Violating The Public Trust

A Few years ago, a member of the Baylor basketball team was murdered.  It really hit home with me, because I just didn't think anything worse in college sports could happen.  My youngest son played with Lawrence Roberts, John Lucas III and Kenny Taylor.  Plus, I knew most of the players parents.  To make matters worse, and more personal, I was recruited back in the dark ages by Coach Dave Bliss when he was an assistant at Army under Bob Knight, and my son was also being recruited by Coach Bliss.  I always thought he was a nice guy when I was a kid and later when he was recruiting my son.  I just thought that was about the lowest point in sports, a murder and a cover up.  I remember thinking more than once, "can you believe this is happening?"

Okay, lets role play.  I live in Pennsylvania.  It's somerwhere between 1990 and 2000 AD. We have this great university, Penn State, and an iconic coach, Joe Paterno, who "wins the right way."  I am football crazy and I have some kids who are also football crazy, and our team is Penn State...we bleed blue.  I am told about an overnight camp at Penn State hosted by the football coaches and featuring Coach Jerry Sandusky, the All American linebacker coach and guru.  Of course I'm going to send my kids there.  I trust these people.  They preach the American Way, they are the good guys.  Joe Paterno is a national icon and has been for many years.  He will even make an inspirational speech to the campers and they get to do drills in Happy Valley at the big stadium.  What could be better?

Actually, our worst sporting nightmare has occurred.  A predator of the sexual variety parlayed parents deepest trusts into a nightmare.  There is no telling how many children this man Sandusky violated...violated their innocence, their bodies and their souls.  These kids, these victims, not only had to live with this nightmare, but who knows how many children were violated?  The bad thing we may never know is that predators produce other predators, because they twist these young minds at an impressionable age.

If this isn't bad enough this sick pedophile was shielded by his cronies, Paterno, the AD, and the University Chancellor....shielded to protect the Paterno legend and a football program that ran the town and netted 50 million a year.  What a crock.  Where was the compassion.  I don't like to pass judgement, but where was just a small ounce of empathy for these poor kids...children like you and I have...children like you and I were...children of a common creator that we love more than anything, that have exuberance and a soul and unconditional love...and the blind eye of cronyism is turned, acting like these terrible acts never happened. 

(As an aside, I never bought into the Penn State bs as a kid.  My dad brainwashed me into being a Frank Kush fan at Arizona State.  We had a sanctuary for the African American athlete and some kick ass teams in the 60-70s period.  They had to start the Fiesta Bowl so we could play and beat these kind of teams.  Also as a recruited athlete and as a parent of 3 scholarship athletes, I know what recruiters from these schools say including the Penn States that think they "win the right way".  In the end its a big money biz.)

I tried not to follow this story when it was on the news.  It sickened me.  I really wish it was not true.  I know good people attend Penn State and this is not an indictment on those good folks, just the leaders of their football program.
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I don't want to end this on a downer.  Last night I happened to watch quite by accident, Lombardi, on HBO.   What a refreshing show.  Instead of the normal cliches you hear from a Lombardi film, this showed an imperfect man who strived for perfection.  It blew me away when he said they never got the "winning is the only thing" comment right.  He said it all came out wrong, that he meant if you gave 100%, whether you won or lost, that was all you could ask for in any endeavor.  He was so introspective that he thought the original comment was shallow and misinterpreted.

The black and white photography stood out.  Also, the total team work and humility was very cool.  There was no thumping on the chest that I am the man by the athletes, just a real love of each other.  What a motivator he was on the sidelines.  You have to watch this film. 

This film will make you cry for joy and in the end cry for a man who died way before his time.  Frank Gifford was crying telling of his last visit to his hospital bed when Lombardi said "it hurts so much" speaking of his intestinal cancer.  You could see his players loved him.  They were crying hard at his funeral. 

One part that I thought was great was when a visiting sportswriter came into town and went to mass.  Guess who the altar boy way...Coach Lombardi.  He would help with mass in the morning, beat you on the gridiron on Sunday, give a great interview and have you over to his house after the game for a cocktail party.  Sorry, but when I go to bed tonight I will remember Lombardi, an imperfect man like all of us, but a man who strived for greatness and achieved it while doing the right thing.

