Giants sign Juan Uribe...Yippee!!!

According to MLBTradeumors.com, the Giants reached an agreement with Juan Uribe, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The deal is pending a physical.

This could move Mark DeRosa's bat into the OF more times than not and upgrade the anemic offensive production that came from the Giants OF's last year.

Uribe and DeRosa certainly give Bochy great flexibility defensively as both players carry many gloves in their bag. Uribe was also the Giants most productive bat in the lineup after Sandoval for a great part of 2009.

Looks like that crosses a Dan Uggla deal off the to-do list (good). Matt Holliday likely moves off the list after the Jason Bay signing (too rich for even Mr. Sabean).
Other than a veteran catcher to provide insurance in the event Buster Posey starts the year in AAA, the Giants could pretty much stand pat.

Giants sign Mark DeRosa...Yippee!!!!

Another in the long line of bad Sabean signings. This is right in his wheelhouse. An aging, injured veteran has an over-his-head year and cashes in at the Giants ATM machine.

This is the same methodology that failed when they had the best player on the planet in the middle of the lineup. Add DeRosa to the Rowand and Renteria deals as further roster clogging, payroll-artery-clogging nonsense that has been a hallmark of the Sabean years.

DeRosa's best year recently was with the Cubs a few years back. Given the Wrigley Field, statistic enhancing advantage he went 21HR-87RBI-.857OPS. He can hardly be expected to approach those numbers at Phone Number Field. Last year his OPS dropped to .767 by comparison Aaron Rowand limped in this year at .738. Heck, Juan Uribe had an .824 OPS last year and you might get him for $1M a year. And DeRosa gets 2 years @ $12 million? If he was that good, I imagine the Cardinals would have kept him.

His OPS looks good only by comparison with the 2009 Giants anemic offerings. I guess when you paid Bengie Molina to produce a .727 OPS and Randy Winn to kick in with .671, DeRosa is a stud-puppet by comparison. But the Giants jump right back on the treadmill, running hard, getting nowhere.

Focus on the right things..keep the faith

FOCUS - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

Stan van Gundy with the sports quote of the year

from the Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Stan Van Gundy has a request for the NBA: no more games on Christmas.

The Orlando Magic coach says he feels "sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game."

"We get a little carried away with ourselves with sports thinking we're more important than everything else," he said.

I hope Coach SvG doesn't think any less of people who have nothing to do on X-mas than Blog but in my defense I am multi-tasking.

The Giants hope for the future

The Giants made decent strides towards a return to respectability, even playoff contention in 2009. Now the hard part, maintaining that plus .500 level of competitiveness that gets a team into the playoffs once every few years.

Other than a banger like Matt Holliday, I'm not sure the help comes from the outside. Signing Juan Uribe to a one year deal makes sense, anything more makes him fat and lazy, ask the Pale Hose. If they are looking at Mark DeRosa seriously I would say, PLEASE NO!! Not DeRosa and Uribe. One or the other. DeRosa would just be a younger version of Rich Aurilia--a roster clogging, aging veteran that Sabean seems to love.

The real help will come from the John-Barr-Fred Stanley drafting and development of future Giants stars. And they are in the pipeline. Hopefully they mature before the big decisions on Lincecum and Matt Cain come due.

As things stand right now the Giants farm system is looking at the following harvest:

2010 Contributors
We should begin to see LHP Madison Bumgarner show the flashes of a top of the rotation starting pitcher. C Buster Posey needs to grab the catcher position by the throat and stake his claim to be one of the face of the franchise for the next ten years or more. 3B Conor Gillaspie needs to show the hitting form that should make him a solid .300 plus hitter. OF Roger Kieschnick needs to demonstrate the near five-tool potential and take hold of one of the corner OF spots.

LHP Joe Patterson could be this years Dan Runzler and jet through the organization and make a contribution. Dan Runzler needs to demonstrate that last years meteoric rise through the organization was not a fluke. Other potential set-up/closer candidates like Jose Casilla and Waldis Joaquin need to show more than Henry Sosa has so far.

The 25 and ups like LHP Craig Clark, RHP Danny Otero, RHP Kyle Nicholson and RHP Henry Sosa along with Runzler need to make solid contributions. They are too old to play in the sandbox of the minor leagues. If that's their fate, they move from prospects to suspects. RHP Daniel Turpen has one more year of grace. Most of these guys (exception is Sosa) were collegiate pitchers so we may be faced with a few cases of WYSIWYG. No higher ceiling to elevate to.

2011 Contributors
2B Nick Noonan, OF Thomas Neal, SS Brandon Crawford, OF Francisco Peguera and SS Ehire Adrianza have shown enough flashes of potential to whet the appetite but some red flags as well. All have to prove their abilities at the AA level or above, hopefully this year in order to pave the way for an impact in 2011.

Moving from prospect to suspect rapidly
LHP Clayton Tanner, LHP Aaron King, SS-2B Charlie Culberson and OF Wendell Fairley. All have shown flashes of potential, just not enough of it.

Rookies and Teens to Watch
The 2010 draftees RHP Zach Wheeler, C Tommy Joseph and 3B Chris Dominguez signed late and did not play at any level where their statistics could be properly evaluated.

The teen squad includes RHP Luis Mateo, OF Rafael Rodriguez and C Hector Sanchez have not played higher than the Rookie / Short Season level, but the early returns on Rodriguez and Sanchez are pretty good so far. Mateo's statistics are off the radar screen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HOPE - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Whose law are we talking about?

Most people would agree that good character is needed for success in an type of organization, team or family unit. Yet, it seems as if the news is filled with examples of bad character and the destruction it causes when uncovered.

People pay lip service to being of good character and then it is found that they do not practice what they preach. Leaders need to lead by example constantly. They need to care about teammates others in the organization. And they need to practice being a servant leader and model the value of servant leadership.

This is the only way to pass these valuable traits forward to future generation.

GODLINESS - Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. - 1 Timothy 4:7

DEFINE GODLINESS:

Careful observance of, or conformity to, the laws of God; the state or quality of being godly; piety. (devotion or reverence to God)

Unity in sports

Sports have long held the ability to bring people across the globe from all over the world together since the Olympics were held in Greece. By providing people with an outlet where they can share experiences and accomplishments, in an environment where they are comfortable, is an effective means to forge unity among people even when they are from divergent groups originally.

