Who would have thought just one year ago, as we watched the triumphant, history-making inauguration of Barack Obama that his dreams (and many of ours) of a re-energized, united and thoughtful nation would be mired in the same old political muck today that we have been for years? Who could have imagined that our economy would not have been transformed, and that all our soldiers would not be at home safe with their families? In our wildest dreams, could we have foreseen that the battle over Health Care Reform would linger long enough to likely be destroyed by a man who once posed naked in Cosmopolitan magazine? It truly boggles the mind.
The Democrats should buy a box of tissues and prepare for a disappointing year, as the election last night of Republican Scott Brown to the Massachusetts seat of Senator Edward Kennedy proves that the tide is turning away from the promises of “hope” and “change” and back toward the balance of “nothing will ever get done.” Barring a miracle, the mid-term elections in the fall will no doubt shatter the majority standing that the Dems have held and wasted for barely a year now. As usual, when we have the opportunity of a lifetime (and fail miserably), they have no one to blame but themselves.
Proof of how far off track they have gone since the sweeping wins of 2008 is evident in the victory of Mr. Brown in a state that has voted Democrat for decades. Although certainly qualified (with a 30 year tenure in the National Guard and several terms in the Mass. House of Representatives and Senate), Brown is the polar opposite of Kennedy in his agenda, meaning that the majority of voters don’t mind that many of Kennedy’s personal goals (like health care reform), will probably be defeated under Brown’s vote.
What does all this mean? Does it mean that the voters in Massachusetts don’t care about health care? I don’t think so. I think most American’s, even Republicans, care about health care (although the Republicans probably care more about keeping their guns, stopping abortions and preventing gay marriage. After those things, I’m pretty sure that “health care reform” is pretty high on the list). But truth be told, Americans want results. We’re a result oriented nation.
The Democrats made the same mistakes that the Republicans have made in the past, and both will surely make again in the future (sadly, politicians seem immune to the lessons of history). They fell victim to their own individual egos.
It does take a certain bit of arrogance to run for office in the first place. You have to be able to look in the mirror and see a person who not only believes in themselves, but also believes that masses of others should also believe in them. Once the results of that election prove that to be true, their arrogance is totally affirmed. By the time they actually take office, their actions and opinions are less about the people they are supposed to serve than their own self interests, self promotion and adherence to the narrow party line.
The thing that upsets most of us, at least those who don’t get so caught up in the political bravado of one side or the other being absolutely right, is that while all this posturing and finger pointing is going on, serious issues needed addressing:
Health Care Reform: Health care is a basic human right. I’m sorry, but if you can look at a sick child and say “sorry kid, your Daddy doesn’t have a good job with health care benefits, you’re gonna have to just suck it up,” then you’re lacking the one quality that is required to participate in this discussion, “humanity.”
I believe these are some Health Care issues that most people agree upon (regardless of party):
• Children and Seniors should have unlimited access to medical services and medicine, regardless of cost
• Medicare should be protected and senior coverage expanded with better drug affordability
• People should not lose their homes or go bankrupt trying to pay medical bills.
• “Pre-existing condition” rules should be outlawed.
• There should be a reasonable, low-cost insurance option for all Americans (but this does not mean it should be illegal not to have it).
That’s five things that would make a big difference in our current heath care environment. I’d have been happy if two of those things had been implemented this year (heck, I would have been pleasantly surprised with one). These could have been done incrementally. I have no problem with “baby steps.” That’s how I learned to walk, and it’s worked for me for a long, long time. I didn’t need them to torch everything all at once and start from scratch. I’d have been happy with progress…any kind of progress.
But the arrogance of our elected officials would not let that happen. On the contrary, they had a “mandate” from the American people! Nothing short of a complete and total overhaul would suffice. Even if that were possible, it would take much smarter folks than those who just don’t get that the words “universal health care” are about as friendly to the ears of the average American as the phrase “you have rectal warts.”
“All or nothing,” was apparently the mantra of some congressional democrats, and “nothing” just might be the final outcome. A year of time wasted and the hopes of possible change cast aside in the shadow of hubris.
But that's just one issue that is still spinning around unresolved and presumably going nowhere. Congress didn't have substantial time to waste on serious disagreements over the environment, education and the stabilization of our economy.
For those who are laughing at this and saying, “I told you so,” I wouldn’t be so quick to brag. Republicans lost miserably in the last election for the same kind of political posturing and failure of service, so why should you expect anything different from this batch of eggs born from the same disease riddled hen?
