The AP is reporting that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno will retire following the 2011 season.
Paterno has come under great scrutiny for his part in the handling of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal that has sent shock-waves throughout Happy Valley this week.
I don't know if Paterno's decision to retire is directly related to the Sandusky case, but in my opinion, Paterno shouldn't even be allowed to finish out the rest of the year.
Yes, I know Joe Paterno isn't a monster or a criminal, and it's hard to say what anyone would do if they were in Joe Paterno's shoes when he was made aware of the inappropriate behavior that took place between Sandusky and a young child way back in 2002, but Paterno is the face of Penn State, he's the one who put the program on the map, and ultimately, he turned a blind eye by not being more vocal about such a serious situation.
Paterno is a god in State College. If he would have been more proactive, no doubt, he could have prevented future kids from being victimized.
Paterno should be told to step down immediately, and should not be allowed to experience any sort of retirement tour.
This would send a clear cut message to people, like the Penn State students who were rallying in support of Paterno on his lawn last evening, that no matter what Paterno helped build in State College, there is nothing more important than the welfare of innocent children.
If Paterno is allowed to finish out the year, that would be an absolute disgrace.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
It just doesn't get more disturbing than the Jerry Sandusky Penn State scandal
Just when you think you've seen everything in life, something pops up like former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky being officially charged with sexual assault on young boys, and you find yourself totally at a loss for words.
The more I hear about what went down at State College over the course of about ten or fifteen years, the more disturbing it becomes.
There were at least eight incidents of Sandusky molesting young boys who were part of The Second Mile foundation that the former coach started back in 1977. The assaults allegedly occurred between 1994 and 2008.
At least three different adults apparently saw Sandusky commit various sexual assaults over the course of about six or seven years.
A PSU janitor reportedly witnessed Sandusky and a young boy engaged in a sexual act back in 2000. The janitor went to his superior, but there was no follow-up.
In 2002, Penn State assistant coach Mike Mcqueary said he witnessed Sandusky having a sexual encounter with a young boy in a shower and reported it to head coach Joe Paterno. Paterno then took the matter to Penn State AD Tim Curley, and Curely said he reported the incident to Penn State president Graham Spanier.
In 2006 or 2007, a school wrestling coach said he walked in on Sandusky and a young boy lying side by side on mats and touching one another inappropriately.
People have spent the past few days questioning why authorities weren't immediately contacted when these incidents were witnessed, and rightfully so, but my question is why didn't any of these people who said they witnessed these sexual assaults immediately step in and stop Sandusky? The janitor and Mcqueary were supposedly worried about losing their jobs if they took appropriate actions. Who cares?
The janitor and Mcqueary were both beside themselves when they witnessed what they saw, but even if you're totally stunned by something, you should be able to gather yourself and act. In fact, I believe there really shouldn't be any thought involved; it should almost be an instinct.
If I see someone trip and start to fall, I don't think, "hmmm, my back is bothering me, I have a bum shoulder, should I try to stop this person from falling?" No, I just instinctively reach out and try and grab the person to keep them safe.
The same thing should have happened in these awful occurrences.
I mean, I can't imagine witnessing any crime worse than a child getting molested.If you see something like that taking place, you throw caution to the wind and try to do something. It's up to the adults of the world to protect children whether we're directly associated with them or not.
Mcqueary, Paterno, Tim Curely, former university vice president Gary Schultz, and school president Graham Spanier are all on the hot seat for not taking the appropriate actions in reporting these assaults.
Curely and Schultz have both been charged with perjury and failure to report the abuse of children.
Paterno and Mcqueary aren't in any legal hot water, but people have been calling for both to step down, especially Paterno, who has been the Nittany Lions' head coach for the past 46 seasons.
All these people who are in hot water for not doing enough when they heard of these incidents have said they went through the proper channels by reporting it to their immediate supervisors. Well, maybe that's true, but didn't anyone think it would be a good idea to go directly to the police?
Speaking of that, according to what I've researched, there was an investigation by a university detective back in 1998, and Sandusky even admitted to some inappropriate behavior with young boys. But for whatever awful reason, no charges were filed and the case was closed.
In a Post Gazette story I read today regarding this whole mess, Pennsylvania state police commissioner Frank Noonan said it best: "I don't think I've ever been associated with a case with this type of eyewitness identification of sex acts taking place where the police weren't called."
So far, eight victims have come forward, and I just heard on the radio that a ninth victim spoke out today.
Don't be surprised if many more people start to come out of the woodwork. As I said, Sandusky founded The Second Mile foundation all the way back in 1977. Only a fool would believe that he started molesting young boys in 1994; a person just doesn't wake up one day and start to engage in that kind of behavior, Lord only knows how long this went on.