As a participant players and coaches understand that you have to be able to communicate with teammates to reach your common goals. Even in individual sports, communication with a coach or caddy is vital to success. Communication is a key element in any relationship where unity is important.

When you have unity in a team or group setting you have trust. Teammates have to trust each others ability to do their jobs effectively so the team succeeds. A team divided--or without trust in each other--will rarely defeat a team united even though they may appear to have more talent overall. We see teams with one or two superstars who don't seem to mesh or play well together and we don't understand why they don't win more games. We blame "bad chemistry" or say they just don't seem to mesh well together. It really comes down to the fact that the stars either don't trust each other or their teammates enough to win. Good communication breeds trust and trust breeds unity and unity breeds success. This is when we see that elusive "good chemistry" that coaches are looking to see in their team.

We see the power that world wide events like the Olympics have to bring people together and sometimes tear them apart. The same elements that lead to success on the field or in the locker room lead to success at higher levels where unity would be even more important. Call me a hopeless romantic but I believe that when people practice good sportsmanship and have a good time on the playing field or court, they tend to be more likely to develop better understanding and mutual acceptance off the field.

Most of us know from experience that a unified team is more enjoyable to play for than team divided. And we know intuitively which one is more likely to succeed. In addition, if you remove unity, you remove a lot of the enjoyment from participating on a team.

UNITY - How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! - Psalm 133:1

Free at last, free at last.....

They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity — for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. - 2 Peter 2:19

In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? - Psalm 118:5-6

FREEDOM - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. - Galatians 5:1

From Brokenness comes Breakthrough

BROKENNESS - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Healing

HEALING - ‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. - Jeremiah 33:6

The virtue of humility in athletics

One of the human virtues that people seem to struggle the most to define and develop in themselves and those they lead is humility. In a sense in sports it is a real dichotomy. Athletes have to be strong mentally and project great self-confidence outwardly, yet be humble on the inside. It's easy to say that you are humble and have humility, but hard to get a real handle on because they are opposing forces.

Many athletes, when they begin to have success and reach the higher levels of their craft, develop an attitude that screams "it's hard to be humble when you are this good". Personal vanity gets the better of them. True humility allows your actions and your successes to speak loud enough about the type of person you are. But many athletes feel that is not enough and they have to enhance things with public displays of false pride.

The great author C.S. Lewis framed this virtue when he said, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." Framing it in this light, humility is the absence of personal vanity. Being humble in spirit and confident in the knowledge that you are not only doing well, but you are doing right.

HUMILITY - Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble." - 1 Peter 5:5

The Athlete's Prayer

The article below from Athletic Insights illustrates the value of prayer to athletes.

The athlete gains great courage, confidence and perspective to perform optimally. The article does a much better job than I could ever do at examining the reasons why that is the case.

Athletic Insights: Prayer in Sports
http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol7Iss4/PrayerinSports.htm

The use of religious rituals in sport, especially Christian prayer, is one area of research that has begun to receive particular attention and will be the focus of this paper. A number of investigations have shown that the use of prayer by athletes before, during and after competition to be a common and valuable practice for enhancing performance and overall well-being (Czech & Burke, in press; Czech, Wrisberg, Fisher, Thompson, & Hayes, 2004; Park, 2000; Vernacchia, McGuire, Reardon, & Templin, 2000). This article will provide a brief review of existing literature on the use of prayer in sport, and will provide recommendations for sport psychology consultancy work and future directions for research and scholarship.

Coakley (2003) has suggested six possible reasons athletes utilize religious prayer: prayer as a coping mechanism for uncertain stressful situations; to help live a morally sound life; to sanctify athletes' commitment to sport; to put sport into perspective; to establish a strong bond of attachment between teammates; and to maintain social control. The use of religious prayer to alleviate anxiety and stress in uncertain situations is prevalent among athletes, and is consequently an important topic for sport psychology research. Previous studies have identified the often traumatic and stressful impact of career-ending injuries (e.g., Udry, Gould, Bridges, & Beck, 1997), athletic retirement (e.g., Kerr & Dacyshyn, 2001) and career transitions, such as moving teams and changing participation level (Nesti, 2004). When athletes are confronted with this type of adversity and suffering, it is highly likely that athletes will ask existential and spiritual questions (Watson & Nesti, in press). It is argued that for Christian athletes, prayer will be an important source of strength and means of coping with anxiety. However, to date, there are only two studies that have explicitly examined the role of Christian prayer in sport psychology consulting (Czech et al., 2004; Czech & Burke, in press).

Athletes may utilize prayer and other religious observances to help provide special meaning to sports participation (Coakley, 2003; Shafranske, 1996). A study by Storch et al. (2001) explored the religiosity of 248 elite college athletes. Participants were administered the Duke Religion Index to assess organizational, non-organizational, and intrinsic dimensions of religion. One finding was that athletes’ attendance at Church (which would include corporate and individual prayer) provided an opportunity to reflect on earlier accomplishments and future plans and thus to attach religious meaning to their sports participation. These results are supported by the study of Vernacchia et al. (2000) who found that “. . . an athlete’s spiritual and religious beliefs [including the use of prayer] seemed to promote a deeper meaning to their athletic successes, failures, struggles, and disappointments” (p. 22). Similarly, Balague (1999), drawing on her consultancy work with elite rhythmic gymnasts and track and field athletes, suggests that personal meaning derived from religious beliefs of the athlete is closely linked to motivation. She concludes that if sport psychology interventions do not account for athletes’ religious worldviews “. . . the likely outcome is not only that the intervention will not work, but that we lose the trust of the athletes by showing we do not understand something that is at the core of their identities and values” (p. 92). Many of the religious athletes identified in these studies frequently joined religious organizations such as Athletes in Action (AIA), which provides spiritual support for Christian athletes (e.g., Vernacchia et al., 2000).

Another possible reason athletes partake in prayer and religious observances is to put their sporting lives into perspective. Hoffman (1992) states that one way athletes can justify the self-focused, self-indulgent way of thinking that is so pervasive in competitive sports, is to define sports participation as an act of worship and an avenue of giving witness. This is supported by the research of Czech et al. (2004) who found that Christian athletes often use prayer in sport to “give glory to God” (p. 10). For example, one participant used the biblical verse Colossians 3:23: “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, but for the Lord, not for man”, as his motivation for sports participation. It is then apparent that when working with religious athletes, sport psychology consultants need to consider a number of important factors that may determine intervention design and approaches to counseling.

