fightingamish

Sports fans know that the NBA is on strike. I don't get the drama. I don't see how players are so badly mistreated. In my opinion, the average fan just looses respect for any sport that is striking.  Its just too hard to muster up empathy for some rich guys who are listening to their greedy agents. I don't know about you, but I have found plenty of great sports to watch in place of the NBA. Granted, I am from Indiana where the Pacers haven't been hot since Reggie was raining threes.  If I could say two things to the NBA players they would be these.  First, you are great athletes, but you are not the only great athletes.  You take your product off the shelf and consumers will replace you with another quality product. I bet college basketball is doing great these days filling the void.  Second, don't think owners are being greedy.  If you understand free enterprise, you would respect the fact that the owners are taking risk that the product, their team, may not be profitable.  DO players return a portion of their salaries if the team doesn't play well and the franchise looses money?  No they don't.  Players do not take the same financial risk.  Therefore, as employers and as the ones taking the risk, they deserve to keep the lions share of the profit (if there is any).  I am not very hopeful that any player in any league will get those very soon.  Let me add a third one.  Players, please have someone in your life that is level-headed and will be brutally honest with you.  Instead, they tend to listen to greedy agents, parasite friends and equally greedy family members that are looking to sweeten their own gravy train.  When a league goes on strike, my love for that game looses steam.  So the NBA season begins on Christmas day? Who cares?  At this moment, I really don't. Do you?

I am a fan of Tim Tebow.  I realize he is not your typical style of quarterback. Not a smooth pocket passer.  Still learning the speed and decision making skills.  Limited in what he can run offensively.  I've heard the talking head ex-pros tell us all the reasons he won't succeed.  And still he has somehow, he is 4-2 since taking over for Orton in Game 5.  Game Five against the Chargers, Tebow brought them close after Orton was ineffective early.  Tebow stepped in and had a 100+ QB rating.  Tebow is becoming more of a phenom.  Not because he is the greatest new QB in the league, but because he is different and doesn't apologize for it.  I think there are some who would never admit it, but they don't like Tebow for what he stands for.

My point is that Tebow has really taken a beating. Even during his senior season, he had one of the most successful college careers of any player. Yet, he was generally panned by "experts" as not having the skills to win at the next level.  Now he is winning.  So the "experts" say well yes, he is winning some games, BUT he won't be the guy to take you to a championship.  Come on now.  There are about 20 QBs in this league who you can say the same thing about, but we are not hearing that drivel every week during the post game wrap up.  "experts" are having to either eat their words or re-create what they meant over the past three years they said Tebow couldn't win at this level.  Will Tebow become something special like Brady, Manning Favre or Rogers?  Doubtful, but I think he deserves a chance to show what he can do, albeit unconventional style.  Tebow is having to succeed despite his detractors.  Its not right, not at the volume it has been coming out.  Its time to turn down the anti-Tebow rhetoric and just give him a chance to grow into this role and show us what he can do.

I am a fan.  I appreciate what he stands for.  I love seeing players who are not in the news for DUIs and beating their girlfriends.  I love players who just play haard and don't seek the spotlight.  I love his humility.  I love seeing players who are unafraid to say life is more than a ballgame.  If you are not a fan, I'm totally cool with that.  Just saying...lets give him some room.  Show us what you can do.  In two years lets see if we think he is a championship level QB.  Even if he is not, I think I'll still be a fan.

Have you heard?  Coach John Wooden is likely in his last days at the UCLA Hospital.  I have never been a UCLA fan.  I have raely rooted for Purdue.  I do admit that I am prejudice in that Coach Wooden is from Indiana.  But even the most objective observer must confirm Coach Wooden is the best coach of basketball that has ever been.  Ten national titles in 27 years. That is more than remarkable. Most successful coaches today coach until they can no longer walk.  Wooden quietly retired one year after his last national title.  He certainly could have racked up another 100 or 200 wins if he wanted to.  But clearly that was never the goal of this great coach.  In Jim Collin's book "Good to Great" Collins talks about great companies and how their goal is to be the best at what they do in the whole world. Profit, or in Wooden's case 'wins', are nothing but a by-product of doing the right things.  Wooden did about all of the right things.

Here I am a huge IU fan.  My beloved Bob Knight sits on top of the NCAA coaching victories. Three national titles at IU after running a clean program and graduating his players.  Still, in my heart, I find that character trumps everything else.  As much as I love IU and Knight, the person that John Wooden is makes him the greatest coach of basketball.  As I write this, there is another remarkable coach that comes to mind and that is Phil Jackson.  We can argue that pro ball and college ball is apples and oranges, but you cannot deny that Phil Jackson has to be a coach included in any discussion of the greatest coach the sport of basketball has ever seen. We may even argue that Wooden is the best there ever will be, because he was not about wins, he was about being a winner.

Wooden would frequently refer back to his Indiana roots that shaped him.  I pray the truth can be said for me and my children one day.  No doubt there will be hundreds and maybe thousands gathered for the funeral of a great man soon.  I m convinced that those who speak of John Wooden will talk far more about his love for them, his drive for excellence and his ability to teach then his records. I have heard it said that you look at a grave stone and see the year of birth, a dash, and the year of death.  The story is in the dash. For John Wooden, a coach for all coaches, your dash is an amazing story.  You have enriched many of our lives.  You make me proud to be a fellow Hoosier.  Lord, prepare a special place for this man. 

