Jack’s Blog

Last night marked the first debate between California gubernatorial candidates, Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown.  Maybe it should be spelled goober-natorial after last night’s performances.  When it comes to debates, there should one agreed upon rule: no talking about the opponent.

Last night’s production was the prototypical political encounter of the 21st century.  Sure, the candidates want to explain their strengths but when the debate is over, the number one goal is to make sure the public realizes how bad a choice voting their opponent would be, i.e. it’s mandatory that when voters go to bed, they’re thinking that Big Bird would be a better choice than the person they’re running against.

Studies have shown that the majority of people vote against a candidate as opposed to for one.  This strategy seems to have become more prevalent the past twenty or so years with the hiring of such wholesome individuals as Karl Rove and Paul Begala.  After all, winning is what matters.

Meg Whitman, to date, has reportedly spent $120 million of her own money, much of it used to run negative ads against Big Bird Jerry Brown.  Don’t feel too sad.  She’s a billionaire so it’s not like she has to worry about filling out the short form if she loses.  What that number illustrates is that her idea of solving a problem is to throw money at it.  If only she had enough herself to bail out California, she’d be the ideal candidate.  Unfortunately, the state’s been so poorly run for so long, no one individual has that much cash.

Ol’ Jer was taking the high road until someone (no doubt his advisers) told him “that’s no way to run a campaign.  That strategy might have won for you in the past but you’d better get with today.  People want to hate candidates, not support them.”  So the Brown camp trotted out Pinocchio and the pissing contest began in earnest

Although Whitman and Brown each said, albeit not very specifically, what they planned to do, the main themes of the night were that Brown squandered a major surplus the last time he was in charge and unemployment rose during his tenure.  On the other hand, if anyone doesn’t know that the tax cuts Whitman is going to give “millionaires and billionaires” will deplete California’s $5 billion from budget, they were asleep during the show.  What’s most depressing is that after watching the two of them rail against each other, it seems as though the nation’s largest state won’t be climbing out of the mess it’s currently in anytime soon.

Most of my life has been in the field of sports.  As the years have gone by, only a fool wouldn’t have noticed there’s a whole lot more trash talking before and during games now than there was decades ago.  The main difference between sports and politics is that in sports, independent of the trash talk, the winner is determined after the teams or individuals compete, while in politics, the winner is whoever is the better trash talker.

It seems more true than ever that:

“The word ‘politics’ is derived from the Latin - ‘poly’ meaning ‘many’ and ‘ticks’ meaning ‘bloodsucking parasites.’ “

Under the definition of “awkward” ought to be the situation in Denver with Carmelo Anthony.  Ever since LeBron James & Chris Bosh “took their talents to South Beach” (I’m assuming that Bosh describes his move the same way James did) to join Dwayne Wade, other NBA stars have been positioning themselves to combine forces to . . . what, try to beat the Lakers? 

Last summer, at Anthony’s wedding, the people raised their glasses to Chris Paul’s toast to Melo playing in the Big Apple with him and Amar’e Stoudemire.  It made sense for Anthony to establish residence in New York since his bride, Lala Vasquez, is in the entertainment business.  It might even be a good fit for Anthony.  However, something that was overlooked at that joyous moment was that Denver’s brass was in attendance at the reception.  They must have thought - or wished - their glasses were filled with hemlock. 

Fast forward to yesterday’s NBA media day.  Melo was dressed in his familiar Nuggets gear and was saying all the right things - even if words were coming out of both sides of his mouth.  In today’s world, not only is whatever someone says not forgotten, it’s archived on video or audio, ready to be broadcast at the most inopportune time.  So yesterday, Melo was all smiles.  Coach George Karl, who has fought, and is seemingly winning (has won) bigger battles, managed to toe the company line, saying he thought Carmelo would sign a contract extension and remain a part of the Nuggets franchise.  As he closed, though, Karl did say the team was answering phone calls and listening to all offers.  Probably wants to let people know he still lives in the real world.