As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the worst cases of a cover up that I've ever seen. The Powers That Were at Penn State were obviously more concerned with protecting their cash cow than they were with protecting innocent children.
I don't know if the NCAA can step in and penalize the Penn State football program for this, but maybe they should seriously consider it. There is no excuse for trying to cover up these kinds of deviant acts on young children.
As for Sandusky, the DA filed 40 charges against him. I know in America, you're innocent until proven guilty, but no prosecutor is going to file that many charges against a person if they don't think they have a strong case.
Jerry Sandusky should spend the rest of his days in prison. He's the worst kind of human being.
The more I hear about what went down at State College over the course of about ten or fifteen years, the more disturbing it becomes.
There were at least eight incidents of Sandusky molesting young boys who were part of The Second Mile foundation that the former coach started back in 1977. The assaults allegedly occurred between 1994 and 2008.
At least three different adults apparently saw Sandusky commit various sexual assaults over the course of about six or seven years.
A PSU janitor reportedly witnessed Sandusky and a young boy engaged in a sexual act back in 2000. The janitor went to his superior, but there was no follow-up.
In 2002, Penn State assistant coach Mike Mcqueary said he witnessed Sandusky having a sexual encounter with a young boy in a shower and reported it to head coach Joe Paterno. Paterno then took the matter to Penn State AD Tim Curley, and Curely said he reported the incident to Penn State president Graham Spanier.
In 2006 or 2007, a school wrestling coach said he walked in on Sandusky and a young boy lying side by side on mats and touching one another inappropriately.
People have spent the past few days questioning why authorities weren't immediately contacted when these incidents were witnessed, and rightfully so, but my question is why didn't any of these people who said they witnessed these sexual assaults immediately step in and stop Sandusky? The janitor and Mcqueary were supposedly worried about losing their jobs if they took appropriate actions. Who cares?
The janitor and Mcqueary were both beside themselves when they witnessed what they saw, but even if you're totally stunned by something, you should be able to gather yourself and act. In fact, I believe there really shouldn't be any thought involved; it should almost be an instinct.
If I see someone trip and start to fall, I don't think, "hmmm, my back is bothering me, I have a bum shoulder, should I try to stop this person from falling?" No, I just instinctively reach out and try and grab the person to keep them safe.
The same thing should have happened in these awful occurrences.
I mean, I can't imagine witnessing any crime worse than a child getting molested.If you see something like that taking place, you throw caution to the wind and try to do something. It's up to the adults of the world to protect children whether we're directly associated with them or not.
Mcqueary, Paterno, Tim Curely, former university vice president Gary Schultz, and school president Graham Spanier are all on the hot seat for not taking the appropriate actions in reporting these assaults.
Curely and Schultz have both been charged with perjury and failure to report the abuse of children.
Paterno and Mcqueary aren't in any legal hot water, but people have been calling for both to step down, especially Paterno, who has been the Nittany Lions' head coach for the past 46 seasons.
All these people who are in hot water for not doing enough when they heard of these incidents have said they went through the proper channels by reporting it to their immediate supervisors. Well, maybe that's true, but didn't anyone think it would be a good idea to go directly to the police?
Speaking of that, according to what I've researched, there was an investigation by a university detective back in 1998, and Sandusky even admitted to some inappropriate behavior with young boys. But for whatever awful reason, no charges were filed and the case was closed.
In a Post Gazette story I read today regarding this whole mess, Pennsylvania state police commissioner Frank Noonan said it best: "I don't think I've ever been associated with a case with this type of eyewitness identification of sex acts taking place where the police weren't called."
So far, eight victims have come forward, and I just heard on the radio that a ninth victim spoke out today.
Don't be surprised if many more people start to come out of the woodwork. As I said, Sandusky founded The Second Mile foundation all the way back in 1977. Only a fool would believe that he started molesting young boys in 1994; a person just doesn't wake up one day and start to engage in that kind of behavior, Lord only knows how long this went on.
As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the worst cases of a cover up that I've ever seen. The Powers That Were at Penn State were obviously more concerned with protecting their cash cow than they were with protecting innocent children.
I don't know if the NCAA can step in and penalize the Penn State football program for this, but maybe they should seriously consider it. There is no excuse for trying to cover up these kinds of deviant acts on young children.
As for Sandusky, the DA filed 40 charges against him. I know in America, you're innocent until proven guilty, but no prosecutor is going to file that many charges against a person if they don't think they have a strong case.
Jerry Sandusky should spend the rest of his days in prison. He's the worst kind of human being.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Pitt blows ten-point lead to Cincinnati, all but out of the running for the Big East title......again!
