Many folks wonder what's the big deal about the NCAA basketball tournament aka March Madness. To me, it's simple...all year long, the radio and tv shows cover the "big guys" of college basketball, and the tournament in March is time to hear the rest of the stories. Today, I bring to you a story that carries a very valuable lesson. The subject of today's story is Morgan State head basketball coach Todd Bozeman.
Let's get right to the juicy parts of Bozeman's fame, as it were. In 1993, he took over as head basketball coach at University of California Berkeley, when their coach was fired with ten games remaining in their regular season. Bozeman led the Cal Bears into the NCAA tournament, where they upset two-time defending champion Duke, making Bozeman the youngest coach (29) to ever lead a team to the Sweet Sixteen round. It was a huge upset at the time, but that Cal team featured a pair of would-be NBA talents. Things seemed all rosy for Bozeman, until he was forced to resign iZn the fall of 1996. He admitted to paying 30k over two years, to a recruit's parents to be able to come watch him play. When the young man's playing time decreased, his parents turned Bozeman in to the NCAA. Along with sanctioning the university, the NCAA also imposed an eight-year "show-cause" order on Bozeman. The show-cause order meant that until 2005, no NCAA member school could hire Bozeman without permission. The NCAA came down particularly hard on Bozeman because he'd lied to school and NCAA officials about his role in making the payments. Since most schools will not even consider hiring a coach with an outstanding "show-cause" on his record, Bozeman was effectively blackballed from the college ranks for eight years. Let's get this straight...he didn't keep any money. He gave this money to a kid's parents to be able to come watch their son play ball. And for that, Todd Bozeman had his dream snatched right from within his grasp.
He cheated, he got caught, he paid the ultimate career price. When you pay for a debt with time, that is currency that you can never get back. So, he quietly worked as a scout in the NBA, as his name was totally associated with the word "cheater." He hope that one day, he could get back to the profession that he loved, and was good at, coaching. And then came Morgan State. It was a marriage made in heaven as both sides were hungry for success and both sides were completely desperate with things to prove. Bozeman needed an opportunity, and Morgan State needed someone to come in and change a losing culture. In his three years as the head coach, Bozeman has guided MSU to a 55-40 overall record. And just yesterday, they received the school's first ever invitation to the NCAA tournament.
The great thing is that Bozeman recognizes his story as a teaching tool. He doesn't hide, or shy away from talking about what he did. He is qualified to talk to any young man who might be thinking of doing wrong to get ahead in his career by saying "Look at what I did. I cheated and I lost eight years of my career. That is not the way to go!" He can even address a young man who has done wrong to say, "I cheated, I got caught, and I paid a very expensive price. But I didn't give up, and you don't have to give up either." Whatever angle taken to convey his story, Todd Bozeman's career has given him the perspective to be an excellent teacher...which is exactly what every coach should be.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
My Father In Law
When I originally sat down, I was about to blog about the Super Bowl, but now that will have to wait until the next blog. Suddenly the Super Bowl seems a lot less important after the phone call that I just had with my wife.
To tell the story properly, we have to back up just a bit. For the past six months, my father in law has been having some circulatory problems with his feet. There was some concern that it had to do with his diabetes, so he was being good about sticking to his diet, and increasing his exercise regimen. However, his feet were continuing to worsen. When he and my mother in law came in town (they live in Ocean City) for Cmas, he had trouble even walking. It had gotten so painful that my brother in law had to drive them back home, so my father in law wouldn't have to drive. They left here the Saturday evening after Cmas, and on Monday, my FIL had a doctor's appointment. Well, that appointment led to him having to be immediately admittedly to the hospital, which eventually led to him having some toes removed. He has been in rehab, but of course, this is a lot for him to handle, mentally.
So, my wife just called me and said that she just talked to her brother. The hospital called him to say that my FIL was severely dehydrated, nearly in a diabetic coma state, and to avoid having infection spread, they have to perform emergency amputation on both of his feet.
