Archive for July 2013
BILL PARCELLS SHOULD NOT BE INDUCTED INTO THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, BUT RATHER THE HALL OF SHAME.
Posted on: July 30, 2013
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I read in today’s USA TODAY that Bill Parcells is going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I think it’s a big mistake. Here’s a column I wrote some time ago and I think it bears repeating again:
By way of background, one of the biggest complaints NFL players have about coaches is that they feel some really don’t care about players’ personal problems and issues and are only interested in exploiting them to win games. Which seems to have been the case when you look at Bill Parcells’ treatment of Lawrence Taylor when Taylor was a New York Giant and Parcells was head coach. As we now know, Parcells looked the other way and allowed Taylor to continue to use illegal drugs and cheat on his urine tests, and to constantly violate team curfew hours, all in the name of winning. Parcels did not do Taylor any favors since he (Taylor) later tearfully admitted on national television (60 Minutes) that he was an addict. When this happened, it didn’t sit well with some of his Dallas Cowboys’ players who Parcells was then coaching in his first year as their head coach. And I don’t believe it was a coincidence that the Cowboys lost two out of their next three games and were eliminated from the playoffs. Parcells should not be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but rather the Hall of Shame.
ARE SMART PHONES ALLOWED TO BE USED BY PGA GOLFERS ON THE GOLF COURSE DURING PGA COMPETITION?
Posted on: July 21, 2013
- In: Golf | Sport Psychology | Sports
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I checked the internet on this and found that yes, indeed, PGA golfers are allowed to check their incoming e-mails and, according to Carter Rich, equipment standards manager for the USGA: “It’s fine to call your family and let them know you’ll be late for dinner. But calling your coach for swing tips is of course not permitted under the Rules of Golf.” So if you’re Tiger Woods and you get a nasty incoming call from your ex-wife, even if you don’t answer it, the mere fact she is calling you can negatively affect your focus. But it can also have the opposite effect. If you’re Phil Mickelson and you get an e-mail or incoming call from your loving wife, Amy, telling you she’s preparing (metaphorically speaking) a huge delicious steak for dinner, and you love steak, that could have a positive effect. So my suggestion is: Ban all cell phones and I-phones on the course during the PGA tour, and this would apply to the fans as well as the players. Distracting phones have no place on the golf course during competition. And they definitely shouldn’t be used to enhance performance.
SO WHY DID TIGER SHOOT A 74 ON THE LAST EIGHTEEN HOLES AND END UP TIED FOR 6TH IN THE BRITISH OPEN?
Posted on: July 21, 2013
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I’m sure the golf pundits will be having a field day with this question, but I’m equally certain it’s because of one of two reasons. Or both.
First, as far as I know, Tiger has not brought about closure to his confrontation with Sergio Garcia. As I’ve often stated, when you are angry you give away your power. Tiger needs to arrange a public meeting with Sergio, have him apologize, and then Tiger can gracefully accept his apology and forgive him. And move on.
The second reason, and could very well have happened the night before his final round, he may have received a nasty phone call from his ex-wife threatening that he will not be able to see his children during normal visiting hours as authorized by the court. As any man (or woman) will tell you, when you get a divorce and there are children involved, the divorce doesn’t end your relationship with your ex, it only transforms it. And my understanding is that Tiger’s ex-wife is not very fond of his significant other, Lindsey Vonn.
So there you have it, and when you combine the above with the fact that Phil Mickelson is enjoying a happy family life (which I assume is true) then good things happen. What takes place away from the golf course affects what takes place on the golf course. Maybe Amy, Phil’s wife, told him the night before the final round that she was pregnant with their fourth child and 43-year old Phil was going to be a papa again? Of course, his being forty-three that could have had the opposite effect ☺
CUBAN BALLPLAYER YEONIS CESPEDES WINS THE HOME RUN DERBY TWO DAYS AFTER TALKING WITH HIS 4-YEAR OLD SON IN CUBA.
Posted on: July 17, 2013
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I’ve written before about how many of the Cuban ballplayers, when they defect to America to play Major League Baseball, fear for the safety of the families they left behind. Just knowing their families are safe can have a powerful positive effect on their performance. A case in point was this past week when Oakland Athletics ballplayer Yeonis Cespedes won the Home Run Derby after speaking with his son in Cuba on the phone. According to USA Today: “After the Derby, Cespedes said he had talked on the phone two days before with his 4-year-old son, Yeonis Jr., and promised to dedicate his home runs to him. Cespedes’ family endured a life-threatening ordeal to join him stateside, and he longs for the day when he can bring his son as well.” And when that day comes, watch for Cespedes’ batting average to skyrocket. Maybe even reach .400 and beyond.
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I know it must sound crazy to be predicting that Tiger will win the upcoming British Open, but the reason I’m making this prediction is because of a news article that appeared in today’s USA Today. It said: “Tiger Woods left West Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday for the British Open, landing with his trusted confidants – caddie Joe LaCava, agent Mark Steinberg, public relations manager Glenn Greenspan and girlfriend Lindsey Vonn.” He’ll be surrounded by people who care about him and love him, especially Ms. Vonn. Having Lindsey around enhances his feelings of self-worth and subsequently enhances his performance in his sport. He seems to be happy and his life is in harmony. And on top of that, “His Elbow Feels Fine.” Who knows, He may even shoot 18 birdies in 18 holes, something I believe is only a mental barrier, similar to the 4-minute mile. Ben Hogan thought so, too. Now if only his ex-wife will leave him be. ☺
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!
Posted on: July 14, 2013
Nothing gets me to switch television channels faster than when I see some man (or woman) entering a room or empty house with arms outstretched pointing a gun at an unseen villain. The networks and cable stations must have conducted some kind of survey that shows there’s a large segment of imbecilic viewers who consider this high drama and will tend to watch shows where detectives and police officers enter abandoned houses or vacated buildings with weapons in hand extending both arms. And that is usually followed by massive on-screen violence. It’s time that television and movie producers realize that when they show these stupid sequences involving violence it’s actually a powerful form of visualization for some viewers with warped minds, and can trigger real-life violence.
COULD FORMER NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS TIGHT END AARON HERNANDEZ BE SUFFERING FROM CTE (CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY) AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT?
Posted on: July 12, 2013
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I just finished reading an interesting article by sportswriter Patrick Hruby in which he makes an excellent case against the NFL applying the fairly new field of Brain Injury Science, saying that “football hits pull the brain like silly putty, stretching and shearing nerve cells.” He points out that currently more than 3,500 former players and surviving family members are suing the NFL, essentially attempting to hold the league liable. Some players have committed suicide and the clinical symptoms of CTE are: “Impulsivity. Disinhibition. Volatility. Problems with depression and emotional control.” I’m not saying the NFL is at fault, especially since some research shows that athletes are most susceptible to brain injury while playing high school football. Mr. Hruby points out that “Boys and young men – whose brains are still developing – are more vulnerable to football-induced head trauma.” So it’s possible that many injuries may have been present in some of the NFL players long before they became professionals. Or even before they entered college. I’m bringing all of this up since it’s also possible (and I’m only saying “possible”) that Aaron Hernandez may be suffering from CTE and not even realize it. Certainly it’s something to think about.