The reports that Denver did not ask Anthony to participate in any of the team’s promotional filming on media day might just be a hint that the words “imminent departure” reamin a viable possibility.  Or maybe they just think he’s not that photogenic.

George Karl had to beat cancer - twice.  Trying to plan for an NBA season is difficult (and stressful) enough.  Trying to come up with one with Carmelo Anthony and another without him borders on the unfeasible.

Call it a slam at the organization, or maybe at the entire NBA, but taking into account account the Nuggets’ personnel (and several of the other teams), this just might lend credence to the line:

“The inmates are running the asylum.” 

As I mentioned at the beginning of yesterday’s blog (which might have fallen under the category of TMI), I had a sleep study done Friday night, which caused me to miss our son, Alex’s, first basketball competition of his junior year - a 9:00 am game at Fresno City College’s “Jamboree.”  Football duty for Buchanan High School (our guys remained undefeated with an overtime win) deprived me of watching Alex’s next two games at 5:00 and 6:00 pm since my report time for duty was 4:20.  Although I’ve seen him play countless times, I was anxious to check out the first competition of his junior year.

His first game yesterday was at 10:00 am, a win or go home format, and his team won rather handily.  His next game was at 1:00, meaning it wouldn’t be practical to make the 40 minute round trip drive home, so we decided to go to lunch.  The choice was to go to a fast food joint, as it usually is during these events and the winner was KFC.  We got back in plenty of time to see Game 2, another relatively easy victory.

The next game began shortly after 2:00 and the guys ran out of gas, losing 55-51.  I dropped off the two members of my family at our house and went to get my Sam’s Club shopping buddy, Peter Sharkey (see 6/15/10 blog) for our weekly shopping excursion.  Our son, Andy, a senior at the University of California-Irvine, upon hearing about these trips from his fellow Anteater classmate, Kathleen Sharkey (Peter’s daughter), named them “man-dates.”

Peter and I tool around Sam’s, him getting essentials and me getting essentials plus (a common problem for Sam’s Club shoppers), but the time we spend is more social than anything else.  Occasionally, we’ll discuss teaching math, as each of us teach that subject, albeit at different schools in different districts.  By the time I dropped him off and returned home, it was time for dinner.  This was followed by an hour of 60 Minutes (I guess that’s redundant) and a math tutoring session with Alex (something I wish we’d do more of).

I turned the TV back on and while channel surfing, I saw that the show Man v. Food, something Alex introduced me to, was being broadcast from Rutgers’ campus in New Brunswick, NJ, a city just a mile from where I grew up.  One of the stops was at Harold’s Deli, an establishment I’ve frequented on numerous occasions.   Following the show (you feel you’ve gained weight just by watching it), I discussed some other homework Alex had and then it was time to  blog.

The title of this post had the word “amazing” in it.  Readers (if there are any left by now) have got to be wondering, “What does he think is so amazing about this patently boring (at least to other people) day?”  Here it is.  Yesterday was the first fall Sunday I can remember in which I watched no NFL football.  Considering I can vividly recall seeing professional football games as far back as the 1950s, amazing seems to be the appropriate word.  As Willie Aames said:

“God continues to work miracles in my life.”

Forgot to mention a sleep study Friday night precluded blogging yesterday.  Interesting experience, but unless hooking up 36 whatevers to your body, mostly on your head, and going to sleep in a strange room appeals to you, you’d be wise to pass on the offer.

Arkansas, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Washington State, Notre Dame and Texas all lost at home yesterday and, while Tennessee won, it was a game that put fear in the hearts of even the most loyal Big Orange fans.

Arkansas led by ten at the half, opened it to 13 and then, as Kirk Herbstreit called it, played not to lose more than to win.  It might have shown the Tide is vulnerable, but more important to Razorback faithful is the question is, “How demoralizing will this loss be?”