No matter how hard I try, I can not fathom going to sleep, and then waking up to find my feet are gone. I can't imagine the type of mental strength that it would take to get through that kind of trauma. My FIL is retired Army, retired Baltimore City Govt engineer, active in community and local government issues. For 20 years, he's been the busiest retiree I've ever seen! Always on the go...always independent. And now, from this day forward, life has changed. He will have to learn to accept help from others to do most things that have always been elementary.
To be blatantly honest, what worries me the most is his attitude. My father in law is over 80 years old. He's always been an active and proud man, and a strong leader. I'm scared that he will view this physical setback as a defeating blow, instead of simply an obstacle to overcome. He has many days of rehab ahead of him, just to be able to do basic things on his own again, and I worry that he'll choose not to fight. I worry that he'll think "I'm over 80. I've had a good life. I'm too tired to do the work necessary to get back out there. Just let me fade away quietly." I don't think of him as that type of person, but you never know how you'll react, until faced with the situation.My father in law
To tell the story properly, we have to back up just a bit. For the past six months, my father in law has been having some circulatory problems with his feet. There was some concern that it had to do with his diabetes, so he was being good about sticking to his diet, and increasing his exercise regimen. However, his feet were continuing to worsen. When he and my mother in law came in town (they live in Ocean City) for Cmas, he had trouble even walking. It had gotten so painful that my brother in law had to drive them back home, so my father in law wouldn't have to drive. They left here the Saturday evening after Cmas, and on Monday, my FIL had a doctor's appointment. Well, that appointment led to him having to be immediately admittedly to the hospital, which eventually led to him having some toes removed. He has been in rehab, but of course, this is a lot for him to handle, mentally.
So, my wife just called me and said that she just talked to her brother. The hospital called him to say that my FIL was severely dehydrated, nearly in a diabetic coma state, and to avoid having infection spread, they have to perform emergency amputation on both of his feet.
No matter how hard I try, I can not fathom going to sleep, and then waking up to find my feet are gone. I can't imagine the type of mental strength that it would take to get through that kind of trauma. My FIL is retired Army, retired Baltimore City Govt engineer, active in community and local government issues. For 20 years, he's been the busiest retiree I've ever seen! Always on the go...always independent. And now, from this day forward, life has changed. He will have to learn to accept help from others to do most things that have always been elementary.
To be blatantly honest, what worries me the most is his attitude. My father in law is over 80 years old. He's always been an active and proud man, and a strong leader. I'm scared that he will view this physical setback as a defeating blow, instead of simply an obstacle to overcome. He has many days of rehab ahead of him, just to be able to do basic things on his own again, and I worry that he'll choose not to fight. I worry that he'll think "I'm over 80. I've had a good life. I'm too tired to do the work necessary to get back out there. Just let me fade away quietly." I don't think of him as that type of person, but you never know how you'll react, until faced with the situation.My father in law
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Thankful American
Looking at the historical significance of today's inauguration has made me feel thankful. I have so many people to thank for where this country is today. While I might be a cynical "non-participant" in our political machine, I can still appreciate those who've made sacrifices to allow me the option as to whether or not I choose to be a part of the process.
In no particular order, I'd like to thank our military. Oh sure, some choose military service as an act of patriotism. However, there are some who see the military as their only economic option out of their situation while growing up. Those are the ones who may not want to be there, in foreign and domestic situations, risking their lives for the freedoms we so often take for granted. For your service and your courage, I say thank you.
To the women and the minorities who fought for the right for all American citizens to have a vote. It was your ideals and strength to seek fairness, that helped this nation move forward. For your determination, I say thank you.
To the African Americans who were militant enough to stand up and physically fight and put fear into the hearts of White America, and to the African Americans who had the insight to change opinions through peaceful examples, and whatever it was the led them to know the difference between the two, and which action was appropriate at the given time, I say thank you.
