Teaching Good Behavior Through Football…

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

One thing we’ve been working on with Paco is how to be a good sport.

He’s VERY competitive (wonder where that comes from!) and when he loses, he doesn’t always respond so well.

Now, he loves football and it so happens that his favorite team is the Green Bay Packers, so I took a clip from one of their games where a defender, Charles Woodson, (who has himself won a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl) acknowledges the great play of an opponent who beat him to score a touchdown.

The message was: if you give it your all and you still lose, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. And, if your opponent gives it his all and wins, you can respect that and not resent him or feel anger about it.

Here’s the clip

Rooting for Teams as a Day Trader

Paco and I were talking about the upcoming football season as he reviewed the schedule on the ESPN ScoreCenter app (I didn’t have the heart to tell him about the lockout).

He said, “I need to decide which team I am going to root for this year.”

Last year, I had given him a hard time because he seemed to change his mind about his “favorite team” every few weeks, depending on who was winning.

The ultimate “fair weather fan.”

Then, he shares his methodology with me.

“I am going to see which team wins by the most points on the first game of the season. Then, I will root for them.”

“But,” he went on, “if they lose 2 games in a row, I will find a new team the same way.”

At first, I thought, “this isn’t the way you are supposed to find your favorite team,” but then it occurred to me that his approach is how we look at many things in our lives.

If a stock is doing well, you stay with it. If it underperforms, you sell and move on.

He’s just bringing that same discipline to athletics.

We all know that corporate loyalty is dead in its traditional sense. Who says you have to stay loyal to a professional sports team?

It’s not like they love you back.

I think we might take this approach this year. Why not?

Besides, this way, we’ll have a team in the playoffs and a good chance that we’ll win the Super Bowl as well.

“It’s named after Andrew Jackson…”

Image via Wikipedia

A few weeks ago at breakfast, Tonka, Paco and I were going over the results from the previous Sunday’s football games.

“…and Jacksonville beat Tennessee,” I said.

Then, out of NOWHERE, Jokinen says, “well, Jacksonville was named for Andrew Jackson and he was from Tennessee, so it’s kind of like they beat themselves.”

I couldn’t believe it.

Now, I know where Jackson is from, but I actually had to look up on Wikipedia to confirm that Jacksonville was named for Andrew Jackson (it was).

How he knew that is beyond me.

See, I told you that football was very valuable education tool

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Samoans in the NFL…

This was on 60 minutes a while back, but for long time football fans, you’ll appreciate the story about why there are so many Samoans in the NFL.

 
Watch CBS News Videos Online

Football and the Vernacular Education…

Paco says to me, “There’s no business in football! Why did the man say ‘the Lions are in business?”

Then, he says, “what did the Redskins do? The man said, “The Redskins are in trouble.”

Just had to get those down (and no, I haven’t explained the economic side of the game yet.)

The Redskins made my daughter cry...Not cool

Going through a divorce, as I am with my formerly beloved Washington Redskins, is a painful experience.

It's impossible to shut the feelings down completely, but you feel angry and betrayed.

You may even want revenge.

For the first time in my life, I found myself this past Sunday actually rooting for the other team to win.  Perhaps like a loved one who is an alcoholic, you realize that the only way that they can right themselves is for them to hit "rock bottom."

So, playing against a team without a victory for the 6th week in a row (an NFL record) and one that had only one two out of its previous 30 games (Kansas City), I reckoned that a loss would possibly helpl the incompetent and inept leadership recognize that they "needed help."

Note: I am talking purely from a football perspective since somehow they have increased the value of the team from a financial perspective.

On Saturday night,Paco, Tonka, and I were discussing our plans for Sunday and thanks to my "eat in the den only if we are watching football rule," they are now big fans.

I explained that the Redskins were playing the Chiefs and the kids were asking who I wanted to win.

"I don't know," I said. "I really don't know."

At which point, Tonka literally started cyring (not sobs, but definitely tears) and said, "It's not fun rooting for the Redksins....they ALWAYS LOSE!!"