Cincinnati, on the other hand, has been disappointing this year.  Brian Kelly turned over a pre-season top 15 team to his successor, Butch Jones, ironically the same guy who followed him to Central Michigan, and the Bearcats are now 1-3.  Fans being fans, grumbled early, first by not filling Paul Brown Stadium, then shortly after, when Cincinnati, on its first possession, had the ball first-and-goal on Oklahoma’s two-yard line and had to settle for a field goal.

ASU looked good against the #5 ranked Oregon Ducks - at least for the first 27 minutes - leading Phil Knight’s Chip Kelly’s club 24-14.  Then the Sun Devils allowed 28 unanswered points before scoring a meaningless TD with a couple minutes to go.  Opportunity lost.

WSU, ND and Texas were never in their games, losing by 34, 23 and 22 points respectively.  UT coach Mack Brown apologized to the Longhorn fans (it was his worst home loss ever) after UCLA soundly trounced his squad.  When you’re making a cool $5 mil/year, that strategy is better than complaining about the officiating.  After all Mack’s done for Texas football, there’s no doubt the fans in Austin will forgive him - as long as he doesn’t lose again this year.  And next.

Watching Tennessee against UAB (when your wife is a UT graduate, you watch the Vols’ football team against anybody - independent of whatever other games might be televised) was the most shocking.  Tennessee did win - in double overtime - but only after the place kicker for UAB missed his first five field goal attempts, including a 54-yarder with under a minute to go which would (probably) have won the game for the Blazers.  Granted, a 54-yard field goal is no gimme, but I’m not sure the yardage of the other four attempts totaled 54 yards.

Yet, the next time UT takes the field, there will be well over 100,00 fans in Neyland Stadium - even if the economy takes a hit.  After all, Tennessee football games sold following the last big economic downturn - the Great Depression of 1928.  In some parts of the country (evidently not Cincinnati however):

“Football’s not a matter of life-and-death.  It’s much more important than that.” 

Next week marks the opening of the NBA season - at least as far as coaches are concerned.  Nearly every coach I’ve ever known feels practice is the most important time of the season, i.e. that once games start, it’s too late to do much of anything except game plan for the next contest.

This year there is so much anticipation about the Miami Heat.  Fans absolutely cannot wait to see the Big Three play, whether to witness the new dynasty or hope they fail miserably.  LeBron James and Chris Bosh hooking up with Dwayne Wade has NBA fans drooling and other pros, e.g. Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, angling to make similar moves.

Be forewarned.  If this trend continues, there are going to some really bad teams, outfits only the true die-hard will support.  Many of the clubs in that category don’t exactly have massive followings now (the Raptors), so the NBA may turn into a league of haves and have-nots.  Even more so than it is now.

So for all those fans who can’t wait to see who the next super trio will be, here’s a word of caution:

“Be careful what you wish for.  You might just get it.”

While chicks may dig the long ball, fans love a good quarterback controversy.  And if there ever was one, it’s what’s going on in Philadelphia between Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb.

The Eagles not only traded popular (and talented) QB Donovan McNabb but sent him within the division to hated rival Washington.  Coach Andy Reid and McNabb were reportedly very close so this move must have been gut wrenching for Reid to do (or take, if it was forced on him).  The trade signaled a new beginning for the Eagles who must have felt they had maxed out production with McNabb at the helm and that he wasn’t getting younger.

The new leader for Philly was Kevin Kolb and everyone involved was apparently behind the guy.  Acquiring controversial lightning rod (and talented) Michael Vick was seen as an attempt to add his unique ability and excitement to the team, but to a man, the Eagles organization was unified in its belief  that Kolb was the future face of the franchise.

Then, as happens entirely too often in the NFL, Kolb suffered a concussion and was not cleared to play prior to last week’s game.  Vick was forced into the starter’s role and responded magnificently, shades of his pre-”dog days.”  Scrambling to make to positive plays out of disastrous ones, hitting receivers between the numbers and leading the squad as any coach would hope his quarterback would, Vick thrust himself into the discussion as potential starter, not just fill-in until Kolb’s return.