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ATHLETE'S PRAYER

Help me to play the game, dear Lord, with all my might and main;
Grant me the courage born of right, a heart to stand the strain…

Send me a sense of humor, Lord, to laugh when victory’s mine;
To laugh, if I should meet defeat, without a fret or whine…

Give me the grace to follow rules, to ‘fess up when I’m wrong,
When silence or some other thing wins plaudits from the throng…

When foes are tough and fighting fierce and I am getting weak,
Dear God, don’t ever let me show a broad, bright, yellow streak.

And teach me, Lord, life’s game to play just one day at a time.
With Thee as coach and trainer, Lord, real victory must be mine.

---

PRAYER - Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. - James 5:16

Go for it!!!

Sports fans love to see boldness in the athletes and teams they root for. In golf, the enormous popularity of Arnold Palmer in the past and Phil Mickelson today is rooted in their boldness, their desire to "go for it" when the game is on the line and the stakes are the highest.

Arnold Palmer quoted in recent Wall Street Journal article:

"The style you are referring to, I know what you mean and I know what it meant to me, but I'm not sure how to explain it without coming across as cocky. If I said just one thing about it, I'd say I played that way because I was afraid of losing. I was playing to win."

Fans admire the play to win approach rather than the "play not to lose" approach that seems to be favored by many coaches.

You cannot get a football crowd or a team much more excited than when a coach cuts against the grain and has his team "go fir it" on fourth down at a key point in a game. The momentum and confidence a team gains by the effort and confidence the coach displays in his team can change the outcome of a game in one play.

In golf, when a players doesn't "lay up" or play it safe and takes a shot at winning when winning presents itself is very exciting for the crowd. In baseball, a go for broke steal of home or a well-timed suicide squeeze play can shift momentum and generate excitement in the fans.

It is interesting to see Palmer say his approach was based on a fear of losing rather than an inherent boldness in his mind. Seems almost counter-intuitive.

Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition - in having put forth the best within you. - Henry J. Kaiser

BOLDNESS - After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. - Acts 4:31

Wisdom that comes from sports

What, if any, kind of wisdom can be gained from participating in or being a fan of a sports team. Are sports really the toy department of the daily news cycle with no real value-added for the experience of viewing or participating? Why do we even watch sports? Is it for the diversion? A male version of the soap opera or reality show?

I'm hopeful there is at times, a somewhat larger purpose. The famous political columnist George Will, author of "Men at Work" --one of the best books about the game of baseball ever written--say that "Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence".

Like the movies and the theater they may, at their worst, only provide diversion but at their best they have much wisdom to offer if we are willing to watch and listen with discernment. We see real life examples of values like character and discipline serve our favorite athletes, coaches and teams. They allow them to rise to the highest levels of their game. Rare is the team or athlete who succeeds without these two values residing at their core.

John Wooden used to say about discipline, "Discipline yourself and others won't need to". What parent or child would not benefit from having that simple philosophy at the core of their beliefs?

Regarding character, Wooden would say, "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are".

These examples of solid wisdom--rooted in successful life experience--provide a template for us to follow, whether we want to lead a successful company, sports team or family.

WISDOM - But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. - James 3:17

Faithfulness

Simply put, faithfulness is being one who is trusted in both word and deed. It is a quality appreciated in players, coaches, colleagues and friends. It is a quality that is appreciated when demonstrated because we live in a culture that increasingly glorifies faithless actions.

You should be so well known for your reputation of integrity that to others, your word is your bond. In the past, there was little need for legal contracts which with their increasing prevalence has only brought on more distrust and more deceitful behavior.

It may seem old school, but business deals used to be done on a handshake. Today, our word has been rendered meaningless and we increasingly do not value integrity.

Faithfulness includes telling the truth in all your dealings. Lying is simply a violation of trust. And trust is like a fine crystal, once it is broken it is impossible to put back together.


From cg.org: Fruit of the Spirit - Faithfulness
http://cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PERSONAL/k/244/Fruit-of-Spirit-Faithfulness.htm

The dictionary then compares "faithful" with its synonyms:

Faithful implies steadfast adherence to a person or thing to which one is bound as by an oath or obligation; loyal implies undeviating allegiance to a person, cause, institution, etc. which one feels morally bound to support or defend; constant suggests freedom from fickleness in affections or loyalties; staunch implies such a strong allegiance to one's principles or purposes as not to be turned aside by any cause; resolute stresses unwavering determination, often in adhering to one's personal ends or aims.

Other synonyms include dedicated, steadfast, devoted, dependable, accurate, true, conscientious, dutiful, careful, scrupulous and thorough.

This world always appeals to moral and ethical standards lower than those of the great God and His way of life. In Technicolor with emotion-stirring music, Hollywood "sells" adultery and fornication as acceptable as long as the couple involved are attractive and somehow oppressed—thus "deserving" of a "better" relationship.

War, murder, lying, stealing, coveting, Sabbath-breaking and idolatry are acts that almost everyone in the world would claim as being wrong, yet most unwittingly commit them to some degree and promote them in our culture. They justify their sin because everybody else is doing it, and they see no good reason why they should not just go along. If they try to swim against the tide, they think they will be taken advantage of.

Not too long ago, a person's word was his bond, and mere handshakes sealed major business agreements. Tales of Abraham Lincoln's honesty over pennies are an almost legendary part of our nation's history. Historians say that faithfulness was such a hallmark of the Roman Republic that not one divorce occurred in its first seven hundred years! But in the last fifty years this nation has seen a calamitous, family-destroying rise in the divorce rate that threatens the very stability of society.

Faithlessness is playing a major role in this destruction. People are without natural affection and traitors to their marital contract. Child abuse is becoming ever more prevalent. Athletes seem to break contracts almost at will. Manufacturers lie about the quality of their products, and workers fudge in the quality of their work.

Faithlessness is rising to its peak because self-centeredness, the father of irresponsibility, is being promoted to its utmost. It is the spirit of this age, but we have cause to resist it by what God has offered us in His revelation. God-centeredness in our lives is the answer to faithlessness and irresponsibility. But God-centeredness is not cheap, and few are willing to pay the price: their lives!

My eyes favor the faithful of the land so that they may sit down with me. The one who follows the way of integrity may serve me. - Psalm 101:6

FAITHFULNESS - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

Do nice guys finish last?