To White Americans, young and old, who instantly recognized that any racism is/was wrong, and had the strength to be that voice of opposition, when the government and much of society said that it was allowable to treat a Black man as 3/5 of a man, I say thank you.
To the parents, counselors, mentors and whoever molds the minds of our next generation who use today's inauguration as an example for that youth who is Mexican American, gay, handicapped, or any other way different from what society says that you "should" be, and shows them that now, truly anything is possible in America, I say thank you...and don't ever forget.
In no particular order, I'd like to thank our military. Oh sure, some choose military service as an act of patriotism. However, there are some who see the military as their only economic option out of their situation while growing up. Those are the ones who may not want to be there, in foreign and domestic situations, risking their lives for the freedoms we so often take for granted. For your service and your courage, I say thank you.
To the women and the minorities who fought for the right for all American citizens to have a vote. It was your ideals and strength to seek fairness, that helped this nation move forward. For your determination, I say thank you.
To the African Americans who were militant enough to stand up and physically fight and put fear into the hearts of White America, and to the African Americans who had the insight to change opinions through peaceful examples, and whatever it was the led them to know the difference between the two, and which action was appropriate at the given time, I say thank you.
To White Americans, young and old, who instantly recognized that any racism is/was wrong, and had the strength to be that voice of opposition, when the government and much of society said that it was allowable to treat a Black man as 3/5 of a man, I say thank you.
To the parents, counselors, mentors and whoever molds the minds of our next generation who use today's inauguration as an example for that youth who is Mexican American, gay, handicapped, or any other way different from what society says that you "should" be, and shows them that now, truly anything is possible in America, I say thank you...and don't ever forget.
Inauguration Hope
In theory, every inauguration should bring about this same feeling of hope and change, however 2009 is obviously different. I have encountered many folks, like myself, who are very cynical about the American political process, that are excited about the potential of this administration.
I've always maintained that the longer a politician has been part of the process, the harder it is for him to stay true to his ideals. So, while the person may have entered the political arena with admirable intentions, having to make certain deals to get certain things done can cause one's beliefs and actions to become obscured. President Obama's meteoric ascent through political levels has allowed him to possibly still accomplish things and policies and not "owe" as many others, where an older politician might fail.
I'm still holding onto my cynicism, but I'm much more open now to change that view than I've been in many years. I can only hope that this administration does abuse the hope stirred within myself and many others.
I've always maintained that the longer a politician has been part of the process, the harder it is for him to stay true to his ideals. So, while the person may have entered the political arena with admirable intentions, having to make certain deals to get certain things done can cause one's beliefs and actions to become obscured. President Obama's meteoric ascent through political levels has allowed him to possibly still accomplish things and policies and not "owe" as many others, where an older politician might fail.
I'm still holding onto my cynicism, but I'm much more open now to change that view than I've been in many years. I can only hope that this administration does abuse the hope stirred within myself and many others.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Giving Thanks
Soapbox Time!
Thanksgiving Day is a great day of thought for me. I always find myself sitting to actively think of the many things that I am thankful. I use that as a way to help keep life in perspective. It's far too easy to get caught up chasing after the things that you want, and being sidetracked by life's small disappointments. It's easy to forget just how blessed/fortunate most of us truly are.
The fact that the tradition on this holiday is to eat to excess, is a sign of how fortunate the general population happens to be. Take a moment to remember that far too many people in this country don't even have enough to have more than one meal a day, before you decide to consume excessively. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the spoils of your labor. If you've worked hard, you deserve to enjoy yourself. But remember, there are a lot of hardworking homeless people, who just had an incident or two of bad luck that forced them to lose their homes.
It's those people that I hope we all keep in mind. There are families of nice, kind, polite and friendly people who just happen to have lost their homes, and now they've become invisible. What do I mean by invisible? When you walk down the street, and you lower your head to avoid those people, or when at an intersection and someone approaches, looking for help, and you turn your head as if you don't see them?? That's what I mean. It's really easy and convenient to simply brand every homeless person that you see as a drunk or lazy vagrant, when you know that isn't true.