I've said for a few years that I don't care for which team my kids root, but I want them to appreciate the game of football...we're on our way...and that being a Redskins fan was too difficult. Now, they were causing my little girl to cry. That was the last straw.

I'm in a phase in life where I tend to look at the historical era into which I was born and analyze it so that I don't just assume "this is the way it is and has always been."

If you are between 30 and 40 and grew up in the DC area (as a fan of the Redskins), your formative/adolescent years took place at the moment in history where the team was at is absolute zenith.  

Four Super Bowls (3 championships) in 10 years, a contender pretty much every year, and dominating teams. Clearly, the glory days.

And, this happened when you were old enough to be aware/conscious of what happened, but young enough that you didn't have the real responsibilites of life (and thus could devote a lot of time to cultivating this passion.)

So, it's particularly tough to rip out this core part of my developmental DNA. You can play with my emotions, but once you start making my daughter cry?

My grandfather, Poppy, introduced me to the game and helped grow my love for Redskins and I thought once or twice  that "it's a good thing he's dead b/c this would have killed him. (He would have appreciated this joke, trust me...and it is a joke!),

Like the stock market and great empires, what goes up must come down and now, the Redskins are like the rest of Washington, a city of bailouts (great article here, btw).

And the kids of Washington have grown up and come of age during the past 10 years, culminating in this most recent ignominy?

They are crying themselves to sleep now...and won't be in the stands in the future.

A Redskins Divorce…

Image via Wikipedia

The other day, I blogged on my “work” blog about my growing disillusionment with the owner of the Washington Redskins, Dan Snyder, and the way the team has performed.

I called it “when you kill your raving fans.”

What that experience has done for me is opened the door to a deeper introspection into my relationship with the team.

I love the game of football, but now, as I think about my lack of passion for the team because of its mismanagement, I come face to face with the reality (which I, like many, have swept under the rug) that the name is truly offensive to Native Americans.

In no other area of life would we tolerate something as overt as this. And in the Nations Capital, no less.

Like most break-ups, it will be painful, there will be moments of nostalgia, and it won’t be easy, but I think the time has come.

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Feeling Kind of Sunday...

Image by jer979 via Flickr

The end of the regular season of football is always a bit melancholy for me.

And now, that Paco and Tonka have become big fans as well, it is even more so.

Growing up, football sundays with my brothers and grandfather was a special time, a very special time.

So, it's nice that the tradition is continuing, but at the same time, I'm sad that we're pretty much done for this year.

The kids have made a lot of progress.

They can do simple math now.

They recognize the abbreviations on the screen and can guess which cities they represent.

They know the basic rules of the game.

For those of you who watch, you've seen the State Farm commercials, "Feeling Kind of Sunday," which the two of them can (and do) sing quite often.

It's clear that they cherish those times with me. And I feel the same way.

Just nice to know that we are making memories in a meaningful way.

On Comebacks and Staying With It...

Image by Adam Pieniazek via FlickrI got on the Nordic track last night at the top of the 7th inning and saw Tampa Bay go up on Boston, 7-0.

The announcers mentioned it and you saw it, "some fans are starting to head for the exits."

I thought back to a Redskins-Raiders game I went to in 1983.

The 'Skins were down 17 points with 6 minutes left. My brother and I were there with a high school kid to whom my parents had given the 3rd ticket and who was chaperoning us.

"This game is over," we said. "Let's leave..."

Joe Bardin, the chaperone, said, "let's just wait and see what happens. You never know."

Sure enough, the Redskins came back to win by one point.

So, last night, I thought, "anything's possible."

And sure enough, it was.

Ah, the beauty of sports.

Obama is a Patriot…

Thing is, he may be a New England Patriot.

Just like Tom Brady and team last January, he’s expected to win. He’s on a roll. He’s had a “perfect season.”

And that could be his problem.

You see, in football (and many sports- see Alain Bernard), when you are expected to win, that’s when you get conservative (not politically, of course!), but in actions.

You start playing not to lose instead of to win.

You begin to hesitate.

You want to defend your position.