Forget about a BCS berth, the Pitt Panthers will probably be happy if they finish at .500. After last night's disappointing loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats at Heinz Field, the Panthers are now 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the very mediocre Big East conference.
The past week, Pitt fans were going on and on about how the Panthers controlled their own destiny for a BCS berth. I thought that was pretty funny because duh! Of course the Panthers controlled their own destiny. There were still four conference games left to play; just about every team in the Big East controlled their own destiny. That's like me saying I control my own destiny in next year's Pittsburgh marathon.
Well, I don't think we have to worry about that anymore. Pitt sits in 5th place in the Big East and would obviously lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with both Rutgers and Cincinnati (who is 3-0 in the Big East, by the way). And with two of their remaining three games being on the road, the prospects for the Panthers representing the Big East in a BCS game are slim to none.
At this point, with a new head coach trying to institute a new set of philosophies, and with many key players out for the year with injury (including star running back Ray Graham), the Panthers face the very real possibility of having their first losing season since 2007.
Oh well, it could be worse. Pitt could actually go on a run and get invited to the Belk bowl.
The past week, Pitt fans were going on and on about how the Panthers controlled their own destiny for a BCS berth. I thought that was pretty funny because duh! Of course the Panthers controlled their own destiny. There were still four conference games left to play; just about every team in the Big East controlled their own destiny. That's like me saying I control my own destiny in next year's Pittsburgh marathon.
Well, I don't think we have to worry about that anymore. Pitt sits in 5th place in the Big East and would obviously lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with both Rutgers and Cincinnati (who is 3-0 in the Big East, by the way). And with two of their remaining three games being on the road, the prospects for the Panthers representing the Big East in a BCS game are slim to none.
At this point, with a new head coach trying to institute a new set of philosophies, and with many key players out for the year with injury (including star running back Ray Graham), the Panthers face the very real possibility of having their first losing season since 2007.
Oh well, it could be worse. Pitt could actually go on a run and get invited to the Belk bowl.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Maybe Pitt coach Todd Graham should just keep things simple
Back on September 29th, in Pitt's 2011 Big East opener, Todd Graham's high octane offense never looked better, as the Panthers racked up 523 yards in a 44-17 victory over then ranked South Florida on a Thursday night at Heinz Field. After the game, Coach Graham indicated that he had scaled back his very sophisticated playbook leading up to that game.
In Pitt's next two games, the Panthers offense never looked worse in losses to Rutgers (34-10) and Utah (26-14).
In fact, that Utah game was so horrible--Pitt quarterbacks Tino Sunseri and Trey Anderson combined to throw for 50 yards--that an ESPN studio host felt compelled to apologize to viewers who had to witness such an atrocious display of "offense."
However, just last week, the high octane offense was back for the Panthers in a 35-20 win over Connecticut at Heinz Field. Tino Sunseri looked amazing, passing for 419 and two touchdowns.
Just like after the South Florida game, Graham said that he simplified the playbook and had his team practice the plays that they were comfortable with.
OK, Coach Graham, let's go over this. In two games with a simple approach, your team put up 1052 total yards and scored 79 points.
In two other games where you evidently went back to trying to implement your very high-tech offense, your team scored one offensive touchdown.
Shouldn't that tell you something?
Sometimes, less is more. If a football player is out there thinking too much, he's not going to perform at a high-level. I know you came in as a new coach and set a very high standard. I like that. As a long-time Pitt fan, I'm tired of the mediocrity. However, before you can walk, you have to crawl.
A great coach doesn't try and force-feed his philosophies on players who may not be ready or equipped to grasp them immediately. No, a great coach adapts to the kind of players he has and slowly indoctrinates them to his teachings over time.
Besides, it's football being played by 18-22 year olds, it doesn't have to be that complicated.
Keep it Simple S...................
In Pitt's next two games, the Panthers offense never looked worse in losses to Rutgers (34-10) and Utah (26-14).
In fact, that Utah game was so horrible--Pitt quarterbacks Tino Sunseri and Trey Anderson combined to throw for 50 yards--that an ESPN studio host felt compelled to apologize to viewers who had to witness such an atrocious display of "offense."
However, just last week, the high octane offense was back for the Panthers in a 35-20 win over Connecticut at Heinz Field. Tino Sunseri looked amazing, passing for 419 and two touchdowns.
Just like after the South Florida game, Graham said that he simplified the playbook and had his team practice the plays that they were comfortable with.
OK, Coach Graham, let's go over this. In two games with a simple approach, your team put up 1052 total yards and scored 79 points.
In two other games where you evidently went back to trying to implement your very high-tech offense, your team scored one offensive touchdown.
Shouldn't that tell you something?
Sometimes, less is more. If a football player is out there thinking too much, he's not going to perform at a high-level. I know you came in as a new coach and set a very high standard. I like that. As a long-time Pitt fan, I'm tired of the mediocrity. However, before you can walk, you have to crawl.