I just ask that you use today to think about others. The "giving" part of this holiday is such am emotional joy. Start small: set up a box in your office to collect toiletries to give to a local shelter. As a personal endorsement, on two occasions I have been fortunate enough to have gone to a local hospital on Cmas Day to hand out toys to kids, and no Cmas gift that I have ever been given made me feel better than those "thank you's." Not only were the children appreciative, it was the looks from their parents, knowing that someone was nice enough to think about bringing joy to their particular child. Try it...it'll take maybe an hour out of your Cmas Day, but will touch you forever. And it costs you nothing but time.
I'm a firm believer in karma. So, not only do I try to do things for others because it makes me feel good, I like to think that by doing something nice for someone else, it'll encourage them to do the same, and to keep that cycle going forward.
Have a wonderful and thoughtful Thanksgiving. Ok...the soapbox is free!
Thanksgiving Day is a great day of thought for me. I always find myself sitting to actively think of the many things that I am thankful. I use that as a way to help keep life in perspective. It's far too easy to get caught up chasing after the things that you want, and being sidetracked by life's small disappointments. It's easy to forget just how blessed/fortunate most of us truly are.
The fact that the tradition on this holiday is to eat to excess, is a sign of how fortunate the general population happens to be. Take a moment to remember that far too many people in this country don't even have enough to have more than one meal a day, before you decide to consume excessively. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the spoils of your labor. If you've worked hard, you deserve to enjoy yourself. But remember, there are a lot of hardworking homeless people, who just had an incident or two of bad luck that forced them to lose their homes.
It's those people that I hope we all keep in mind. There are families of nice, kind, polite and friendly people who just happen to have lost their homes, and now they've become invisible. What do I mean by invisible? When you walk down the street, and you lower your head to avoid those people, or when at an intersection and someone approaches, looking for help, and you turn your head as if you don't see them?? That's what I mean. It's really easy and convenient to simply brand every homeless person that you see as a drunk or lazy vagrant, when you know that isn't true.
I just ask that you use today to think about others. The "giving" part of this holiday is such am emotional joy. Start small: set up a box in your office to collect toiletries to give to a local shelter. As a personal endorsement, on two occasions I have been fortunate enough to have gone to a local hospital on Cmas Day to hand out toys to kids, and no Cmas gift that I have ever been given made me feel better than those "thank you's." Not only were the children appreciative, it was the looks from their parents, knowing that someone was nice enough to think about bringing joy to their particular child. Try it...it'll take maybe an hour out of your Cmas Day, but will touch you forever. And it costs you nothing but time.
I'm a firm believer in karma. So, not only do I try to do things for others because it makes me feel good, I like to think that by doing something nice for someone else, it'll encourage them to do the same, and to keep that cycle going forward.
Have a wonderful and thoughtful Thanksgiving. Ok...the soapbox is free!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
32 dollars per gallon
Americans are so selectively bitchy! Six months ago, all they did was whine about gas prices rocketing skyward. It was the lead story on the news, on the radio...all over. In my area, the price of a gallon of regular gas has dropped over $2.00/gallon in five months, but there are no news stories about how great that is.
What should they really be bitching about?? STARBUCKS! First of all, Starbucks and GameStop are taking over this country. I defy you to drive for more than 3 miles within a major city and not see one of those two stores. But for now, I focus on Starbucks.
If you were to just walk in there and ask for a small cup of coffee, by the time you left, your head might explode. They have too many damn choices. You can't just get a "cup of coffee." Breakfast Blend, House Blend, Gazebo Blend, even Komodo Dragon Blend! There's Espresso Roast, French Roast, Italian Roast, or Pike Place Roast. Whatever happened to just regular and decaf?? There are Energy shots, Protein shots, Espresso shots, Flavored syrup, Mocha syrup... Mrs Butterworth's syrup? Cappuccino, Frappuccino, Macchiato...Al Pacino??