I'm a sports junkie.  I follow NASCAR and the NFL.  I love college football, soccer, basketball, you name it.  Its the spirit of competition that I love. I heard Mike & Mike talking about what they would be watching, the NBA All Star game of the Olympics. Got me thinking.  I would watch the olympics. Even thought I think Lebron and Kobe and Nash are incredible athletes, the best in the world...I'd still tune into the Olympics.  I would watch a bunch of athletes playing sports I only watch every two years.  Why?  Because I respect a person that gives their life to be excellent at something.  The bobsled, come one! You've got to be kidding?  But I'm hooked.  I was actually disappointed the Jamaicans aren't coming this year.  Its pure competition.  It is sportsmanship.  Its unique.  It is the love of country.  It is the hopes and dreams of a person, a family, a country.  I think the Olympics are really cool.  Sure, the networks could not make money showing this stuff every day, but every few years, I'm locked in.  And that opening ceremony was awesome.  They just re-did "We are the world" and thats cool.  But the Olympics is an experiment on breaking down walls all over the world that has worked (with some notable exceptions).  I'll be tuning in to NBC and see whats going on in the skelton, the luge, the moguls and even curling.  A meaningless All Star games hold little interest to me.  What are you watching these days.

Indiana fans have been spoiled over the past 70 years with all those NCAA titles and Big Ten championships.  Now we are rebuilding with a new coach Tom Crean.  In his second season I am amazed to see fans posting that maybe he is not the answer.  Lets get some perspective.  Last year we won, with hard-working scrubs, just 6 games. We won only on in conference play. Here we are with about 12 games left and we have already won 9 games.  As I look over our schedule, I would say we could win 4 of the games left.  If we win 13 games this year, that would be a 217% improvement year over year.  Also, consider that 4 losses this year were very winable.  Young players grow rapidly, especially ones with excellent talent.  Coach Crean is doing alot of things right. He honors the proud tradition of the Hoosiers.  He recruits well.  He inspires players.  I hope he is patient.  Remember how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.  I'm believing great things in the future for our young team and its energetic coach.  Lets see what he does the rest of the year...and have another bite of elephant.

I watched the Bears v Vikings game last night until the glorious ending.  Until the Colts came to Indiana, I was a Bears fan. Walter is still one of my all time favorite layers. Singletary, Ditka, the Fridge, I enjoyed them all.  And the troubled Jay Cutler is a Hoosier, so I have wanted him to excel.  I was glad to see him have a great night.  But my single biggest observation was watching Brett Favre lead his team at the end of the game.  Brett is as passionate a leader as I have seen, but he blurs the lines.  I observed a man who does not understand his role on the team. Favre believes he should be able to trunp the decision of his own coach. I have now seen this play out several times.  Great players, even great leaders, must know when to follow.  Favre does not.  By ignoring or agruing with his coach he tells the rest of his team they don't really need to follow the orders of their coach if they disagree strongly enough.

Now contrast the Colts this weekend.  You could see how badly Peyton wanted to be out there winning that game. Mannings' frustration was palpable. But, he showed self control. As a leader, he led by his example to follow the order that has been established.  His teammates saw that and followed his lead.  Honestly, I think the passion to win is the same in Favre and Manning.  The difference in the game and I think in life too, is knowing when to lead and when to follow.  I believe that one day Peyton will own all the meaningful records in the NFL for QB's if he choses to play that long. But I have gained more respect for his as a man, as a teammate and as a leader.  Manning will succeed in life with or without football because he has his priorities straight.

Everyone who is a true fan of the NFL recognizes that Peyton Manning is among the best players ever to suit up.  At his current pace, he will own every meaningful QB record.  His teams will have won more games than any other during his leadership.  I believe he has the opportunity to win a few more Super Bowls.  By any measure you choose, Peyton stands above the other QBs.  This is another special year for Peyton.  Look at what he has accomplished so far. The Colts are only the third team in history to win 14 games to start the season. The Colts have won more games in any decade with Peyton behind the center.  His stats are impressive too this year. Measuring against his own impressive 12 season career, Peyton is on pace to have his second best statistical year in TD passes. His best year in passing yards.  What is perhaps the most impressive of all is the fact that Manning does all of this in a small market. Indianapolis is likely in the bottom 10 markets in terms of population.  Their revenues cannot compete with the bigger cities.  The Colts team is quality, no doubt, but Peyton must work with a group of players that for the most part are lesser in status and pay.  The Colts are great because Peyton is great.  I am the first to proclaim that the Colts have among the best management and coaching in the league. That being said, they are not even 75% as good as they are today without Peyton Manning. Quite simply, no other player means more to his teams wins and losses than Peyton Manning.  He is the man. Tell your kids as you sit and watch the games, you are watching something special. The team feeds off Peyton. They are not completely lopsided, but he is the driving brain and will and talent that makes all the other pieces work.  He makes Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne look all world. His talent allows Joseph Addai to be a first string running back in the NFL.  Sure Brees and Favre are having great years too. They are magnificant QBs.  But you choose a QB for a season or a career, and I always will take number 18.  Peyton, thanks for satying here in Indiana and making our team perhaps the best of all time. Now lets all set back and watch as our Colts continue to re-write history.  Go COLTS!

Trust. Sometimes, with the lack of real information, we need to trust.  For me, when it comes to Bill Polian and Jim Irsay, thats not too hard. They have recently named Bill's son and Assistant GM Chris Polian as GM. Looking at this franchise since Bill Polian has arrived, one can only be amazed. Plus, lets not forget that Bill Polian was a franchise builder before he came to Indy (see Panthers & Bills).  Irsay is doing it right. Polian certainly is one of the NFL's gurus.  I imagine they are are working very close in making the most important decisions.  As I look at it, the young Polian may be a very good choice. He has been bred in football.  He will have his father's wisdom available to him as long as Bill Polian lives.  In management, success is making more solid decisions than your opponents.  I see it like a batting average.  The Colts have the best managerial "batting average" in the league.  So when they step up to the plate, this Colt fan has alot of confidence.  Go COLTS!