Is This The Best the NFLPA Can Do?

If I'm a union member in today's day and age I want intelligence and reason from my top representatives. The NFLPA head four years before the contract is up talking about the negotiations being headed for "small a armageddon" makes everyone look foolish. This the same week as NFLPA President Eric Winston saying that the revenue side of the game is the owners issue to deal with. "I think that’s their responsibility to make sure that people are watching this game, that the revenue continues to be generated. They always say, “We’re the business side of this, we’re the ones that produce the revenue,” so they need to go produce it. That’s the way I look it." I know the players are hoping for big changes to the CBA in 2021 but with these two in charge I don't like their odds.

NFL Players and the National Anthem

Below is the post I put up almost a year ago about Colin Kaepernick not standing for the national anthem. I still support those sentiments however I don't feel that it's working. I say this for a variety of reasons: First of all it bothers me that the method of delivering the message offends so many others. There are many methods NFL players could use to raise awareness of the issues of oppression, violence, race relations etc. I'm not sure choosing one that makes people so uncomfortable is the most effective. Secondly I think it's difficult to get others to join in with helping share your message when the delivery method you choose is so controversial. Michael Bennett wants white players to join in the protests to add credibility. If I'm an NFL player I would support the idea of working to raise awareness of these important issues, however there is zero chance that I would sit during the anthem. Finally, and probably the biggest reason I think this is no longer succeeding, very few of the discussions I hear about players not standing for the anthem actually mention why they are doing this and none discuss the issue in any depth. The message is being lost because of the controversial delivery method.

Last year's post: I don't love Colin Kaepernick's delivery method for his message but I'm glad to see a football player using his platform to raise awareness of an issue. There will be those who say it isn't effective but that's simply not true. The 49ers pledged a million dollars to organizations that work on issues of racial and economic inequality. That is just one example of the positive reactions.
Some feel it's disrespectful to veterans to not stand during the anthem. I respect that opinion. Mine is that those heroes fought (and continue to fight) to give us freedoms. Arguably the most important of those is freedom of expression.
Some comment that he makes X number of millions of dollars a year how can he be oppressed? By that logic I have to stop supporting the local food bank because I have a house full of food.
"The purpose of influence is to stand up for those who have none" Rick Warren

LeBron's Comments

Really disappointed that the media is focusing on LeBron's shot at Trump rather than the positive message he put forth. There are a lot of young people who look up to LeBron and I have a lot of respect for him using the platform available to him. For those who didn't hear it, here is the text:

"I have this platform and I'm somebody that has a voice of command, and the only way for us to be able to get better as a society and us to get better as people is love. And that's the only way we're going to be able to conquer something at the end of the day. It's not about the guy that's the so-called president of the United States, or whatever the case. It's not about a teacher that you don't feel like cares about what's going on with you every day. It's not about people that you just don't feel like want to give the best energy and effort to you. It's about us. It's about us looking in the mirror. Kids all the way up to the adults. It's about all of us looking in the mirror and saying, 'What can we do better to help change?"

Thoughts from Cuba

     I returned yesterday from a seven day trip to Cuba. I know all inclusive vacations are about the relaxing and getting away but going to another country I think what you learn and how it changes you and hopefully the way you live your life is important. 
     The drive from the airport was an eye opener for the kids. Seeing the style of the houses, stores, towns etc. was a big change for them as they hadn't been anywhere other than Canada and the United States. As we rode the bus and looked at the houses I asked the kids whether they now understood why I say we're rich. Their responses indicated that they understood the point. 
     Driving through the three towns on the way to the resort it hit me that at all the houses we drove by where people appeared to be home the people were either sitting and watching TV or sitting on the porch with a drink. I commented to my wife that even in a country that looks and lives so differently at the end of the day the people come home and sit and watch TV or sit out on the porch. 
     Ultimately the things that really made me think came from a friendship I formed with Henry a Cuban guy who worked at the resort. The kids and I played a lot of chess with him and it turned out we had a lot in common. We were close in age, had similar childhood experiences and both had young sons. Henry and I had good conversations about life, raising children and what's important. He had some experience traveling to other countries due to a past as a competitive swimmer and spoke reasonably about what he viewed as the positive and negative aspects of each of our cultures. His views made me realize that the Cuban life was a lot different than what I envisioned. Our conversations also made me realize that at the macro level we really weren't that different. Two men who go to work every day, come home and try to do the right thing in raising our children and the way we live our lives. A lot of micro level differences but establishing that friendship was an eye opener for me.
     The lack of access to technology, certain foods and some freedoms etc. were definite concerns of Henry's about the Cuban life. However he also raised concerns with the Canadian system's potential lack of fairness in raising children based on parent's money, influence etc. Also about the impact of video games and similar technology to raising children versus what he referred to as the more natural way his son would be raised in Cuba playing sports, fishing, camping etc. The most interesting conversation points between us though were about Canadians spending their lives chasing consumer goods and the stress it can create. 
     To me this is the real value of traveling to other countries and understanding other cultures. The things it makes you consider and hopefully the resulting positive changes that you make in your own life. I hope I can use the knowledge and perspective that I gained to improve my life and that of my family. 
     