And after you finally narrow it down to the hot, cold, or tepid beverage of choice, you have to figure out their Bizarro World sizing system. What is wrong with "small, medium, and large?" It's been working for years, hasn't it?? Never once did I get confused when I looked behind the counter, saw three stacks of cups, and decided what to order. No, this wasn't good enough for the lovely folks at Starbucks. Tall, Grande and Venti?? WTF?? Tall is not small...Tall means big! Grande is not medium... Grande is huuuuuuge! And Venti?? Puhlease!
So, the next time you order your Grande Organic Shade Grown Mexican DeCaf with whipped cream, caramel and three pumps of hazelnut and a protein shot, think about how that 16 ounce, $4 cup of coffee, costs $32/gallon. Imagine how many places you'd stop going to, if gas were to cost you $32/gallon.
What should they really be bitching about?? STARBUCKS! First of all, Starbucks and GameStop are taking over this country. I defy you to drive for more than 3 miles within a major city and not see one of those two stores. But for now, I focus on Starbucks.
If you were to just walk in there and ask for a small cup of coffee, by the time you left, your head might explode. They have too many damn choices. You can't just get a "cup of coffee." Breakfast Blend, House Blend, Gazebo Blend, even Komodo Dragon Blend! There's Espresso Roast, French Roast, Italian Roast, or Pike Place Roast. Whatever happened to just regular and decaf?? There are Energy shots, Protein shots, Espresso shots, Flavored syrup, Mocha syrup... Mrs Butterworth's syrup? Cappuccino, Frappuccino, Macchiato...Al Pacino??
And after you finally narrow it down to the hot, cold, or tepid beverage of choice, you have to figure out their Bizarro World sizing system. What is wrong with "small, medium, and large?" It's been working for years, hasn't it?? Never once did I get confused when I looked behind the counter, saw three stacks of cups, and decided what to order. No, this wasn't good enough for the lovely folks at Starbucks. Tall, Grande and Venti?? WTF?? Tall is not small...Tall means big! Grande is not medium... Grande is huuuuuuge! And Venti?? Puhlease!
So, the next time you order your Grande Organic Shade Grown Mexican DeCaf with whipped cream, caramel and three pumps of hazelnut and a protein shot, think about how that 16 ounce, $4 cup of coffee, costs $32/gallon. Imagine how many places you'd stop going to, if gas were to cost you $32/gallon.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Welcome
Yes...I'm back! Life has been so hectic and plentiful lately, that I have gotten out of regularly sharing my thoughts. Oh sure, I'm addressing it to "you" but this is really for my benefit. I'm not like many other Bloggers out there who think that the masses actually care what their opinion might be on every little topic (didja hear that Rosie?). My blog is more a way for me to have a conversation when there's no one else around. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about many topics, and if I walk around saying them aloud to no one in particular, people think you have a chemical imbalance. However, if you WRITE those same thoughts to no one in particular, they call it a Blog.
So...should you happen to be reading this, thank you. I hope that your future trips here will be entertaining, maybe inspiring, but most of all, I hope that the things that I write make you think. I don't care if you agree or disagree with me about anything at all...I just hope you do have an opinion. The concepts of intellectual thought and debate are terrible things to waste, so if you ever feel moved to do so, you have an open invitation to leave a comment of your own.
That's all for now...cya soon
JWP
So...should you happen to be reading this, thank you. I hope that your future trips here will be entertaining, maybe inspiring, but most of all, I hope that the things that I write make you think. I don't care if you agree or disagree with me about anything at all...I just hope you do have an opinion. The concepts of intellectual thought and debate are terrible things to waste, so if you ever feel moved to do so, you have an open invitation to leave a comment of your own.
That's all for now...cya soon
JWP
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