Reid made the statement, following the game, that Kevin Kolb was the starting QB for the Eagles, but reversed his field, although not as deftly as Vick, and days later said that Vick, not Kolb, would be the starter.  This is controversy anywhere else, a battle to the death in Philadelphia.

Fans called in talk shows, weighing in with their (strong) opinions.  One side says the reason they were told that McNabb was traded was because the organization was building for the future and if they’re going to play Michael Vick over Kevin Kolb, they should have kept Donovan McNabb.  Opponents (of which there are many) say “Win!” and Vick gives the Eagles the best chance.

When trying to figure which side I’d take, I thought back to all the teams I’d been associated with and how fans would praise or criticize (usually the latter) a decision that was made by the head coach with whom I was working.  I remember thinking that if the fans knew the inside story, all that was involved in the decision-making process, what we knew but the public wasn’t privy to, they’d understand.  But most of the time, that information wouldn’t fall into the category of the fans’ “right to know.”

So, in the case of Vick vs. Kolb, rather than expound on one side being the right move, I’m taking Switzerland’s stance, mainly because as George Raveling used to say:

“Some people don’t know while other people don’t know that they don’t know.”

Once an NFL season begins, teams lose players to injury.  The Denver Broncos lost one of theirs to the cruelest injury of all.  Kenny McKinley, their second year wide receiver, apparently took his life.  Making matters more difficult to comprehend was the fact that he had flown to South Carolina ten days ago and returned with his one-year-old son because he wanted to spend time with him (since he was on the injured reserve list due to a second knee operation).

In one article alone, various teammates and coaches used such phrases as “laughing,” “joking,” “his jovial self,” “absolutely normal,” “gregarious,” “a big smile on his face,” “had such a love for life,” and “looking on the bright side of being out for the season . . . because he got time to spend with his son.”  Also in the article it was reported (but not attributed) that he had been depressed about his surgery (which took place a month ago) and, during a subsequent game of dominoes, mentioned that he should kill himself.  The statement was so out of character that no one took him seriously.

My late mentor, John Savage, a superstar in the field of insurance, was a frequent speaker to companies, organizations and groups of salespeople.  John was an icon in his business (the only person to have spoken to the insurance industry’s Million Dollar Round Table twelve consecutive years).  He was brilliant in his summarizing of all aspects of sales and life.  I was fortunate to travel with him during many of his speaking engagements throughout the nation and in each one, he would recite the poem Richard Cory to his audience.

“Whenever Richard Cory went down town, we people on the pavement looked at him.  He was a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim.  And he was always quietly arrayed, and he was always human when he talked; but still he fluttered pulses when he said, “Good morning,” and he glittered when he walked.  And he was rich - yes, richer than a king, and admirably schooled in every grace.  In fine, we thought that he was everything to make us wish that we were in his place.  So on we worked, and waited for the light, and went without meat, and cursed the bread; and Richard Cory, one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head.” 

John always followed that with the following line (one that all of us need to keep in mind when we envy the lives of “the rich and famous”):

“You have no idea what’s going on in that other person’s sack of skin.”

About six weeks ago, Iris Levesque, Jerry Tarkanian’s secretary at Fresno State called me and said she wanted to throw a surprise birthday party for her old boss.  Since Tark’s birthday is August 8 and the date Iris picked for the party was September 17, I felt pretty certain he’d be surprised. 

The venue was the Ramada Inn.  Jerry was under the impression there was a meeting regarding his Fresno radio show.  Emails went out to the invitees with the bold message, “DO NOT TELL COACH.  THIS IS A SURPRISE.”  Somehow, there were no leaks.  Then, when he checked in at the front desk, the clerk looked up and said, “Oh Coach, you must be here for your party.”  Only in Fresno.

What did shock him was the guest list.  Seven of the players from the 1956 San Joaquin Memorial Panthers, his very first team, including all five starters, were in attendance.  I was asked to be the emcee.  When I was shown the list of people who wanted to speak, I thought the party might end on the 18th.