And this is where and when you are most vulnerable.

The election is Obama’s to lose. He knows it. Everybody knows it.

McCain is like the Giants. He’s got nothing to lose. That’s not to say he won’t make mistakes (maybe the Palin choice was, maybe it wasn’t), but he can afford to take bigger risks…and sometimes, yes only sometimes, those high risks mean high rewards.

In football, there’s a concept knows as the “Prevent” defense, when teams that are ahead put a lot of players deep to cover against long touchdown throws. And that’s when their opponents march down the field in a series of short steps to score.

As some say, “the only thing the prevent defense does is prevent you from winning.”

So, one thing to watch for between now and November…does Obama start playing a “Prevent” Defense?

I know I am spending a lot of time on politics these days, but hey, it’s the season.

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Football by any other name…

Long time blog readers know that there is a steadfast rule in my house that the kids can only eat in the den if we are watching football.

This builds the excitement and appreciation for my favorite sport.

Well, having lived in Europe for a year, I did develop an appreciation for “the beautiful game” (aka soccer) and was looking forward to watching the Euro 2008 Champioships today.

After swim lessons, visiting with our aunt, a birthday party, and taking 2 kids to Home Depot, I didn’t feel like I had ignored the kids.

Bottom line, if you ask Tonka (and possibly Paco): “what do they call soccer in other countries?” you will get the correct answer.

Hence, we were able to enjoy popsicles and snacks while watching Spain defeat Germany, 1-0.

Euro 2008 and Soccer, er Football

Back in 1996, when I lived in Germany, my friends invited me to a party to watch part of the European Championships that were underway.

My response, typical American, was, “so boring, not interested.”

But, in the interest of improving my German language skills, I went.

Over time, I started to develop an appreciation for the sport. Really liked it.

By the time the tournament was under way, I was going to my friends:

“Hey guys, Portugal is playing Denmark. We have to go!”

Didn’t hurt that Germany won that year and I went to the victory parade in downtown Frankfurt.

In 2002, I woke up at 2am to watch some games from Korea and my brothers joined me to watch the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup at my house.

One of the benefits of working at home, I suppose, but I’ve enjoyed watching some of the games this week. On now, Turkey vs. Croatia!

One of those legacies of my years abroad, I suppose.

Thank goodness for ESPN.

Movie: We Are Marshall...

Love a good story. Love football. So, We Are Marshall was a perfect match for me.

Seriously, I was choked up and tearing 10 minutes into the flick.

The basic story: Marshall University's football team (almost all of it) dies in a plane crash in 1970 and the town of Huntington, WV (and university) are dedicated.

Matthew McConaughey puts in a solid performance as the coach who is trying to rebuild the program after the devastation.

Good character development, appreciation of why football isn't life's most important thing, but how it can be a part of the healing process.

Definitely recommend it.

Super Bowl, Priorities, and Technology...

A few observations on life and my priorities.

With the bedrest situation, I elected to stay at home for the Big Game.

Ok, makes sense.

Thanks to DVR, I am able to help out as necessary (bedtime, kids getting out of bed, etc.) and see the whole game and all commercials.

It does feel a bit weird to not be in sync with the actual game (this game more so than any other, but hey...)

Now, the really weird part...

With the compressed schedule that comes from the bedrest, I am doing real/actual work during the SuperBowl. Feels a bit unkosher, but hey...it's gotta get done, right?

And, just to top it all off, I'm blogging during the game as well...

Family Bonding on a Football Sunday...

It was one year ago today that we all saw saw Nana for the last time. How do I know?

Strange as it sounds, it is because after we left her at the hospital, we went to see Poppy and watched the end of the Patriots-Colts AFC Championship game. Thinking about it today, it was the last time we watched a game with him. And football, in that respect, is an important part of our family dynamic.

So, it was particularly meaningful when both of my brothers, one sister, my dad, niece and 2 kids joined me today to watch the AFC championship game at my house.

We had plenty of food, drink, and conversation. (We're not so crazy that we won't allow talking during the game...plus w/DVR, who cares?)

