I’m troubled by what’s happening between Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Having grown up in Wisconsin, I’m an old die hard Packers fan and Brett is at the top of that list, but enough is enough.

Like a child crying wolf I’ve grown tired of him dragging out his retirement the last few years and changing his mind even though he says he was pressured into the decision by the Packers this time.

As in the case of Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice, the same pride and passion that made him great is now the force that refuses to let him face reality.

As a superstar he became accustomed to the football world, especially in Green Bay, circulating around him. As real and unaffected as he tried to be, it seeped in through all the royal treatment through the years. He became bigger than life, but it eventually got to the point that reality no longer existed and preferential treatment became an expected way of life.

It shattered his ego that the head coach of the Packers told him that they were moving on. How could they possibly think of being successful without him and didn’t he have every right to wait as long as he wanted to make a decision and then change his mind? Now his bruised ego has gotten to the point that he talks about walking on at the Packers training camp, forcing their hand in making a decision on his status.

I know he loves the game and hates to give it up, but pride has eaten him up.

Reality is that every single football player has to quit at some point. Others with the same prideful issues dragged it on too long and it became painful to watch, but that’s the reality of life not only sports. In life, corporations make the same decisions with long time, valued employees and it’s not easy to accept.

I know, I’ve been there and gone through that. Brett Favre will as well even though he won’t enjoy it.

Pride is a powerful motivator but can also be a devastating enemy.

I’ve become a huge fan of Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals. I’ve always respected and appreciated his baseball talent, but it’s the person who impresses me even more now.

Pujols heard about a young pitcher at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee who was killed when his pickup truck was hit by a dump truck on July 5th, 2007. In his wallet they found an article on Pujols where he talked about the importance of his faith. Word got to Pujols who established a relationship with the boy’s parents and that eventually led to an invitation for the team to come to Busch Stadium to meet Pujols and watch a game.

They did on June 30th of 2008. They watched batting practice and were given a guided tour of the lockerroom by Pujols. He even gave each player an autographed batting glove and arranged for them to watch the game from the owners suite.

The players talked about him looking them each straight in the eye and asking them if they were living their lives the right way, challenging them to be men of character. They will never forget that day. Pujols used his celebrity status to help heal a terrible wound.

True greatness means that you use you talent and success to make a difference in someone elses life.

It’s the same principle as coaching.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Tiger Woods comes back from his reconstructive knee surgery.  I’m betting he’s tough as nails and comes back playing some of the best golf of his career.

He seems to be the kind of athlete who loves to test himself, either in the toughest circumstances in a tournament or in life situations. This torn ACL has to be a powerful challenge for him and, deep down inside, an intriguing way to find out what he’s made of.

In some small way I understand. I tore my ACL playing pickup basketball at the age of 48. After surgery I pushed hard in the rehab process and was back on the court 4 months to the day, but with a different perspective on life. I’m certainly no athlete like Tiger Woods, but even I wanted to find out what I was made of.

My surgeon told me that he can tell very quickly which kind of patient will push through and be successful and which won’t.  He said it’s all about attitude.  There are a lot of athletes who are good while they’re feeling good, but the great ones go beyond that and look at obstacles and injuries as a testing ground for even greater personal achievement.

This quote from legendary coach John Wooden has always meant a lot to me, “Things turn out the best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” Let’s see how things turn out of Tiger.

Wasn’t it something the way Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow bragged about his horse winning the triple crowd before the Belmont Stakes and then refused to be interviewed afterwards, stumping off the track and as much as threatening a TV reporter? Then he threw his jockey Rick Desormeaux under the bus by claiming he was the one who cost Big Brown the victory by the way he handled him during the race.

Dutrow exemplifies everything that’s wrong with bad coaching, and don’t be mistaken, he IS the head coach of that racing team. Warm and fuzzy doesn’t cut it when a bad break turns you into a brooding, excuse driven complainer. You can’t fake it both ways.

I’d rather him be a jerk all the time than to pretend to be a nice guy when all is well. At least you know where the jerk stands.

I’ve been watching the Tennessee Titans mini camp workouts and was struck by an obvious point.

Assistant coach Jim Washburn is so animated and vocal with his players that you can hear him from anywhere on the field. He rides his players like a rented mule but it never sounds mean spirited. The minute he’s made his point it’s over. He’ll be at their side laughing or teaching, but never gnawing on past mistakes.

You can tell, just from the tone of his voice that he likes them and wants to push them, but not break their spirit. He’s considered one of the best in the NFL at his position.

To a man, the players he coaches have told me that they never take anything personal when he chews them out because they know he cares for them as a person, but he just won’t put up with not trying.

There’s a proverb that says “what’s in your heart will eventually come out of your mouth”.

You can’t fake caring. That’s true in coaching as well.

from sports.espn.go.com posted with vodpod


NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley just admitted that he owed a $400,000 gambling debt in Las Vegas. Barkley said it was his mistake, said he had the money, and would take care of it. But he’s admitted before that he loves to gamble high stakes and that he’s going to have to get it under control. Obviously he hasn’t.

I read an interesting statistic recently that 80% of youths between the ages of 12 and 17 have gambled in the last year. The internet is loaded with online poker games so it’s easier to access than ever.

Former mafia chief Michael Franzese used to fix pro and college football and basketball games. He calls gambling as addictive and destructive as drugs and steroids among college athletes.

Franzese calls it a hidden vice behind closed doors in college dorm rooms and now seeping into high schools.

Barkley is fooling himself if he thinks he’s got this under control and the trouble is he’s influencing thousands of impressionable youths with his “no big deal” attitude.

I was watching a TV interview with Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen the other day and every other word was bleeped because he was swearing continually, almost laughing as he fired out another salvo.

Two things:

First, I’m convinced that the network used the interview clip it just to be edgy and they loved the idea of almost non stop bleeping. It became a comedy show for them.

Secondly, some people just love shoving their “I’ll do and say whatever I want” down everybody else’s throat.

An NFL coach that I know told me that he only cusses on the field to make his point as a coach, never at home because the kids might hear.

Oh really? In other words, he thinks he lives his life in a vacuum. Guillen obviously does.