Does valuing kindness mean you are destined to be a loser in life?
Does the term "nice guys finish last" have any real-life validity?
How about "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" (i.e. acting selfishly or in a self-centered manner)

Recent research by Cal Berkeley psychologists led by Dacher Kelnter suggests otherwise.

http://thesituationist.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/the-situation-of-kindness/

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show we are evolving to become more compassionate and collaborative in our quest to survive and thrive.

In contrast to “every man for himself” interpretations of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychologist and author of “Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life,” and his fellow social scientists are building the case that humans are successful as a species precisely because of our nurturing, altruistic and compassionate traits.

They call it “survival of the kindest.”

“Because of our very vulnerable offspring, the fundamental task for human survival and gene replication is to take care of others,” said Keltner, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. “Human beings have survived as a species because we have evolved the capacities to care for those in need and to cooperate. As Darwin long ago surmised, sympathy is our strongest instinct.”

According to Keltner, this turns the table on the "every man for himself" belief of the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection. He makes the case that humans thrive as a species because of our tendency toward kindness, compassion and altruism.

Cal Berkley colleague Robb Willer posits that the more generous you are, the more respect you get. It makes "survival of the fittest" seem like it may have some explaining to do.

While studies show that bonding and making social connections can make for a healthier, more meaningful life, the larger question some UC Berkeley researchers are asking is, “How do these traits ensure our survival and raise our status among our peers?”

One answer, according to UC Berkeley social psychologist and sociologist Robb Willer is that the more generous we are, the more respect and influence we wield. In one recent study, Willer and his team gave participants each a modest amount of cash and directed them to play games of varying complexity that would benefit the “public good.” The results, published in the journal American Sociological Review, showed that participants who acted more generously received more gifts, respect and cooperation from their peers and wielded more influence over them.

“The findings suggest that anyone who acts only in his or her narrow self-interest will be shunned, disrespected, even hated,” Willer said. “But those who behave generously with others are held in high esteem by their peers and thus rise in status.”

“Given how much is to be gained through generosity, social scientists increasingly wonder less why people are ever generous and more why they are ever selfish,” he added.

But wait there's more:

As a result of his work, Willer concludes further that people tend to behave more generously when they themselves had been the recipient of acts of kindness, i.e. altruism can be contagious and spread virally. People tend to "pay forward" favors received from others in the past. He refers to it as "generalized reciprocity" which is really so like a Cal-Berkley professor now isn't it?

Willer's research work centers around resolving how social order is possible among individuals who are tempted to behave selfishly within the society, the so-called "free-rider" problem. Willer believes this is overcome by the enhanced social status achieved by those who contribute to the public good overall, i.e. those who are not self-centered.

Sounds like values you hear promoted in church every Sunday, but if it's confirmed by Cal-Berkeley professors then it must be great practice, right?

While we're confirming some long tried and true maxims, let's explode one or too while we're at it. Along with "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" one of the most oft-repeated sports cliches is "nice guys finish last". But is this true?

According wikipedia, Leo Durocher may not have even uttered the immortal line that has led some to justify borderline behavior in sports in the name of winning. How many athletes over the years have justified boorish on-field behavior by using the "nice guys finish last" logic? How many old school athletes and players nodded their heads and used this logic as justification to push the envelope of bad sportsmanship further and further?

And it turns out he may never have even said the words.

According to wikipedia:

In a July 6, 1946 interview with Red Barber, Durocher had been commenting on the common belief at the time that if a team's players got along well, they would naturally play better than teams with difficult or irascible players; noting some of the players on the Giants who had reputations as personable individuals, notably Mel Ott, he observed that they were all "nice guys", but would nonetheless finish last (while his Dodgers were in first place), summing up his argument with, "Nice guys; finish last." Durocher later noted that the remark was quoted accurately in the published interview, but came to take on a different meaning when some incorrectly thought he meant that such a team would finish last because it included "nice guys", when in fact he had meant that there was no correlation (and in fact, saw it more as an ironic situation) between the personalities on a team and their level of play. (See 1966 Chicago Cubs, below.) Thus the quote "Nice guys finish last" has long been attributed to Durocher, including an entry in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. Many historians assert, however, that the famous four words never were actually uttered by Durocher; the quotation as it is remembered actually came from headline writers distilling Durocher's quote that "The nice guys are all over there, in seventh place, not in this dugout" into a pithy soundbite.[1]

The quote actually has become an accepted truism to explain away boorish behavior and bad decision making in the young adult dating realm, but hey this is a sports blog and I don't want to stray too far off the reservation. But seriously, how many guys lament losing a relationship due to being "too nice" or "too kind" with the words "nice guys finish last" instead of "patience is a virtue"? Probably like, all of them?

By the way, I'm pretty sure that Lombardi distanced himself from the "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" quote. But we see the damage that's been done by it's repeating by a generation of coaches enamored with the results of the NFL legend.

Anyway, me finding wisdom and something I can embrace emanating from Cal-Berkeley, long standing sports myths exploded before my eyes--it's been a long day. Enjoy.


<"( );::::::;~ C'mon B, the fireplace awaits. --------

KINDNESS - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 3:32

Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you. - Isaiah 54:10

Giants lose more than they gain in Rule 5 Draft

Ben Snyder got plucked out of the organization by the Rangers early in the major league phase. He's a solid prospect who should give them support in middle innings relief or possibly as a set up man down the road. He's a big, physical lefty who seemed to take to a relief role last season.

The organizations recent plethora of left handed pitching prospects left Snyder on the outside looking in.

Brian Horwitz, a fringe prospect as an outfielder, was selected by the Indians.

The Giants selected RHP Steven Johnson and LHP Jake Stevens from the Orioles. If the Orioles were that deep in pitching they would have finished with a better record.

Net loss to the organization. They have to find out what some of these guys can do earlier to keep from losing them in the future. Especially the LHP's, you can't hide them and if you don't give them a chance, another organization certainly will.

Righteouness and self-righteouness

Righteousness is simply adhering to a set of moral principles; a moral compass. It begins when you have your sins forgiven, but that is just the first step. If you don't take positive, proactive steps to follow God's law rather than man's law, you cannot be considered righteous.

Self-righteousness is a more difficult problem to deal with because it it is a form of self-deception. It is a problem of attitude instead if action. It's not so much what you do as what you believe. You develop a false opinion of yourself. When we judge others to be not worthy of our lofty standards of behavior or correct, judge or complain about others, these are signs of self-righteousness.