A great coach doesn't try and force-feed his philosophies on players who may not be ready or equipped to grasp them immediately. No, a great coach adapts to the kind of players he has and slowly indoctrinates them to his teachings over time.
Besides, it's football being played by 18-22 year olds, it doesn't have to be that complicated.
Keep it Simple S...................
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Bill Belichick has always been a match-up/mismatch guru
Early Monday morning, the day after the Pittsburgh Steelers had their way with his team, New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick begins his weekly session with his therapist.
Belichick: "I just don't know what happened, Doc."
Therapist: "Have a bad day, yesterday, Coach"?
Belichick: "Well, creating advantageous match-ups has always been my thing, ya know? I've always been known as the guy who can create mismatches and exploit them."
Therapist: "Mismatches, Coach"?
Belichick: "Yeah, Doc. You match a big, athletic tight end up against a smallish safety, or you match a small, fast receiver up against a slow, plodding linebacker. If the other team is expecting you to pass, you run. If the situation normally calls for a base 34 defense, you surprise them with a 43. Mismatches, ya know? Again, sorta my thing. But yesterday against Pittsburgh, nothing seemed to work. I usually have that team in my back-pocket."
Therapist: "I see. So you say you've always been good at match-ups. Here, let me do a little test. If a hat is to a head, then a glove is to a.."
Belichick: "..A hand! Come on, Doc. Give me something hard to match-up!"
Therapist: "Sorry, Coach. Just trying to establish a baseline."
Belichick: "Oh, OK. Anyway, ever hear people say you can't pound a round peg into a square hole? Well, I never had a problem figuring that kind of stuff out, even as a kid. Whenever I watched Sesame Street, I always knew which one didn't belong. Here's another example, if you mix blue and yellow, what color would you get"?
Therapist: "Hmmmmmmm, I don't know. I guess I'm drawing a blank."
Belichick: "Green! Haha. See, told you I was good at match-ups!"
Therapist: "Interesting."
Belichick: "Yeah, I know. I guess I first realized I had a talent for creating ideal match-ups way back in Junior High.
Therapist: "Junior High, Coach"?
Belichick: "Yeah, I remember I used to peep into the girls locker room after gym class..."
Therapist: "...Let me stop you there, Coach. Watching someone when they don't realize it is kind of a violation of their rights."
Belichick: "Hey, what do you want from me? I was young and curious. May I continue, Freud? Anyway, this one day, I got caught by this kid, a boyfriend of one of the girls in the locker room, and he threatened to kick my ass after school. Well, this kid was twice my size and mean as all get out. There was no way I could possibly beat him straight-up. I knew I had to do something to tip the match-up in my favor, so right before the fight, I convinced this big idiot that the only way he could beat me was if he wore boxing gloves and I wore brass knuckles. He bought it hook line and sinker! Hahahaha! I had just created my very first mismatch. Needless to say, the kid didn't have a chance. I pounded him into submission. He was no match for my match-up prowess."
Therapist: "Interesting."
Belichick: "I know. Anyway, there was another time I remember quite fondly. I had entered a hot dog eating contest, but I knew I didn't have a great chance of winning. All the other contestants were real pros, and I wasn't much of a an eater. I knew I had to create a favorable match-up, so I convinced these morons that it would be a good idea to fill up on water right before the contest. I said it would expand their stomachs. Can you believe they actually took my advice? Hahahahaha! Expand their stomachs. I kill me! Anyway, needless to say, I didn't have any water and was able to eat twice as many hot dogs as the second-place finisher. In-fact, the one guy drank so much water, he was disqualified for leaving the table to take a pee break. Hahaha!"
Therapist: "I'm beginning to see a pattern here."
Belichick: "Yeah, of my excellence. Then there was the time I met my college girlfriend. So, I'm sitting in this restaurant one day, right Doc, and I spot this beautiful woman having dinner with this dork. They were obviously on a first date, and the guy had no idea what he was doing. I really wanted to date this girl, so when she excused herself to the bathroom, I went up to the guy and started convincing him that a woman really loves it when a guy only talks about himself, and I said if he really wanted to impress her, he would make her pay for dinner. He was no match for my intellect! Needless to say, the girl stormed out on him, and I swooped in with flowers and a shoulder to cry on. The rest, as they say, was history."
Therapist: "I see."
Belichick: "Yeah, then there was that one time back in 1998 when the Rock was taking on Mankind for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. The Rock had the upper hand in the match, that is, until I came out of nowhere and smashed him in the head with a folding chair. Mankind took advantage of the mismatch I had just created and won his first World title."
Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach, but I think that was Stone Cold Steve Austin."
Belichick: "Oh, right."
Therapist: "This is all quite alarming, Coach. You have engaged in some very unsavory and underhanded behavior."
Belichick: "Hey, give me a break, Doc. That was back when I was young and immature. Now, I only use my match-up powers for good. Like for example, there was this one time a lady friend was getting ready for a job interview, and she had no idea what to wear. She was simply frantic. I said, 'look, you have brown eyes. You need to wear earth-tones. Here, wear this grey pants suit I picked out. You'll knock'em dead.' Needless to say, she nailed the interview and got the job."
Therapist: "Go on."
Belichick: "Well, there was the time when my daughter was suffering from insomnia. She couldn't sleep for days. She said, 'Dad, I have some very important exams in the morning, but I can't get to sleep.' I said, 'you silly banana. Your bedroom is littered with Starbucks cups. Don't you know that caffeine is a bad match for insomnia? Here, drink this warm milk I made for you. It will do the trick, Pumpkin.' Needless to say, she went right to sleep and aced her exams the next day."
Therapist: "Encouraging."
Belichick: "Yes, then there was that time my neighbor was so down on his luck with the ladies. He just couldn't meet the right girl no matter how hard he tried. He said, 'Bill, I got no where with that last girl I dated. I can't figure out what went wrong. I guess I'm just meant to be alone.' I said, 'well, it's no wonder you struck out with that girl. She was an Aquarius. You're a Taurus. You need to be dating Virgos or Cancers.' He said, 'hey, this girl I met at a party last week has a birthday in early September!' I said, 'she's a Virgo. You can't lose! Go get'em, Taurus.' Needless to say, they've been living happily ever after."
Therapist: "That was sweet."
Belichick: "I know. Anyway, just last year, my boss, Bob Kraft, was hosting a very important dinner party, but nobody seemed to be having a good time. I said to him, 'Kraftmeister, you're serving American cheese with corned beef. Swiss cheese goes much better with corned beef. Trust me, sir.' Well, needless to say, once the Swiss cheese was served, the party started rockin'."
Therapist: "Very good stuff, Coach."
Belichick: "Yeah, but like I said, I don't know what happened yesterday with the Steelers. My match-up powers are usually off the charts when I play them, but it seemed like everytime I thought they were going to zig, they zagged. When the situation called for a zag, they zigged us to death. Do you think I'm losing my touch"?
Therapist: "Coach, I don't know much about football, but from what I've read, the success you've had over the past decade hasn't been about your ability to find the ideal match-ups, it's been about your quarterback. What's his name, Bieber or something? Anyway, maybe he just had a bad day yesterday. Maybe Pittsburgh is just a really good team."
Belichick: "Nonsense! I'm a match-up guru! Everyone knows it! Pittsburgh better hope we don't meet them in the playoffs! I just hired a new videographer."
Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach"?
Belichick: "Oh, nothing. Hey, Doc, aren't we about done here? I have some film I have to study."
Therapist: "Yes, we'll pick up where we left off next time. Have a good week, Coach."
Belichick: "See you next time, Doc.....Hahahaha! $500,000 fine. Totally worth it."
Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach? What's that about $500,000"?
Belichick: "Oh, that was nothing, Doc. I mumble."
Belichick: "I just don't know what happened, Doc."
Therapist: "Have a bad day, yesterday, Coach"?
Belichick: "Well, creating advantageous match-ups has always been my thing, ya know? I've always been known as the guy who can create mismatches and exploit them."
Therapist: "Mismatches, Coach"?
Belichick: "Yeah, Doc. You match a big, athletic tight end up against a smallish safety, or you match a small, fast receiver up against a slow, plodding linebacker. If the other team is expecting you to pass, you run. If the situation normally calls for a base 34 defense, you surprise them with a 43. Mismatches, ya know? Again, sorta my thing. But yesterday against Pittsburgh, nothing seemed to work. I usually have that team in my back-pocket."
Therapist: "I see. So you say you've always been good at match-ups. Here, let me do a little test. If a hat is to a head, then a glove is to a.."
Belichick: "..A hand! Come on, Doc. Give me something hard to match-up!"
Therapist: "Sorry, Coach. Just trying to establish a baseline."
Belichick: "Oh, OK. Anyway, ever hear people say you can't pound a round peg into a square hole? Well, I never had a problem figuring that kind of stuff out, even as a kid. Whenever I watched Sesame Street, I always knew which one didn't belong. Here's another example, if you mix blue and yellow, what color would you get"?
Therapist: "Hmmmmmmm, I don't know. I guess I'm drawing a blank."
Belichick: "Green! Haha. See, told you I was good at match-ups!"
Therapist: "Interesting."