         

Freedom

     This Christmas I'm thankful for freedom.  Specifically the ongoing increase in freedom from bigotry and prejudice that our society is experiencing.  I'm thankful that a male friend got engaged to his boyfriend and it was only interesting because he got engaged. I know there is still a long way go but right now  I'm thankful for how far we have come.

Life is lived forwards but can only be understood backwards

Paraphrasing a bit but heard a great life lesson the other day: A guy stops and asks someone for directions. The guy giving the directions says: keep going the way you're going and you will come to a narrow bridge with Dave's restaurant on the left. The road you want is on the left about half a mile before that. The guy crossed the bridge and started watching but didn't come to the road. He eventually repeated the directions to himself and realized the error. As he was driving back the way he came to find the road he thought to himself how similar it was to life: Many times we don't know know which way we're supposed to choose until we're already past the road.

Redskins

Sometimes I think our society goes too far with the idea of political correctness but I'm with football writer Peter King on this one:

A note from me about the use of the nickname “Redskins.”
I’ve decided to stop using the Washington team nickname. It’s a name you won’t see me use anymore. The simple reason is that for the last two or three years, I’ve been uneasy when I sat down to write about the team and had to use the nickname. In some stories I’ve tried to use it sparingly. But this year, I decided to stop entirely because it offends too many people, and I don’t want to add to the offensiveness. Some people, and some Native American organizations—such as the highly respected American Indian Movement—think the nickname is a slur. Obviously, the team feels it isn’t a slur, and there are several prominent Native American leaders who agree. But I can do my job without using it, and I will. My 2,400-word story on Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and his unique approach to the read-option Thursday proved you can write about the team (insightfully, I hope) and not make a big deal about not using the nickname.
I have no idea if this is the right thing to do for the public, or the politically correct thing to do, and I’m not going to sit here and
ry to preach about it and tell you if you like the name you’re wrong or if you hate the name you’re wrong. I can just tell you how I feel: I’ve been increasingly bothered by using the word, and I don’t want to be a part of using a name that a cross-section of our society feels is insulting.
I’m not speaking for my staff at The MMQB, or at Sports Illustrated. I haven’t ordered anyone who works at our new website to not use the name; it will be up to each person to decide. We had some discussions as a staff about the nickname in August, and I said in those discussions I didn’t want our site to use it. But I felt after some thought that it’s not my place to order people who I work with to do something they may not be comfortable doing. So I decided to make my own decision, then allow the other writers and editors on the site to do what they want. Also, we won’t be changing quotes to eliminate the name in stories, or editing it out of pieces from outside contributors who choose to use it. It will also appear in web tools that categorize stories for searches.
Some of you will view this as grandstanding. Some of you will wonder: You’ve covered the NFL for 30 seasons, and just now you realize this nickname is objectionable? All I can say is, you grow in your business, and you grow as a person, and you try to always be open to ideas and to what others are thinking. I told someone the other day: “That’s right. I changed my mind about it—just like I changed my mind and voted for Art Monk for the Hall of Fame.’’ Some will say you won’t read me, or the site, anymore. That’s okay. It’s a free country. Here’s what it came down to for me: Did I want to be part of a culture that uses a term that many in society view as a racial epithet? The answer kept coming back no—and now that I have been charged to run a website, I thought I would finally do what felt right to me.

Accountability

     J's ball hockey team lost 10 to 4 today. His team was in first place and the other team was winless. A kid on the other team scored seven goals. It was a monster effort. He worked his butt off fighting for the ball all game long. J's team's effort was weak at best.
     After the game I followed J's team into the dressing room to pick him up. The coach immediately launched into whining about how hard it is to compete when the other team's best kid is able to play 90% of the game because they only had eight players. Is this really what we want our kid's coaches to be? Apologists and excuse makers when the kids themselves haven't given a good effort? Personally I think the coach owes it to the kids to be honest with them. As a parent I put my kid in sports so they can get exercise and learn about a variety of things: being part of a team, competition, accountability, decision making, the value of hard work and practice and many more. This type of coaching helps with none of that.

