were experienced fishermen. The possibility has been suggested that the boat developed engine trouble and the occupants may have decided to ride out the storm where they were.

Their boat has been described as "unsinkable." Of course, so was the Titanic.

My understanding is that the search will resume this morning.

At this point, all most of us can do is wait — and hope for the best.

Like Cooper's wife, who told the CNN affiliate in Tampa yesterday that "[i]t feels like my greatest fear coming true — it doesn't feel real."

But she also said of her husband, a deep sea fishing enthusiast who owns the vessel, "I have a lot of faith in him out there."