Archive for Random Musings
Learning From Ozzie
Posted by: | CommentsProverbs 10:19 says, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”
Ozzie Guillen is obviously not a prudent man. He has mouthed off time and again, and his many words have finally caught up to him in a big way. Yesterday he tried to apologize for his positive remarks concerning Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. If you want to call it apologizing. As usual, it was more like elaborate excusing or a pathetic attempt to resist taking full responsibility for what he said. As you can see from the video below, he talks about how bad he felt, but then goes on to explain that he didn’t really mean to say what he said. He was thinking in Spanish something, but then said the complete opposite in English somehow and….uh…uh…
Huh?
It’s just plain foolishness and incredibly difficult to believe. In fact, I found it straight up difficult to watch. It was pathetic.
And yet, here’s the thing…here’s the big point that we all should take away from Guillen’s predicament: we are much more like Ozzie Guillen than we would care to admit.
Sure, we might not be foolish enough to mouth off positive remarks about Fidel Castro in a public forum (while managing in Miami nonetheless!), but you know what, those public remarks actually aren’t as damaging as the unkind words we use within our own homes. Among those we love. Sure, a community is outraged by Guillen’s words, and he was very wrong to state them, but if we view ourselves rightly – if we really take note of all that we have said and understand the significance of all our words in the sight of God – we will know without a doubt that we are by no means better than him. On the contrary, we are worse.
Our question then is: Will we do a better job than Guillen in taking responsibility for our words and repenting of them? I certainly hope so.
A Team’s Heart and Soul
Posted by: | CommentsI really do love this time of year. Hours of good basketball just sitting there waiting for you to enjoy. Not bad. Not bad at all.
But you know, the thing I love most isn’t necessarily the X’s and O’s of the game, but the stories that go with these teams. The stories that are these teams. Sure, the games themselves are great, but it is what the games reveal about the teams and individuals in them that often bring the most joy to me. Why? Because it is these stories that often play the biggest role in the actual outcome of the games.
Think about it: Why is it that you have to guess in order to get your bracket right?
There are a million reasons yes. But one of the biggest reasons is that virtually no one really understands the most important qualities of each team. Sure, we can find out their strengths and weakness from an external basketball standpoint. But the beauty of the game is that those things are never as important as the things we can’t see. Or at least, the things that we don’t tend to look at.
What things, you ask? Experience. How well the players get along. How many setbacks they have dealt with throughout the year (and their careers). How clear (and happy) they are about who will make the play when the play has to be made. How positive they are with each other. How confident they are. How fearless. How hungry. How together.
What really is a team’s soul? Their spirit? The atmosphere that defines them more than their offense. Indeed, the things that make up for their lack of offense. Or that hinder them from reaching their full potential.
It might sound kind of weird, but these are the things I see on display this time of year. For in my experience, these are the things that matter most. And these are the things that intense competition puts on display.
I have seen incredibly talented teams lose time and again because they lacked a collective heart or they feared losing or they didn’t really respect their coach. Or whatever. And I have seen much less talented teams win consistently because they believed in one another, played without fear, and peaked at just the right time of year.
In the professional ranks, we often say that championships aren’t easily bought. This is true in the college world as well. For you always need more than talent. Even more than great coaching. You need heart and soul. And one of the beauties of the NCAA tournament is that it usually reveals those two things quite well.
So sit back and enjoy. But also take the time to look below the surface. Don’t get caught looking only at X’s and O’s. Enjoy the teams that play the way a team really should. Feel their energy and root for them because they are what you want a team to really be. Get to know their stories, their heart and soul, and I tend to think you will enjoy this time of year all the more.
Jimmy Chitwood Style
Posted by: | CommentsIn thinking about doing some semi-consistent blogging again, I can’t help but think of the best scene from one of my all-time favorite movies, Hoosiers.
I know you have seen it. If not, stop what you are doing and watch it right now. It’s a classic. And though I have seen it countless times, I still tend to get chills every single time Jimmy Chitwood walks into the church and gives his little speech to the community. “I think it’s about time I start playing some ball.” To which the community responds with cheers because they think he is only going to play because Coach Norman Dale is headed out. But then, as the cheers die down, Jimmy turns it on him and says, “Just one thing, I play, Coach stays. He goes, I go.” Everyone is hushed. The bitter ex-assistant coach gives a gulp. The old Mom calls out for a revote (“I say we have a revote”). The vote for Coach to stay is now overwhelming. Everyone starts shaking hands with him, then the music starts playing and you know they are going to win it all.