It's becomes all about the "me" in "me". Using oneself as an example of model behavior is a form of self-centeredness. We see it in those who purport to follow the letter of the law with great pride and boastfulness but do not have the wisdom to apply the law properly or in its spirit.

True righteousness requires obedience but it also requires submission. If your obedience is based on standards of human nature you are bound to fall into the path of self-centeredness and self-righteousness. In faith--the hope for things which are not seen but are true--you will walk the path of true righteousness.

Gamesmanship, bad sportsmanship and cheating spring from a self-centered, self-righteous standard or moral code. Time to see the light.

"There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins" - Ecclesiastes 7:20

If there is one thing we've learned from the headlines of the past couple of years in sports it is that athletes may be worthy of admiration--at times great admiration-- but not idolatry. And they are poor choices to be role models.

Sportswriters write about people they tend to admire. They gush on and on about the exploits of their chosen ones and try to convince us why they are a superior breed.
They convince us that these guys are worthy of idolatry on the way up. But human nature causes the "chosen ones" to eventually to succumb to human frailties and have to be torn down, ironically by the same pack of wolves that built them up. And then the search goes on for a new chosen one. The cycle perpetuates itself. Fans are left on a constant roller coaster of emotions.

RIGHTEOUSNESS - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. - Matthew 5:6

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." - Luke 18-14

Fellowship and camaraderie in sports

When an esteemed athlete retires from the game, one of the aspects of the game they end up missing the most is the camaraderie that was shared with teammates. The sense of belonging and security that is part of the fellowship teammates share is the essence of being part of something larger and more important than oneself--being part of a team.

In the more competitive environments however, we see forces opposing each other that by their nature pull against the spirit of camaraderie, sportsmanship and fellowship.

Win-Loss records and individual statistics inherently conspire to pollute an environment of cooperation between individuals within a team as well as opposing teams. Playing time is determined by production. Advancement is determined by wins and losses.

Some coaches even feel as if their players are "soft" if they lend a hand to life a fallen competitor during a game. When I officiate basketball games, we emphasize to the coaches and captains that good sportsmanship is an expectation knowing that once the ball goes up, many times competition rules the day over cooperation and camaraderie. In youth sports, especially in the travel team level, this can lead to a "win or quit" choice for players if the emphasis on competition is too high.

It almost seems at times as if we are sending a mixed message when we expect players to simultaneously "pull together as a team" at the same time we expect them to "tear the opponent apart".

It is a delicate balancing act and in some respects we should not be surprised when players and coaches occasionally fail to find the proper mix. When we do pre-game meetings with teams and captains and review the emphasis on sportsmanship, I occasionally mention to the players that I understand that the game is important and that although their uniforms are different, they are all basketball players. If they were on the same team, they would likely be the best of friends. Hopefully, before the fur flies, they get a spirit of the Golden Rule inside them. They can still play hard, but not cross that line between fair play and overly aggressive or dirty play.
Coaches, players and fans should be more satisfied if their participation results not in producing winning records, but producing winning athletes.

There is a difference.
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FELLOWSHIP - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin - 1 John 1:7

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. - Philippians 2:1-4

Patience is a virtue

If there is one quality or character trait that would change the climate in sports it would have to be patience. Patience described by one well-respected author as "that calm and unruffled temper with which the good man bears the evils of life, whether they proceed from persons or things."

Granted, we live in a microwave, point and click society. We want things immediately in many areas of our lives. News, information, products and services. We live our lives looking for instant gratification and when things don't go our way we become angry and frustrated.

If people truly were more patient in the sports arena it would lead immediately to the following positive climate changes:

Improved decorum and sportsmanship at games and increased level of respect amongst players, coaches, fans and officials. Think about it; most of the issues arise from an increased emphasis on winning and achievement pushed down from the professional level to the youth sports level. Parents feel that either they or their children are doing something wrong if they have not produced the next Tiger Woods by two years old or if they have not attained some "McDonald's All-American" type status before puberty.

Some of these national publications that rank athletes prowess on a national basis before they've graduated middle school are ludicrous, as is anybody who puts any stock in them.

Specialization, burnout and overuse injuries would be less problematic as parents and young athletes realize they don't have to peak by the time they are twelve years old. There is a virtual lifetime of participation in most sports after twelve.

Team morale and inter-squad political issues would be reduced making life easier on coaches if kids realize they don't have to be a starter as a freshman in high school or their future in the sports is crushed.

Patience is a major building block in building faith and confidence in an athlete. If the basic ingredient is lacking or has not been developed fully, the athlete may not have deep, total confidence in their abilities. They do not truly trust their skills and abilities. The patient athlete ends up being a more valuable teammate in the long run.

What we see happen many time is the development of a feeling of entitlement among parents and players that prevents them from seeing the process they have embarked on from a long-term standpoint. This short-term thinking results in a tunnel-vision view of the environment around them and they take team situations far too personally.

We see a lot of athletes who are very talented who do not harness their abilities until the "slow the game down" and "allow the game to come to them". In effect, what we are describing to them is to develop PATIENCE.

In baseball, we like to see hitters demonstrate patience and allow the pitcher to come to them. It takes young hitters some experience to learn what that means. The same is true with the development of QB's and RB's as they progress from one level of competition to the next. Point guards in basketball are often better when they grow in patience and don't force the action.

Many athletes have the requisite talent. They have the tools in the tool box in terms of athletic gifts. They players who take care in the formative years to learn the discipline of patience tend to take learn how to use their tools to the fullest extent.

PATIENCE - But endurance must do its complete work, so that we may be mature and complete, lacking nothing - James 1:4

What's love got to do with it?

Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we.’ - Phil Jackson

The Zen Master brings up a couple of virtues that are important for any team to move to a higher level. These elements are important for any cooperative unit to operate successfully.

Trust
Self-Sacrifice
Mutual Respect
Sharing
Communication

It is interesting that these virtues that a team needs to have in order to thrive are also necessary ingredients in the ultimate team environment: marriage. We tend to think that "love" conquers all, and that if you have that you can carry the day and succeed in a relationship. But many a marriage fails and on the courthouse steps one or both parties is forced to admit that "I love him/her, I just can't live with him/her". In almost all cases, one or more of the virtues listed above is seriously deficient within the relationship.

In team sports environments, we blame the lack of "chemistry". OK, I buy the elusive chase for chemistry. But we never hear what the definition of chemistry is. I submit that is the same combination of those five elements listed above that bind ANY successful relationship together. And when a team is able to cultivate these elements, they will find that they just love playing together as a unit. Success generally follows.