Preseason

     Heard a great quote recently attributed to Emmitt Smith: "All men are created equal. Some work harder in preseason.". I think this is a great concept and I try hard to teach it to my children particularly my son where his sports are concerned. I tell him it's perfectly ok to play a sport recreationally. To show up once a week, play the game and let the chips fall where they may. However if you are going to complain about losing and you want to play better, win etc. it's all about how hard you work in between games. Despite what many in this world seem to believe you can't improve very much by complaining. You have to get up and do something. Practice, reflect, strategize, exercise, work on skills etc. depending on what it is you are trying to excel at. It's ok to dabble in something and just have fun with it. However if you are going to complain about your results do something about it. The time to do something about it is in preseason. For us everyday folk that means in between games, in the driveway or the basement gym when it would be easier to be watching TV, at work when others have slowed down and are spending the last hour of the day chatting, on Saturday afternoon when it would be more fun to be sitting around drinking beer etc. Work on your craft, work toward your goal and then you will beat the ones you started out equal to.   

Great Reaction From the Catcher

Some of you have probably heard me rant about "participation" medals, not keeping score in kid's sports etc. Frankly I think sports and competition are great tools for raising young people. That being said I LOVE the catcher's reaction to this home run. This is the type of passion sports should be played with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CmwMyQn5wg&feature=player_detailpage#t=42s

It's More Important To Be Kind Than To Be Right

     Yesterday a woman knocked on the door. The kids answered and she asked to speak to an adult. When I got there she started to pull some material out of her book. I have little patience for door to door people at the best of times let alone Sunday morning. I coldly told her I wasn't interested and shut the door. A few minutes later sitting on the couch Jason asks: "Dad why couldn't you have been nice to that woman and heard what she had to say?".......sometimes it takes a kid to re-adjust our values. It's more important to be kind than to be right. We shouldn't forget this because we're busy or tired or have our own petty grievances.

Role Models

      Found this quote today: "Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating. Youngsters need good models more than they need critics. It's one of a parent's greatest responsibilities and opportunities." - John Wooden
     Something that amazes me is when I see parents doing things in front of their kids that I can't imagine they would want their kids to do. Yelling at their kids is a good example lol. Seriously though I think we all can take some time and reflect on what behaviours we want our kids to model and then try to do more of them. Surely we can't aspire to have our children cut people off in traffic, be rude to strangers, cut in line at stores or amusement parks etc. etc. etc. I think a good thought moving forward for the New Year would be to try and consider that the little people are always watching and ultimately they will learn how to behave as adults from watching the adults they are around the most: us. 

Facebook

      I think sometimes businesses etc. lose their way when they start catering outside their target audience. I think it happened when the NHL tried the glowing puck etc. to try and get people who didn't care about the game to care about the game. I think it happens in baseball when they try to find ways to speed up the game. The true baseball fan is sitting in the stands in the sun with a beer (or several) and isn't complaining about the speed of the game.

      It seems like the same thing is happening on Facebook. I like Facebook. Always have. I like that it helps me keep up with what friends are doing, thinking etc. It seems like now people are being chastised for doing what made Facebook what it is. I see lots of posts (and may be guilty of jokingly sharing a few) saying: don't share your political views, or I don't care if you went to the gym or what you had for dinner.                     

      Personally I say update it. I want to see it. I like knowing what is going on in my friends lives. If someone posts too much stuff you don't want to see and you can't just ignore it then hide their updates or change which ones you see. I like the original way people used Facebook and I hope people continue to do it.

Voting

"We have a duty to another very special group of patriots: our veterans. Do we really understand the sacrifices they have made, that they fight for our right to be free? Voting is a fundamental demonstration of gratitude to those who have risked and even given their lives for us." Harvey Mackay

I actually don't agree with the word duty in this context. To me the people who fought for our freedom gave us freedom that allows us the maximum amount of choice possible without infringing on the rights of others. This includes not voting if that is what you wish. However that being said I think voting is incredibly important and is a great gesture of respect to our veterans. 

"Impress upon children the truth that the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform; that a man may not incorrectly trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself and that every measure he supports has an important bearing in the interests of others as well as on his own." Daniel Webster

What I'm Thankful For (2012 edition)