Belichick: "Yeah, I know. I guess I first realized I had a talent for creating ideal match-ups way back in Junior High.
Therapist: "Junior High, Coach"?
Belichick: "Yeah, I remember I used to peep into the girls locker room after gym class..."
Therapist: "...Let me stop you there, Coach. Watching someone when they don't realize it is kind of a violation of their rights."
Belichick: "Hey, what do you want from me? I was young and curious. May I continue, Freud? Anyway, this one day, I got caught by this kid, a boyfriend of one of the girls in the locker room, and he threatened to kick my ass after school. Well, this kid was twice my size and mean as all get out. There was no way I could possibly beat him straight-up. I knew I had to do something to tip the match-up in my favor, so right before the fight, I convinced this big idiot that the only way he could beat me was if he wore boxing gloves and I wore brass knuckles. He bought it hook line and sinker! Hahahaha! I had just created my very first mismatch. Needless to say, the kid didn't have a chance. I pounded him into submission. He was no match for my match-up prowess."
Therapist: "Interesting."
Belichick: "I know. Anyway, there was another time I remember quite fondly. I had entered a hot dog eating contest, but I knew I didn't have a great chance of winning. All the other contestants were real pros, and I wasn't much of a an eater. I knew I had to create a favorable match-up, so I convinced these morons that it would be a good idea to fill up on water right before the contest. I said it would expand their stomachs. Can you believe they actually took my advice? Hahahahaha! Expand their stomachs. I kill me! Anyway, needless to say, I didn't have any water and was able to eat twice as many hot dogs as the second-place finisher. In-fact, the one guy drank so much water, he was disqualified for leaving the table to take a pee break. Hahaha!"
Therapist: "I'm beginning to see a pattern here."
Belichick: "Yeah, of my excellence. Then there was the time I met my college girlfriend. So, I'm sitting in this restaurant one day, right Doc, and I spot this beautiful woman having dinner with this dork. They were obviously on a first date, and the guy had no idea what he was doing. I really wanted to date this girl, so when she excused herself to the bathroom, I went up to the guy and started convincing him that a woman really loves it when a guy only talks about himself, and I said if he really wanted to impress her, he would make her pay for dinner. He was no match for my intellect! Needless to say, the girl stormed out on him, and I swooped in with flowers and a shoulder to cry on. The rest, as they say, was history."
Therapist: "I see."
Belichick: "Yeah, then there was that one time back in 1998 when the Rock was taking on Mankind for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. The Rock had the upper hand in the match, that is, until I came out of nowhere and smashed him in the head with a folding chair. Mankind took advantage of the mismatch I had just created and won his first World title."
Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach, but I think that was Stone Cold Steve Austin."
Belichick: "Oh, right."
Therapist: "This is all quite alarming, Coach. You have engaged in some very unsavory and underhanded behavior."
Belichick: "Hey, give me a break, Doc. That was back when I was young and immature. Now, I only use my match-up powers for good. Like for example, there was this one time a lady friend was getting ready for a job interview, and she had no idea what to wear. She was simply frantic. I said, 'look, you have brown eyes. You need to wear earth-tones. Here, wear this grey pants suit I picked out. You'll knock'em dead.' Needless to say, she nailed the interview and got the job."
Therapist: "Go on."
Belichick: "Well, there was the time when my daughter was suffering from insomnia. She couldn't sleep for days. She said, 'Dad, I have some very important exams in the morning, but I can't get to sleep.' I said, 'you silly banana. Your bedroom is littered with Starbucks cups. Don't you know that caffeine is a bad match for insomnia? Here, drink this warm milk I made for you. It will do the trick, Pumpkin.' Needless to say, she went right to sleep and aced her exams the next day."
Therapist: "Encouraging."
Belichick: "Yes, then there was that time my neighbor was so down on his luck with the ladies. He just couldn't meet the right girl no matter how hard he tried. He said, 'Bill, I got no where with that last girl I dated. I can't figure out what went wrong. I guess I'm just meant to be alone.' I said, 'well, it's no wonder you struck out with that girl. She was an Aquarius. You're a Taurus. You need to be dating Virgos or Cancers.' He said, 'hey, this girl I met at a party last week has a birthday in early September!' I said, 'she's a Virgo. You can't lose! Go get'em, Taurus.' Needless to say, they've been living happily ever after."
Therapist: "That was sweet."
Belichick: "I know. Anyway, just last year, my boss, Bob Kraft, was hosting a very important dinner party, but nobody seemed to be having a good time. I said to him, 'Kraftmeister, you're serving American cheese with corned beef. Swiss cheese goes much better with corned beef. Trust me, sir.' Well, needless to say, once the Swiss cheese was served, the party started rockin'."