I always hear fans and pundits say that "chemistry" and it's link to success is a "chicken or the egg" argument. They imply that teams just pay lip service to chemistry after finding success and that there is no linkage. Without going all Dr. Phil on everyone, if coaches don't carefully monitor their teams attention and adherence to these virtues--success or chemistry will rarely follow.

LOVE - May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Protection of athletes in youth sports

One of the leading concerns for those who participate or administrate youth sports programs is the issue of safety and injury prevention.It should always be priority one.

Recently, the NFL took steps to beef up its protection of players from themselves by mandating that "outside" medical experts clear athletes who have suffered concussion symptoms during games.

The Steelers were the first team to suffer when they lost QB Ben Roethlisberger. The ensuing comments from WR Hines Ward--intimating that perhaps Ben should have been able to play in spite of his lingering concussion symptoms--illustrates the problem that will trickle down to the lower levels of play. The "warrior mentality" that players should play regardless of whether or not they are "dinged" up a little bit. Players lie about concussion symptoms in order to continue to play. They learn the "correct" answers to the questions that will keep them on the field. The lower the level of play, the greater the chance there will not be qualified medical personnel on hand to evaluate the injured players. Experts say the injury risks are greater for adolescent athletes due to the fact that their brains are still developing. Given some of the recent data regarding early dementia and brain trauma injuries from retired NFL players, the risks are too great to take any chances.

Nationwide, 58 percent of high schools do not have a certified athletic trainer available for players, according to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Many sideline physicians have little experience in the subtleties of concussion management.

Some guidelines from the website saferchild.org are posted below regarding concussions, but education is needed to break down the so-called "warrior mentality" and protect these players not only from the inherent injury risks involved from participation in high school sports, but from themselves as well. The cultural values and traditions from the professional level should never be the same as those employed by younger athletes. There are significantly different risks and rewards.

http://www.saferchild.org/general3.htm

A study published in the February issue of Journal of Neurosurgery suggests that high school athletes who suffer mild concussions might still be suffering the effects even if symptoms have abated. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Sports Medicine Concussion Program, said that athletes can continue to have memory problems and neurological difficulties for as long as a week after injury. Current guidelines are for injured athletes to go back into play if symptoms are gone within 15 minutes. The researchers say their study indicates that if a child is suspected of suffering a concussion, the child should be removed from the game, and then properly evaluated by a medical professional before being allowed to play again. "When in doubt,: an investigator said, "send them out."

PROTECTION - For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways; - Psalm 91:11

The struggle to find joy in sports

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:29-31

How would a sports fan or athlete describe the joy that is experienced from participation in sports? Why does it seemingly have this magnificent hold on some of us that touches us to the deepest part of our soul? How would you explain the inexplicable hold that sports has on you to someone who has not experienced it or doesn't currently share it?

American philosopher and theologian Michael Novak, in his book titled The Joy of Sports describes the dilemma when he writes, "He who has not drunk deep of the virtues of football has missed one of the closest brushes with transcendence that humans are allowed."

He adds that participation in sports provides "a foretaste of the eschaton" or a glimpse at or awareness of Judgement Day.

Further, Novak notes, "when human beings actually accomplish victory in sports, it is for me as if the intentions of the Creator were suddenly limpid before our eyes; as though into the fiery heart of the Creator we had momentary insight."

Those are some pretty powerful statements and some powerful imagery. I'm not sure I would put it to my wife in quite these terms but Novak also describes those who don't appreciate sports as a "danger to civilization" and that he has never met a person who disliked sports who did not seem to be "deficient in humanity." On second thought, I probably have made similar comments in the past.

As a nation we are obsessed with our sports and games. We move from the college football bowl games to the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the World Series, the Masters, the World Cup, the Stanley Cup and on and on. However at times, it seems as if our obsession with glorifying teams and athletes can lead to less joy and appreciation for the games themselves. So how do we strike a balance?

The emphasis we place on the games themselves has been evolving since the Greeks organized the Olympic Games 3,500 years ago. The Greeks placed an emphasis on appreciation of athletic skill. The spirit of competition was emphasized--winning and losing were secondary considerations. Later, when the Romans became the preeminent world power, the emphasis changed to the entertainment of the spectators.

Today, we continue to struggle with the same tug of war on the emphasis of sports in our lives. Is there a middle ground that can be found between the cynical view of sports and the more optimistic outlook? Is sports simply a matter of adults engaging in childish games with little or no redeeming social value?

Again, historically we have seem to have settled on a middle ground between two fundamentally divergent philosophies about the role of sports in our lives.

The author Arthur Holmes wrote in Contours of a World View that "play is all-pervasive. It does not lie just on the fringes of life, as if games were spare parts we don't really need in the main business of the day."

Some argue that through play we learn more about ourselves and others, develop life skills such as self-discipline and develop a communal sense with other participants from different backgrounds.

Holmes illustrates the other side of the coin by contrasting it with Nietzsche's view that reduces all life and thought to masks in a play "taking nothing seriously except the will to power--in effect the will to win--that all of life is a biologically driven power play." Holmes links Nietsche's "will to power" with the "will to win at all costs" that we see infecting the current climate in sports today.

This leads to many of the negative values pervading the sports climate. Obsessing over sports leads to a breakdown of enjoyment of the sport or activity (burnout) as an athlete or a sports fan. Obsessing over the exploits of the icon du jour or even our own personal training or goals becomes a form of false idolatry when this morphs into a chase for confirmation of self worth. This is a valuation of self that is at best fleeting.

So where is the hope? The middle ground where the joy of sports can be achieved on a lasting basis? To me it is personified in the Isaiah verse 40:29-31 I highlighted above. It is really the link between our mortal quest for human perfection and our more spiritual quest for same. Our search for our inner athlete. It's a daily struggle we all face--we all fail at times--but we find the strength to get back up and struggle again, each time soaring higher and higher...on wings like eagles. What an inherently joyous, optimistic and triumphant outlook is embodied in this verse.

In the movie Chariots of Fire , based on the story of a true sports/life hero Eric Liddell, the protagonist struggles with fulfilling his mission work in China with the achievement of his athletic goals. He reconciled his struggle between the optimistic and cynical view of sports participation with the following line:

"I believe that God made me for a purpose - for China. But He also made me fast and when I run, I feel His pleasure.To give it up would be to hold him in contempt...To win is to honor Him"

Liddell later distinguished himself heroically with his mission work in China. (details below)

It is on these pillars that a strong base can be built for healthy participation in sports and a fulfilling, spiritually-based life.