     First of all I'm most thankful for the safety we enjoy living where we live. It constantly gives me pause for thought when I read stories of people being blown up at the market etc. in other countries. I'm also thankful that living in Canada we're free to think and say whatever we want. It's hard to imagine in this day and age there are countries where people get thrown in jail for speaking against the government or where things like Google results are censored.
      I'm thankful for the health of my family. We all are constantly inundated with friends, acquaintances, stories etc. of health problems taking people too young or negatively impacting the quality of life. I'm thankful that this year our health system fixed my wife's back problems so she can live normally again.
      I'm thankful for my family. My beautiful wife who after eighteen years together still so obviously loves me and supports me. She is the most caring, nicest woman I know. It's so amusing to see her at bedtime one by one being asked to lie in everyone's bed and cuddle them to sleep. My wonderful daughter who is interested in everything and has the same heart as my wife. Always wanting to do nice things for others. My son whose life revolves around sports already at seven. The pure joy I get to watch him experience when he makes a catch or hits a ball a long way.
      I'm thankful for friends. I lost one particular one this year that gave me a lot of reason to think. I'm glad that because of that I have made more of an effort to have important conversations with friends and to work on building a circle I can confide real feelings to.
      I'm thankful for my job and the company I work for. I look around at the life I live with the nice house on the quiet, tree-lined street and all the things I am able to do for my children and I know that a lot of my success was just the dumb luck of getting hired where I work. The less obvious thing that I am grateful to my work for is teaching me a way of thinking. As a lot of those who work there will tell you there is a real logical, methodical way of thinking that is ingrained into the culture. Learning to think this way has really helped me succeed in other areas of my life.
      I'm thankful for whatever it is that attracts me to do the things I do to help others and for the skill set I have that allows me to help them. It's really wonderful to have the opportunities that I do to make a difference in the lives of others and I am grateful that people and organizations trust me to do those things on their behalf.
      Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Freedom of Speech

How is it possible that a politician in the USA can suggest that anyone should: "inhibit such expressions"? Democrat, Republican, pro or anti gay marriage the suggestion from a member of the government that this person's employer should attempt to control what they say is disturbing.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/ravens/story/2012-09-07/brendan-ayanbadejo-gay-marriage/57680822/1

 

The Spirit of Canada

Saw something the other day that I think captured the spirit of Canada. I wish I could have taken a picture but I think it would have been inappropriate. We were at the Toronto Zoo and they had a really nice splash pad. Sitting there while my kids played I noticed a couple also sitting there and the woman was covered except her face as is traditional in some religions. I then looked where they were looking and saw what I assume was their daughter dressed the same way but fully enjoying the splash pad. Fully covered but soaked and enjoying it the same as the kids in bathing suits etc. Very cool.

A Complete Idiot

     I often feel bad and sometimes defend politicians and other famous people when an off the cuff comment they make turns into a media firestorm. I think it has to be difficult having every word you say scrutinized and people just waiting for you to say the wrong thing so they can use it to attack you. However there is a point where what you said wasn't a mistake and you're just a complete idiot. Todd Akin is a great example of that.

Letter to the editor about Hospice.

http://www.simcoe.com/community/alliston/article/1370215


 In the Month of May Matthews House Hospice held two important fundraising events. On May 6 we participated in the national Hike for Hospice campaign. The Matthews House hike was held at Spring Creek Park in Alliston. This event raised over $55,000 and boasted the top fundraiser in the country in our president Marv Chantler who alone raised over $24,000 and the top team in the country which was our board of directors who collectively raised over $37,000.
The top five non board individual fundraisers were Sally Taylor, Wayne Murray, Maureen Dilbey, John Wigle and Sharon Crosby. The top five non board teams were Caregivers, Hiker Chicks, The Cork and Vine Winers, Ted and Jamie Remax and Matthews House Staff.
We had outstanding support from the community including Mayor Mike MacEachern, Deputy Mayor Rick Milne and our Member of Parliament Dr. Kellie Leitch as well as 150 hikers and many donors and sponsors.
On May 29 the first-ever Matthews House Hospice golf tournament was held at the Nottawasaga Inn Ridge course. Despite being cut short by rain the participants indicated that they had a great time and approximately $5,000 was raised for Matthews House. Sixty-six golfers, 18 hole sponsors and several volunteers made this event a big success. Thank you so much to our community and all the individuals and businesses who came together to help Matthews House raise funds so we can continue to offer our support to the community.
Matthews House Hospice offers caring, compassionate, in-home non-medical support for people with a life threatening diagnosis, their caregivers, and those dealing with grief due to the death of a loved one. Some of the ways we can help are: Providing information to our clients and to the community about options available for living with a diagnosis, providing support groups and courses/workshops for those with a life threatening diagnosis, their caregivers and for the bereaved at Matthews House and by providing one on one and group support to adults and children who are grieving the loss of a loved one. All services are provided free of charge.

Rob Holliday,
Director and Events Committee Chair,
Matthews House Hospice

Growth In Wisdom

“Growth in wisdom may be exactly measured by decrease in bitterness” Friedrich Nietzsche

This one made me stop and think this morning. I realized when considering people I know that as we are getting older my friends and acquaintances do seem to be polarizing as far as their level of bitterness. My take on it is that it seems to correlate with the level to which they take on the victim ideology. I think that as we reach the age where we start to reflect on our lives many who haven't gotten where they wanted to be become bitter at the world. Others who have or who for whatever reason have decided to assume responsibility for themselves become more grateful for what they have.