Man I love that movie. I might need to take a break and watch it right now. At least that scene. But of course, if I watch that scene, I am going to watch the rest. Or I am going to head back to the beginning, so I can enjoy the build up to that scene. Or I could not do any of those things and make my point.
My point? Well, “I think it’s bout time I start doing some blogging.”
I know there must be a deep hush in the blogging world in response to that. Or I suppose there could be a few folks calling me to reconsider! Well, either way, it’s time for me to do some writing again, no matter who may or may not be listening. After a long fall with a change in countries and the beginning of a busy season, I have managed to settle in. My email inbox is clear (don’t ask about the next action folder), and I have seen enough Tim Tebow to have to write a blog post about him. Not really (but I am sure I will write that post). But there is always plenty to say.
So get the Hoosiers music rolling. Or don’t. I think it’s about time I start doing some blogging.
See you soon (for real).
Watch and Think
Posted by: | CommentsThis doesn’t have any real direct correlation to sports and competition in Christian perspective, but I would like to ask you to watch and compare two videos today. The first is the new iPad video. The second is documentary-type footage of the Kimyal people receiving the first batch of complete New Testaments in their language.
I watched the first today, because I am looking forward to purchasing an iPad at some point in the near future. And though I love Apple’s products, I think their videos are usually ridiculous. For they tend to talk about their new products as if they were much more important than they really are (even if they are crazy cool). As Erin said today, “The way some of those guys were talking with the music in the background, you would think they had just cured cancer.” I agree. It might be good for marketing, but it is downright ridiculous, and we are all too-easily sucked in.
So check out the iPad video. Here is the link (couldn’t find a way to embed it here, though after viewing their video, I am sure I would have been able to do it if I had a new iPad 2). After checking that video out, press play on the video below in order to gain some perspective and to ask yourself how well you are valuing the things that really last. Hope it proves as fruitful as it was for me.
The Kimyal People Receive the New Testament from UFM Worldwide on Vimeo.
HT: Vitamin Z for the video and Married to a Baller for the basic thought that led to this blog post.
In Pursuit of True Greatness
Posted by: | CommentsWright Thompson’s ESPN article on Vince Lombardi is a good one. Told through the tale of his Green Bay home, Thompson does a good job capturing him in limited space. Much of what he said reminded me of what I learned from HBO’s documentary, Lombardi.
If you haven’t seen the documentary, I highly recommend it. HBO did a great job capturing Lombardi in all his strength and weakness. And boy were there weaknesses. No doubt he was a great football coach, but in his own admission, he was not a great husband and father. As many of you may know, Lombardi was famous for saying his priorities were God, family, and football (in particular Green Bay Packers’ football). And no doubt those three things were closest to his heart. But when you really learn about him, it becomes obvious that football took first place.
His story is a sad one really. No doubt he won five championships and is remembered fondly in football circles. But those five championships cost his family a great deal of happiness and maybe even in a sense cost him his life (he died at 57). Either way, what is even more sad is that his story is far from unique. For no matter what one’s walk of life may be, when one is consumed with greatness in one area of life, the other areas of life cannot help but suffer. And when those areas of life are ones that should be among the most important, well, that is sad. Very sad indeed.
In this respect, I believe it is wise for us to recognize that although the Lord wants us to pursue greatness in certain endeavors, it is oftentimes unwise to actually become as great as you can possibly be. For it cannot be denied that in order to become the absolute best you can possibly be, you must make sacrifices. But more times than not, those sacrifices are not worth the cost. Family, friends, a life that honors the Lord and has time for others. These are vital. To deny them in order to become the best player I can possibly be or one day, the best coach I can possibly be at the highest of levels…well, long-term, it just doesn’t make sense.
That being said, I do believe there is often a way to do both. At least to a certain extent. And whatever that extent is, well, that is what we should be pursuing. In whatever our walks of life. And I really do mean whatever our walks of life. For there are plenty of pastors who make the same mistake as Lombardi. So also businessmen or teachers or whoever. We are all in danger, so we are wise to be alert, on our guard, always praying for wisdom and looking to the only One who defines what really matters in the end.