Play should be an attitude that can transfer into other areas of your life. Much as you do during play or participation in sports--have fun and be a joyous participant in life. Make your work into a joyous, playful, competitive playground.

JOY - then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. - Philippians 2:2

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Eric Liddell's post sports impact (from Wikipedia):

During the summer of 1924, the Olympics were hosted by the city of Paris. Liddell was a committed Christian and refused to run on Sunday (the Christian Sabbath), with the consequence that he was forced to withdraw from the 100 metres race, his best event.

Liddell spent the intervening months training for the 400 metres, an event in which he had previously excelled. Even so, his success in the 400m was largely unexpected.

The day of 400 metres race came, and as Liddell went to the starting blocks, an American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell's hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30, "Those who honour me I will honour." Liddell ran with that piece of paper in his hand. He not only won the race, but broke the existing world record with a time of 47.6 seconds.

In 1943, Liddell was interned at the Weihsien (now known as Weifang) Internment Camp with the members of the China Inland Mission Chefoo (now known as Yantai) School. Liddell became a leader at the camp and helped get it organized.

Food, medicines, and other supplies ran short at the camp. There were many cliques in the camp and when some rich businessmen managed to smuggle in some eggs to the camp, Liddell shamed them into sharing them with the rest of the camp.

Fellow missionaries were forming cliques, moralising, and acting selfishly. Eric kept himself busy by helping the elderly, teaching at the camp school Bible classes, arranging games and also by teaching the children science.

It was recently revealed by the Chinese authorities that Liddell had given up an opportunity to leave the camp and instead gave his place to a pregnant woman.

Apparently, the Japanese did a deal with the British, with Churchill's approval, for prisoner exchange. Therefore, because Eric was a famous athlete he was one of the chosen as part of the prisoner exchange. However, he gave his place to another.

This information was released near the time of the Beijing Olympics by the Chinese government and apparently news of this great act of sacrifice came as a surprise even to his family members.

Fifty-six years after the 1924 Paris Olympics, Scotsman Allan Wells won the 100 metre sprint at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. When asked after the victory if he had run the race for Harold Abrahams, the last 100 metre Olympic winner from Britain (in 1924), Wells replied, "No, this one was for Eric Liddell."

Eric Liddell was voted in The Scotsman newspaper in an 8 August 2008 poll as the most popular athlete Scotland has ever produced

In 1991, a memorial headstone, made from Isle of Mull granite was unveiled at the former camp site in Weifang, erected by Edinburgh University. A few simple words taken from the Book of Isaiah 40:31, formed the inscription: "They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary." The city of Weifang, as part of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the internment camp, commemorated the life of Liddell by laying a wreath at the memorial headstone marking his grave in 2005.

AWESOME STORY!!

The Blessing of Sports in our lives

THE POPE BLESSING THE VIRTUES OF SPORTS - THANKS POPE.

"The correct practice of sport must be accompanied by practicing the virtues of temperance and sacrifice; frequently it also requires a good team spirit, respectful attitudes, the appreciation of the qualities of others, honesty in the game and humility to recognize one's own limitations. In short, sports, especially in less competitive forms, foster festive celebration and friendly coexistence. While playing sports, Christians also find help in developing the cardinal virtues—fortitude, temperance, prudence and justice."

Pope John Paul II

25th World Day of Tourism
"Sports and Culture:Two Vital Forces for
Mutual Understanding, Culture and Development among Countries."
September 27, 2004

Even Popes recognize the virtues of sports in our lives and the values they can promote to make us into better citizens of the world and better people. That's cool.

I am thankful for the blessings that some of my favorite athletes and coaches provide to us all.

Baseball:
Albert Pujols
Mariano Rivera
Matt Holliday
John Smoltz
Jamie Moyer
Lance Berkman
Orel Herschiser

Coaching:
John Wooden
Tony Dungy
Bobby Bowden
Turner Gill

Football:
Tim Tebow
Kurt Warner

I will be watching to see if the Giants make a bid for Matt Holliday. A solid bat, great clubhouse presence and a great role model.

Obviously, it doesn't get much better than Albert Pujols, who is going to have a stranglehold on NL MVP for years to come.

While I'm happy to see Turner Gill get a long overdue shot on a big time stage at Kansas, it is offset a bit by the way Florida State allowed Bobby Bowden to end his career at Florida State. Bowden put that school on the college football landscape. Shame on FSU for not allowing him to go out on his own terms.

As for Tim Tebow, I would take him on the Giants no questions asked. Where they will be drafting, I'm not sure if you get much more value out of another position and Eli can't play every down...like Peyton Manning does....dang maybe he can. Hopefully, he gets the chance to compete somewhere as a QB, that boy can get some things done and win some games for you.

BLESSING - "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. - Genesis 12:2

Passion for Sports...for better or worse

PASSION FOR SPORTS - POSITIVE??

One of the emotions that tends to unite people in sports is passion. It binds fans to players and teams. If you are a sports fan, and fan is a derivative of the word "fanatic", then you have crossed over into the realm of passion, likely more than once.

A fanatic is defined by Princeton University WordNet wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn as:

a person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause);

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject"--Winston Churchill

marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea; "rabid isolationist"

That doesn't sound like a positive definition, yet within sports we hold it as a positive emotion for our players to show--for our team to show. Without it we refer to players or teams collectively as having "no heart", "playing without a sense of urgency", or worse "quitters".

It is "just" a game of course, but we feel cheated as fans if our players don't care as much or show the same passion for the game that we do.

We see the same dichotomy in the definition of the word 'passion'.

Passion is defined by Princeton University WordNet wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn as:

a strong feeling or emotion

heat: the trait of being intensely emotional

rage: something that is desired intensely; "his rage for fame destroyed him"

mania: an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action, a feeling of strong sexual desire

love: any object of warm affection or devotion; "the theater was her first love"; "he has a passion for cock fighting";

the suffering of Jesus at the Crucifixion

Interesting how both words have strongly positive and negative connotations attached to them. And as we see many times there is a thin line between the positive and negative applications and it is easy to cross from one side to the other when strong emotions are involved.

We all need some inspiration in our lives and most men get their dose of inspiration from sports--for what it's worth. They feel a sense of community with fellow fans in the shared experiences and struggles of the season. As long as that's as far as it goes, it's basically a harmless diversion.