The kids were playing, we were chatting about life, politics, family, and more. During halftime, we watched some family videos and looked at some pictures.

An emotional day, encompassing the circle of life.

Plus...who doesn't love games that occur below 20 degrees?

Football Fandom and Autographs...

Growing up, I was a huge Redskins fan. As was my buddy, Chuck (I'm the hirsute one).

Twice, we made the day trip to Carlisle, PA to visit the Redskins summer training camp facility.

The second time...I became famous...for a few minutes.

Chuck had an uncanny ability to recognize players who, in my estimation, had a greater likelihood of swimming the English Channel than of making the team.

He would see one of them and say, "Hey, Gregory Williams! You went to Johnson C. Smith College! Can I have your autograph?"

The player, stunned that anyone would know him, would, of course, gladly oblige.

Soon, the other fans there would say, "hey, it's a player, let's get his autograph!" and Chuck had begun a tidal wave of attention on this guy whose career in the NFL ended 2 weeks later.

While at lunch, we were talking to the brand new coach of the team, Richie Petitbon, and some teenager comes up to him and asks, "are you with the team?"

Chuck, livid at the diminishing appreciation for the game and the commercialization of the autograph experience, yells at the guy, "you IDIOT! He's the head coach."

Seeing the widespread ignorance, and being wiseass college kids, we sense an opportuntity.

After lunch, the players returned to the practice facility, walking through some gates. As they do, people approach them and ask for autographs.

Chuck goes inside the gate. I wait a few minutes and, dressed as I am in the lower left picture above, walk into the practice facility.

Chuck runs up to me and says, "Hey, Coach! CAn I have your autograph?"

"Sure," I say.

Within seconds, I am swarmed. I'm signing hats, pennants, footballs. One lady asked me to sign the shirt she was wearing.

I hear someone say, "what's his number?"

And another person yells, "he's a coach!!"

I'm having a blast, but nervous as hell that any one of the real/authentic players around me will expose me and the mob will turn against me.

Soon, I say, "sorry, I've got to get to practice."

And I break away from the crowd, my football career over.

(Another pic from the scrapbook inspired the post.)

Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate...

The intersection of two of my favorite things...football and technology.

So good that I am copying wholesale from Church of the Customer Blog

If you're a football fan, you haven't escaped seeing the YouTube-like Coors Light commercials that employ fake fans holding their cans of Coors (in a most improbable way) and ask dumb questions of actual coaches.

The gimmick is that the spots splice in the coaches' answers from their actual post-game news conferences.  Funny premise, but most fell short of actual humor.

The commercials have succeeded, though, in inspiring a bevy of online copycats, precisely because it is an ode to amateur culture--mashing up actual footage with fake footage for humor. One of my faves features Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. The Pittsburghese is dead-on funny.

Not a bad blueprint for future TV ads: pay homage to amateur culture, and amateur culture will return the favor, spreading word of mouth.

Amateur ad featuring Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy [RSS readers click here.]

 

BTW, how GREAT was that Green Bay game in the blizzard?

A Blog Reader's Tribute...

Gadi writes in (slight paraphrase) today:

I was inspired by your grandfather while watching the Redskins this weekend.

Every game is a bonus game…

He was referring to my Poppy's famous quote after his WWII experience:

Every Day is a Bonus Day.

Gadi-thanks for the tribute. Poppy (a big football fan as well) would have appreciated.

Mitzvah Note

A "mitzvah" literally means "a commandment," but to "do a mitzvah" can also mean, colloquially, "do a good thing."

Each day, Calanit takes in a "mitzvah note" to her class for her teacher to read. I don't normally write these for her, but today, I was asked to do so. It read:

Calanit honored her Abba [father] by displaying an increased understanding of the rules and regulation of football. She correctly identified the time remaining in the 3rd quarter and she said "Touchdown!" at the appropriate time."

Va Tech, Football, and Healing...

Obviously an emotion-filled day in Blacksburg, VA yesterday for the opening day of football season, but a testament to the power of sport to help the healing process.

Very emotional to watch