A Typical Sports Talk Show

Recently Jim Rome was cancelled in Houston so that we can get more sports news from our local sports jocks. While I'm not a huge Rome fan, I can say he is not a one trick pony like most of our local announcers. Now we have Texans 24/7 and there is only so much you can take. It's usually a cliche addled conversation that is the same day after day. In the end the best bet is to listen to some tunes because our local sports talk shows usually goes something like this:

"Hello out there in sports radio land in Houston and with us tonight we have me, Larry Warner and the Colonel, our own hometown newspaper pro football expert." (The colonel is blown up big from all the free buffets on the gridiron circuit and Larry just eats on air, you can hear him. The Colonel loves to fancy himself a movie expert and loves to drop names on a celebrity starved audience).

"Colonel, are the Texans going to draft for need or the best possible player?"

"Well, they generally draft for the best possible player...BUT, that reminds me in 81 when ole Bum just left the Oilers, they drafted for need when they could have had Padowski out of New Mexico School of Mines and Horseshoeing. Of course Padowski went on to a Hall of Fame career. And then of course last year they drafted for need and did well. But I contend best available."

"My man Colonel, its a little known fact that Wade Phillips, the real MVP of the Texans defense last year, has a method to his madness. You see, once he drafts the players, he invites them over for a game of lawn croquet at owner Bob McNairs mansion in River Oaks. Depending on the skill set he sees during that game, as well as a number of other things like composure...well, that's how he determines the scheme of the defense and where that player fits in."

"Larry, I was hopin you wouldn't let the cat out of the bag because these are cutting edge techniques. However, it's also a little known fact that Bob McNair plays in these games and when a ball hits his, he can whack it for miles with a stogie in his mouth and a blind fold on. This athleticism amazes these young whippersnappers. Why I remember when Soupy Sales had a Houston comedy tour and couldn't even hit our esteemed Texans owner in the face with a pie while he was blindfolded. That's why these croquet matches mean so much. Never underestimate the athleticism of croquet."

"Colonel, who are some of the prospects you see the Texans drafting in the 26 spot?"

"Well in my mock draft 8 point Zero, I am tabbing O'Houlihan out of Boston School of Oyster Shucking. He has all the intangibles and his pro day shined. He made up for a faulty combine with a dazzling display of talent. It's no wonder they call him the man with the disappearing hips."

"You know Colonel, O'Houlihan may only run a 5.7 forty, but all he does is get open. Despite the combine scores, you still have to be able to play the game. But what about the point shaving, and the loan sharking case against him. It looks like a tight case and Mr. McNair likes good character types?"

"Larry, that reminds me when I saw Brad Pitt once and I posed this question to him. And what he said was "What better way to learn the pitfalls of the game than to learn them young so the same mistakes do not get repeated. And, what better way to be prepared...there are some real organizational skills that come with loan sharking." But, I'm sure he's innocent. A nicer guy you've never met. Why just last week Tebow and him had a long discussion. And this week he's meeting with the Pope."

"Speaking of movies Colonel, what do you have for us?"

"Well Larry, I have the Sequel to the Three Stooges...It's called The 3 Stooges Eat a Watermelon and it's great fun for the whole family...In fact I have a bit part!"

"What is the part?"

"I play the part of a giant Watermelon, seeds and all. It is exciting what Hollywood is able to do with special effects and makeup!"

"That reminds me Colonel, that a great coach who will go unnamed had a test for all incoming draftees called the tri-fecta. First, he would match them up in checkers, then an obstacle course in hop scotch and finally a quick game of last man in the pool where if you were the last man in you won. The aggregate score determined the makeup of the offense and defense. Geez draftniks, this is just so exciting!"

SUDDENLY a Banging and loud noise:

"This is the owner of the network. I've listened to these numbskulls as long as I can and due to popular request we are posting a moratorium on any local sports talk about the Texans draft. In fact this station will be changed to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Network and play only Stevie's music and the music he liked by other like minded artists. Colonel and Larry, you may leave the studio!"