Therapist: "Very good stuff, Coach."
Belichick: "Yeah, but like I said, I don't know what happened yesterday with the Steelers. My match-up powers are usually off the charts when I play them, but it seemed like everytime I thought they were going to zig, they zagged. When the situation called for a zag, they zigged us to death. Do you think I'm losing my touch"?
Therapist: "Coach, I don't know much about football, but from what I've read, the success you've had over the past decade hasn't been about your ability to find the ideal match-ups, it's been about your quarterback. What's his name, Bieber or something? Anyway, maybe he just had a bad day yesterday. Maybe Pittsburgh is just a really good team."
Belichick: "Nonsense! I'm a match-up guru! Everyone knows it! Pittsburgh better hope we don't meet them in the playoffs! I just hired a new videographer."
Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach"?
Belichick: "Oh, nothing. Hey, Doc, aren't we about done here? I have some film I have to study."
Therapist: "Yes, we'll pick up where we left off next time. Have a good week, Coach."
Belichick: "See you next time, Doc.....Hahahaha! $500,000 fine. Totally worth it."
Therapist: "Excuse me, Coach? What's that about $500,000"?
Belichick: "Oh, that was nothing, Doc. I mumble."
Dick Lebeau's defensive approach vs. the Patriots, and my bowling style. What a difference a year makes
I've been bowling on a fairly regular basis for about three years now, but it wasn't until about a year ago at this time that I started to really get into the sport. In addition to my league bowling, I also started practicing more and seeked out credible advice from people who knew what they were talking about. I even went online to find some answers, and that's how I finally discovered that there are actual fundamentals involved with things like where you stand for various spare pick-ups.
I was excited about my newly acquired knowledge and tried to utilize it in my league games. Just from knowing where to stand for spares, I started to put up better scores, and my low average started to climb, even if just a little.
On November 14th, my league had its Fall playoff tournament, and I was really excited and confident about putting on a good performance in the postseason. I had been putting up some decent scores (at least for me) and just knew I would do the same in the playoffs.
Well, unfortunately, I crapped out in my game and only put up a 115. I felt good and confident, but the bowling ball just wouldn't do what I wanted it to do. My teammates put up much better scores than I did, but they weren't good enough to carry my low number, and we didn't advance to the second round.
November 14th, 2010 was also the date of the infamous Steelers/Patriots match-up on a Sunday Night at Heinz Field. It was on that night that Tom Brady shredded the Steelers defense and made Dick Lebeau's legendary zone blitz scheme look totally ineffective.
Dick Lebeau is a Hall of Famer, he had a great career as a defensive back and has had an even better career as a defensive coordinator.
His Steelers' defenses almost always rank pretty high in every statistical category, and if a quarterback has a weakness, Lebeau will find a way to exploit it.
Unfortunately, when it comes to Tom Brady and other elite quarterbacks in the NFL, they don't have very many weaknesses and normally give defenses fits, even Lebeau's great Steelers' defenses.
There is no shame in that. Sometimes in sports, a great talent will have the number of another great talent.
Dick Lebeau has been the defensive coordinator on four different Super Bowl teams in his career. Obviously, he doesn't have to drastically change his approach just because there are a few people out there who match-up well with what he likes to do.
However, great football minds like Dick Lebeau are always trying to tweak what they do, that's part of what makes them great. Heading into this past Sunday's showdown with the Patriots, there was rightfully great concern that Lebeau's traditional defensive approach of having his corners play off the receivers just wouldn't get it done against Tom Brady because taking the underneath stuff is Brady's greatest strength.
Well, Tom Brady might be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time and will certainly be in the Hall of Fame whenever his time comes, but Dick Lebeau is already there, and he showed the football world why on Sunday by having his corners play up on the receivers and totally disrupting their routes. Brady was thrown off his game and only produced a very pedestrian 198 yards, and the Steelers won, 25-17.
There is no shame in that, Tom Brady. Sometimes in sports, a great talent will have the number of another great talent.
I found it fitting that I had the greatest bowling match of my life right as the Steelers were finishing up their dominance over New England Sunday evening.
Between November 14th last year and October 30th this year, I drastically changed my bowling technique.
I used to have this funky approach where I looked like a martial artist about to do battle. And my delivery? Think curling.
It was certainly unique and a little bizarre, but I somehow made the most of it. However, the problem was I wasn't improving as much as I wanted to improve.
My delivery was too slow, and not fundamentally sound. I was at the mercy of various lane conditions. Knowing where to stand for your spares isn't going to do you any good if your delivery is too funky.
Earlier this year, I decided I had had enough of the sub 100 games and decided to stop bowling like Bruce Lee. Almost immediately, my scores started to improve, and my average increased.