We’re in big trouble folks. America’s wheels are spinning on slippery ice, and no one is making an attempt to find traction. Until we kind find some common ground and put aside all the posturing and differences, it doesn’t matter how many back and forth elections we have, we’re not going anywhere.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Good Sports
I started writing a blog entry a few days ago about college athletes and the scholarships they receive. I didn’t get very far. A few paragraphs in and I hit a mental block. (I know what you are thinking, “But Bruce, you don’t know anything about college sports or college athletes, and probably even less about college athletic scholarships!” That is pretty much true, but that’s the great thing about my blog, I don’t have to know what I’m talking about, I just have to pretend to know what I’m talking about. Sorry to burst your bubble).
Like a lot of my blog ideas I started with the greatest of intentions and a focused idea, only to find myself wandering off on a strange tangent. A few paragraphs of inspiration and frenzied typing followed by a lot of blank staring. Those “lost” blogs end up sitting unfinished in a folder on my computer I call “brain-dead.” Unlike many of those incomplete documents, I’ll probably return to my scholarship blog at some point because I didn’t necessarily lose my inspiration for the idea, but instead got sidetracked by a shocking turn of events this week in Tennessee sports.
Now, those of you who know me (or at least think you know me) are laughing right now at the thought that I could possibly get worked up over even one sports story, let alone two. I am not a rabid fan who has plastered my car with blue, red or orange bumper stickers. I don’t paint my face and attend games, screaming until my voice is gone, and if I watch Sports Center twice a year, it’s a miracle.
My interest in sports is more in the area of communal pride. When I was growing up in Kentucky, it was all about basketball. Living halfway between the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, I was surrounded by sports fans that were obsessive in their undying love for their chosen team. Most in my town were adamant UK fans. They had the hats, the shirts, the jackets, the bumper stickers, the flags that hung outside their homes, and most importantly, the attitude. The mantra was, “I am for U of K and whoever is playing against U of L!”
I never particularly understood that way of thinking. My feeling was and still is that we had two great ball teams in Kentucky, and if either did well, it made us all look good. I’ve tried to explain that idea to rabid fans and I just get blank stares, but that’s okay. I appreciate the loyalty they have to their chosen team, and as long as the rivalry doesn’t get too ugly or personal, I figure it’s not that big a deal.
Many of these UK fans were family members, so when I chose to attend the University of Louisville based on my personal educational needs and not basketball…I was a bit of an outcast. I still remember the awkward silences and cold stares I received at get-togethers. Blue blood runs deep. They took the game and their team much more seriously than I did.
After marrying Connie and moving to Tennessee, I was introduced to a new sports culture. Basketball was an afterthought. Football was the game, and EVERYONE is a UT fan.
With no choice but to either join in or be a social pariah, I started watching the games and learning a bit about college football. Since there are far fewer college football games than there are basketball games, those ten or eleven Saturdays in the fall became events. Plans were made amongst family and friends to gather at whomever’s house had the biggest television. The chosen menu was chili, and I learned that Tennessee chili did not have spaghetti noodles in it like Kentucky chili, but instead required Frito’s, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. I realized that I had a lot to learn about Tennessee and their game of football.
My Cardinal red blood began to take on a blazing tinge of orange and I watched the Tennessee Volunteers through the end of the Johnny Majors coaching era and throughout the Phil Fulmer reign. I rooted for Quarterback Peyton Manning and cheered his replacement Tee Martin and the 1998 team as they won the National Championship. By 2008 I was invested enough to agree that after 16 seasons at UT, Fulmer needed to step aside and let someone else lead. It was time.
Lane Kiffin was announced as the new head coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers on December 1, 2008. Young and enthusiastic, he seemed like the perfect person to jumpstart the stalling team. In interviews he was brash, cocky and seemingly excited to be here. He brought with him an experienced group of coaches, including his NFL defensive legend father, Monte.
Despite a tough start to the 2009 season and a painful loss in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl game on New Year’s Eve, the team played well overall and he somehow performed a miracle and turned our quarterback Jonathan Crompton from a hit and (primarily) miss wannabe into a real offensive threat. It was an exciting, although sometimes frustrating, season to watch, but one that gave us great promise for the future.
Then…Lane Kiffin abandoned us.
Tuesday night, January 12, 2010 at approximately 8:40pm, as we are innocently sitting in our homes watching television, local channels cut into their regularly scheduled programming with the breaking news that Kiffin was apparently taking an offer to be head coach at the University of Southern California. First reactions seemed to be, “this has to be a mistake.” Then, as it became more obvious that it was not a mistake, shock, dismay and anger set in.
Some folks over-reacted. Many students on campus that night for the start of the spring semester the next day took to the streets and surrounded the athletic building where the announcement was being made. A mattress was burned and a big rock was spray painted with a multitude of profane threats toward Kiffin. Overall, the behavior was an embarrassment to the community, but not all that different than the reaction would have been at any other good sized college town. No arrests were made, no major property damaged (“no animals were harmed in the making of this protest”). College students don’t need much of an excuse to act crazy.