Each person got up to tell a Tark story and, as far as the meaning was concerned they were all the same.  How loyal a guy Jerry is, how incredibly humble and how much he meant to each of them was the gist of every person who spoke.  Naturally, because the guest of honor was Jerry Tarkanian, there were some beauties.

A lady from Los Angeles I didn’t know saw me before the festivities started and said she wanted to read a letter a friend wrote to Tark.  After she walked away, I asked Jerry if he knew the lady.  He said he didn’t but I knew that didn’t mean much considering the source.  It turned out the letter she read was from Chuck Negron who wished the coach a happy birthday and recounted a story about his junior college basketball team playing a game against Riverside CC when Jerry was the coach.  He wrote that their team knew they were great shooters and were sure they’d take down Riverside but Tark’s guys beat them because they were in better physical condition and wore them down with relentless pressure. 

The lady then mentioned the Chuck Negron went on to form a band and had a song that began, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog” and wrote a song with references to Jerry Tarkanian and his UNLV teams.  Only Tark would have the original leader of Three Dog Night, someone he’d never met, send him birthday greetings.  That’s the beauty of this guy.  If only people who criticized him actually got to know him.  So many people think he’s shady.

That reputation might have been enhanced when another speaker told of a trip Jerry and five of his friends went to a few years ago.  Jerry is a huge football fan.  In college he hung around with football players (one of his roommates was Darryl Rogers who later coached Michigan State and the Detroit Lions), Fresno State’s football coach, Clark Van Galder was his mentor and Jerry’s brother, Myron, was a football coach.  Every year he picks a big-time game to attend and gets the royal treatment from either the football or basketball coach from that school.

One year his entourage went to Notre Dame (I think it was during the Bob Davie era).  The night before their group went to an exclusive Italian restaurant.  It was a place you could only get into if you knew someone.  Jerry’s “in” was Digger Phelps.  During dinner, Dick Vitale joined the group.  All throughout dinner there was a table with six guys in very expensive suits looking over at them.  These were the type of guys with whom you wouldn’t choose to socialize.  Finally, the group stood and walked over to the table with Digger, Dickie V, Jerry and his five comrades. 

The “spokesman” of the group ignoring Digger and Dick, turned “Coach, we just want to tell you how much we enjoyed watching your teams play.  You guys were great.”  Jerry thanked them and then they left.  Someone at Jerry’s table asked him who the guys were.  Tark said he had no idea.  Digger mentioned it was impossible to get a table in that restaurant unless you “knew” somebody, so he called over the waiter and asked him to get the owner.  When the owner got to the table, Digger asked him who the six guys were. 

“Oh, that’s the John Gotti family.”  That’s Jerry Tarkanian.  People are drawn to him and he loves people.  I can’t think of anyone who knows Jerry who doesn’t like him.  He has incredible people skills, the number one being he makes other people feel important.

The side of Jerry Tarkanian most people don’t see occurred at the end of the speeches, when it was Jerry’s turn to take the microphone.  He thanked everyone and said how wonderful the people in Fresno were and how great it was to see all of them.  When he mentioned the seven guys - “and all five starters” - he broke down and took a few seconds to compose himself.  It was obvious how touched he was by seeing “his guys.”  At that moment, everyone there saw the realTark.  These weren’t the UNLV players from his national championship team.  Just a bunch of high school guys, all but one of them no bigger than 5′9″.    

When Iris asked me to be the emcee, loyalty was the overriding reason I agreed.  The reason she asked me, however, is because it’s known that nobody does a better job than I do - for free.  There are plenty of people out there who are far superior to me, but if you’re working with a low budget, I’m the king. 

When I first got to Fresno, Jerry asked me if I believed in free speech.  I said of course I did.  He looked up and said:

“Good.  You’re doing all of mine.”