I then stopped being so stubborn about using heavier bowling balls. My uncle once told me, "you need to use at least a 14 pound ball." When I asked him why, he said, "because you're a freakin man, for one thing!"
About halfway through this season, I started using a 15 pound ball, and that, along with my more traditional approach and delivery, made a world of difference.
This past Sunday evening, I bowled a 548 series. That's certainly not professional level bowling, but I've heard many great bowlers discuss their many 600 matches. Therefore, I must be headed in the right direction.
Now don't misunderstand, in bowling circles, I'm certainly no Dick Lebeau. I'd say I'm more like William Gay (before this season) or Jeff Reed (after the 2009 parking lot "incident") or Charlie Whitehurst (always). I'm not elite, and I doubt I will ever make the bowling Hall of Fame.
But it takes a lot to change your ways. If a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator can do it, so can I.
I was excited about my newly acquired knowledge and tried to utilize it in my league games. Just from knowing where to stand for spares, I started to put up better scores, and my low average started to climb, even if just a little.
On November 14th, my league had its Fall playoff tournament, and I was really excited and confident about putting on a good performance in the postseason. I had been putting up some decent scores (at least for me) and just knew I would do the same in the playoffs.
Well, unfortunately, I crapped out in my game and only put up a 115. I felt good and confident, but the bowling ball just wouldn't do what I wanted it to do. My teammates put up much better scores than I did, but they weren't good enough to carry my low number, and we didn't advance to the second round.
November 14th, 2010 was also the date of the infamous Steelers/Patriots match-up on a Sunday Night at Heinz Field. It was on that night that Tom Brady shredded the Steelers defense and made Dick Lebeau's legendary zone blitz scheme look totally ineffective.
Dick Lebeau is a Hall of Famer, he had a great career as a defensive back and has had an even better career as a defensive coordinator.
His Steelers' defenses almost always rank pretty high in every statistical category, and if a quarterback has a weakness, Lebeau will find a way to exploit it.
Unfortunately, when it comes to Tom Brady and other elite quarterbacks in the NFL, they don't have very many weaknesses and normally give defenses fits, even Lebeau's great Steelers' defenses.
There is no shame in that. Sometimes in sports, a great talent will have the number of another great talent.
Dick Lebeau has been the defensive coordinator on four different Super Bowl teams in his career. Obviously, he doesn't have to drastically change his approach just because there are a few people out there who match-up well with what he likes to do.
However, great football minds like Dick Lebeau are always trying to tweak what they do, that's part of what makes them great. Heading into this past Sunday's showdown with the Patriots, there was rightfully great concern that Lebeau's traditional defensive approach of having his corners play off the receivers just wouldn't get it done against Tom Brady because taking the underneath stuff is Brady's greatest strength.
Well, Tom Brady might be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time and will certainly be in the Hall of Fame whenever his time comes, but Dick Lebeau is already there, and he showed the football world why on Sunday by having his corners play up on the receivers and totally disrupting their routes. Brady was thrown off his game and only produced a very pedestrian 198 yards, and the Steelers won, 25-17.
There is no shame in that, Tom Brady. Sometimes in sports, a great talent will have the number of another great talent.
I found it fitting that I had the greatest bowling match of my life right as the Steelers were finishing up their dominance over New England Sunday evening.
Between November 14th last year and October 30th this year, I drastically changed my bowling technique.
I used to have this funky approach where I looked like a martial artist about to do battle. And my delivery? Think curling.
It was certainly unique and a little bizarre, but I somehow made the most of it. However, the problem was I wasn't improving as much as I wanted to improve.
My delivery was too slow, and not fundamentally sound. I was at the mercy of various lane conditions. Knowing where to stand for your spares isn't going to do you any good if your delivery is too funky.
Earlier this year, I decided I had had enough of the sub 100 games and decided to stop bowling like Bruce Lee. Almost immediately, my scores started to improve, and my average increased.
I then stopped being so stubborn about using heavier bowling balls. My uncle once told me, "you need to use at least a 14 pound ball." When I asked him why, he said, "because you're a freakin man, for one thing!"
About halfway through this season, I started using a 15 pound ball, and that, along with my more traditional approach and delivery, made a world of difference.
This past Sunday evening, I bowled a 548 series. That's certainly not professional level bowling, but I've heard many great bowlers discuss their many 600 matches. Therefore, I must be headed in the right direction.
Now don't misunderstand, in bowling circles, I'm certainly no Dick Lebeau. I'd say I'm more like William Gay (before this season) or Jeff Reed (after the 2009 parking lot "incident") or Charlie Whitehurst (always). I'm not elite, and I doubt I will ever make the bowling Hall of Fame.
But it takes a lot to change your ways. If a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator can do it, so can I.
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