When we see teams or fans let their passions and emotions spill over into a Hatfield vs. McCoys or Crips vs. Bloods type confrontation--USC and UCLA did recently--we collectively shake our heads and wonder how we let ourselves get to the point where we act like that. How we can turn our positive emotion into a destructive, negative emotion.



PASSION FOR SPORTS - NEGATIVE??

It just goes to show that like the song says, 'it's a thin line, between love and hate'.

A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. - John Maxwell

We were born with baseball in our blood. It's more than just a sport. It's a passion. It's an opera. It's just a way of being. It's almost like breathing. - Omar Minaya

PASSION - My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. - Psalm 84:2

Purity in Sports

Almost daily we can find examples in out world where people act out of greed and self-interest. It seems as if morals and ethical behavior are always cast aside in favor of instant gratification and accumulation of personal wealth.

Although they may seem like romantic ideals, the sports continue to pull us back to the days of innocence, purity and the values of fair play that we shared on the sandlots when we were young. All sports fans want to see the games that helped shape them--the games the grew up playing in backyards and playgrounds across the country-- remain a bastion of goodness and purity. In a world that changes in the blink of an eye--and not always for the better--we have a need for an emotional security blanket, an escape or a release valve from the pressures of the day.



It remains an ideal we cling to that, in a world gone wild, purity is still remains alive somewhere in the world of sport. As individual athletes continue to fail us by the day, we cling to the games themselves as the one thing we can trust to remain the same.

We should not blame individual athletes for the sense that innocence is lost in the world of sports, anymore than we can blame an individual for the loss of same in the world at large. It's grains of sand in the desert, a part of life.

Sports provides an easy way for us to hit the rewind button when we are disappointed with the daily news cycle. We can still have that occasional escape back to a bygone era--seemingly more long ago and far away than ever before--and recapture the spirit and innocence when we feel it slipping away. The Game lives on.

PURITY - Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. - Psalm 51:10

Can excellence and character co-exist in sports?

One of the aspects of the "sports builds vs. reveals character" debate that does not get much analysis is the type of character traits coaches are interested in building and maintaining.

Coaches at higher or more competitive levels or situations--where winning is emphasized or expected--will tend to emphasize the character traits that are important to winning games such as self-discipline and perseverance.

Coaches at youth levels--where sportsmanship is an expectation--tend to emphasize character traits that make an athlete a better person and a better citizen such as integrity, respect, fairness and compassion.

We see this divergence as athletes and coaches move further up the ladder. Coaches and players spend more time and effort developing the physical, mental and emotional tools that are important to winning games--at the expense of the moral or relational character traits. A player who is great on the field, but a bad teammate is tolerated because we do allow this drift to happen.

We therefore shouldn't act surprised when this breakdown results in the stories that splash across the sports pages on a daily basis that fall in the class of "athletes behaving badly". Far too often, elite and professional athletes are developed into high-performance, athletic skill machines on the field with low-performance, character skills off the field.

We all feel somehow diminished and saddened when those who at one time were considered among the best of us in one area, end up demonstrating the worst human performance in other, more important areas of life. Somebody tell TW, Inc.

CHARACTER COUNTS.

EXCELLENCE - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24

Handicapping the Heisman

Early returns and projections are starting to flow in for the 75th Heisman Trophy to be awarded Saturday, December 12th.

Based on my observations, and admittedly I vote more with my heart than with my head here, I would vote:

1. Tim Tebow
2. Case Keenum
3. Colt McCoy
4. Toby Gerhart
5. Andy Dalton
6. Mark Ingram

Sam Bradford would have been in there of course if not for his shoulder injury. Tebow and McCoy statistically are similar and they are burdened by comparisons to their prior season of greatness. Tebow has more impact on his team as well as college football at large and may slip in with a "lifetime achievement" award sentiment. I would have no problem with that whatsoever. Keenum and Gerhart are hurt by lack of national exposure from the beginning of the season on. It's tough for a candidate to make a late-season, Cinderella like charge to the finish. No doubt it would have been a more interesting vote with Bradford in the mix, given that both he and Tebow would be vying for two-time winner status.

The numbers based on some other observers methodology. The stiff arm trophy site uses methodology featured in a Wall Street Journal - Numbers Guy article that we featured a couple of years back. They have a pretty good track record predicting the winner. But you never know until the announcement is made.
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According to scippsnews.com
http://www.scrippsnews.com/content/colt-mccoy-texas-grabs-lead-shns-heisman-poll

Heisman ballots are due on Monday with the 75th winner to be announced Saturday, Dec. 12, in New York City.

This week's poll, with statistics from last week.

Player, Position, School, Last Week, Points.

1. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas, 24-of-40, 304 yards passing, 4 TDs, 175 yards rushing, TD run. 43 (5).

2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, 17-of-21, 221 yards passing, 3 TDs, 90 yards rushing, 2 TD runs, 30 (3).

3. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford, 29 carries, 205 yards, 3 TD runs, threw 18-yard TD pass, 29 (2).

4. Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 25-of-31, 323 yards passing, 2 TDs, TD run, 15.

5. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama, 16 carries, 30 yards, 14.

Others receiving votes: Boise State QB Kellen Moore 6; Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh, 2; TCU QB Andy Dalton 2; TCU DE Jerry Hughes, 1; Missouri WR Danario Alexander 1.

(Scripps Howard News Service Heisman Trophy poll voters: Kirk Bohls, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Mike Griffith, The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel; Michael Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune; Bob Condotta, Seattle Times; John Lindsay, Scripps Howard News Service; Tom Luicci, The (Newark) Star-Ledger; John Rohde, The Oklahoman.)

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According to The StiffArmTrophy.com website
http://www.stiffarmtrophy.com/

Last updated: 12/2/2009, 11:02 p.m. Pacific. 10 ballots, 23 votes.

name first second third ballots points Projected Proj%
T Gerhart 1 0 3 4 6 1062 38.2%
C McCoy 3 2 1 6 14 710 25.6%
T Tebow 2 2 1 5 11 515 18.5%
N Suh 1 1 0 2 5 77 2.8%
D Alexander 0 0 1 1 1 37 1.3%
CJ Spiller 0 1 1 2 3 31 1.1%
M Ingram 0 0 2 2 2 30 1.1%
M Gilyard 0 0 1 1 1 29 1.0%
K Moore 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0%