College football coaches are always claiming their game is the ultimate team sport.  They make a pretty good case.  Some of the players have next to no athletic ability, yet are vital cogs in the success of the team because they can move people in their way or hold their ground as impenetrable walls.  Others are good at throwing, or catching, or running, but may not be as inclined to contact as some of their brethren.  As a former kicker, I remember speaking to another in our “fraternity” and recall him saying, “The other guys might resent that our uniforms are always clean, but when it comes to the end of the game, with the outcome on the line, they fully realize we’re the only player on the team who can deliver a win.”

Fans need to keep that all-for-one attitude in mind when discussing last night’s toying of the New York Giants by the Indianapolis Colts.  After hearing Tony Dungy, Peyton’s former “boss” respond to Dan Patrick’s pre-game question regarding who on the Colts made the call when it was 4th & 1, that let football fans know how valuable - and powerful - Peyton Manning was - and is.  Dungy’s answer was, “I did.”  When asked “What if Peyton didn’t like it?” the former coach said, “He’d better,” but then admitted that his QB could change it at the line of scrimmage.  This wasn’t said to illustrate Manning’s defiance, just to show how much Dungy respected all the preparation his on-the-field general did for each game.

Tom Coughlin is much more of an authoritarian leader and while he may give Eli Manning the same decision-making power (undoubtedly, Eli puts in an inordinate amount of preparation time for each game as well), it’s fairly well known throughout the league that the Giants’ QB is on a much shorter leash than his older brother.

While last night’s game may have been a testament to how seriously Peyton dislikes losing (the Colts were coming off an opening game loss), watching it showed one team’s other guys were better.  In all, Peyton Manning and the Colts had a sensational game plan, but their overall talent was far superior to their opponent’s.  Had the teams had each other’s quarterbacks, the score might have been different but the winner would have been the same.

Although one extremely talented individual can influence the outcome of a game, teamwork usually wins out in football.  Henry Van Dyke’s quote sums up the value of each player on a football team:

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

The preseason prediction for which team was going to college football’s national champion seemed relatively simple.  Alabama won it all last year, lost some talented players yet returned the core of its team, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, and kept their coaching staff intact.  In addition, it appears to be a down year in college football as the usual powers lost players they couldn’t replace, e.g. Florida and Tim Tebow, and there didn’t seem to be any up-and-comer who was about to burst on the scene. Sure, Boise State and TCU looked to be even better than last year but, really, if pressed, would anybody think either of those two would beat Alabama in a championship game?

Then, when the new season was about to begin, newspaper writers, talk show hosts and tv analysts (the “big” names) made their predictions and none selected the Crimson Tide.  After hearing and reading the first few, I thought that maybe these guys were taking the Sports Illustrated philosophy - pick a team that, while considered good, no one would imagine would wind up as the best in the country.  Then, if by some miracle, they did win it, people will say, “I don’t know how they did it.  They must have some great inside information.”  Not like that mag needs it, but a record boost in sales would be inevitable.  Instead, what usually happens is SI’s selection finishes (maybe) in the top 10 or, like the year they had Oregon State on the cover, the Beavers not only didn’t win the national championship, they, if memory serves me correctly, finished the season with a losing record.

This year, not only did Kirk Herbstreit pick his alma mater, Ohio State as the eventual champion, but he had them beating Auburn in the final game.  Apparently, Herbie felt the War Eagles would knock off Alabama during the regular season.  Talk about a gut feel.  Other chic selections were Texas, Florida (how anybody could pick them over Alabama this year is mind boggling) and a few others.

Some of these predictions looked wise after Marcell Dareus was suspended for the Tide’s first two contests and Ingram suffered a knee injury which would sideline him for those games as well.  “Roll Tide” wasn’t just a cheer as Alabama took no prisoners in those two encounters, as well as the first one, at Duke, after they returned.

It sure doesn’t look like anybody is clearly (or even opaquely) as good as Nick Saban’s troops.  Should the season play out as it looks, the prognosticators will be using Maxwell Smart’s old line:

“Missed it by that much.”