Kiffin’s justification for leaving was simple. Being head coach at USC was his dream job. He had been an assistant coach there for six years and this was the opportunity to go back and be the big man on campus. He explained that the Los Angeles area was home to him and his family. His children were born there. It was the only job that would make him leave Tennessee.
Pardon me while I wipe away a few tears. I love a happy ending.
So, those are the facts, give or take a few details. Kiffin came to Knoxville, signed a contract for multiple years for a TON of money (reported as two million annually, plus bonuses), assured the fans that this was the place he wanted to be and was appreciative of the opportunity. (Oh, did I forget to mention that just two months before he was hired at UT he had been fired as head coach of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders after a disastrously short run of only 5 wins and 15 losses? He was not the “Belle of the Ball” in any sense of the word. He was lucky to get the offer at the University of Tennessee, which he has since said is one of the top ten college football programs in the nation).
Now, I’ll be honest, after having some time to think about it, I can understand his decision. It was his dream job. We all have a dream job. (In my case it would be “not to have to work anymore and have plenty of money”). I’m sure that when he took the head coaching job at University of Tennessee he did not know that this new job would be coming available. Dreams are like that. We dream about them, but we don’t really expect them to come true.
Most of the frustration seems to be with the timing of his decision. One year is very short period in college football. It seemed like he had barely started. The image of his intoductory press conference was still fresh in our minds. I doubt that all the boxes moved into his new West Knox mansion had even been unpacked.
Worse than that, the stars aligned for him at an inopportune period for the Tennessee football program. New recruits were expected to start school the next day, and even more potential recruits are scheduled to visit UT over the next week or two. As news spread about the departure of Kiffin and the other coaches who will go to USC with him, many talented and sought after players are quickly reconsidering their decision to be a Volunteer. Fans who dreamed of a new start are now afraid that our team has been severely damaged.
In the big scheme of things, I don’t want to imply that this is a vitally important issue, particularly since on the same day Kiffin resigned from his little head coach job at UT the tragic earthquake in Haiti killed thousands and has left many thousands more injured and homeless. It’s just football, after all. It’s a game. Like almost everything else we usually worry about, it pales in comparison to the serious problems many people deal with day after day.
Still, I can’t shake the notion that there’s a bigger ethical dilemma lingering in this situation. How much do we owe to those to whom we’ve made a commitment? Can we simply walk away for our own selfish reasons? It’s a question that has plagued mankind throughout history: “How can I look out for Number One without causing a world of Number Two for others?”
Kiffin is not the first and certainly won’t be the last person to drop out of a commitment for personal reasons. It happens daily in marriages, jobs, and friendships; always with a “good reason” and usually followed by a half-hearted apology. It doesn’t take much for us to believe it will all work out for everyone as long as it appears to be working out for ourselves.
In an odd convergence on this theme, this week seems full of stories of commitment and honor (or lack of those things). NBC, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien are battling over contracts and what was implied or promised (I’m team Conan, by the way). Sarah Palin began her tenure at Fox News after quitting her elected position as Governor of Alaska last July (a move that upset many Alaskans, especially those who supported her). I guess when she said "I love my job, and I love Alaska. It hurts to make this choice, but I am doing what's best for Alaska," she meant that by earning millions on a book deal and countless more being on television, it would somehow help the working class of her state. It will be interesting to see how that works out.
At some point we are all faced with decisions that put our own self interests in conflict with others feelings or needs. How we deal with those decisions say a lot about our character.
As for Lane Kiffin, he’s made his bed and he’s gotta lie in it. He may have forgotten, as most of us do when we don’t consider the impact of our decisions on others, that in order to live the dream, we have to be able to sleep at night.
Like a lot of my blog ideas I started with the greatest of intentions and a focused idea, only to find myself wandering off on a strange tangent. A few paragraphs of inspiration and frenzied typing followed by a lot of blank staring. Those “lost” blogs end up sitting unfinished in a folder on my computer I call “brain-dead.” Unlike many of those incomplete documents, I’ll probably return to my scholarship blog at some point because I didn’t necessarily lose my inspiration for the idea, but instead got sidetracked by a shocking turn of events this week in Tennessee sports.
Now, those of you who know me (or at least think you know me) are laughing right now at the thought that I could possibly get worked up over even one sports story, let alone two. I am not a rabid fan who has plastered my car with blue, red or orange bumper stickers. I don’t paint my face and attend games, screaming until my voice is gone, and if I watch Sports Center twice a year, it’s a miracle.
My interest in sports is more in the area of communal pride. When I was growing up in Kentucky, it was all about basketball. Living halfway between the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, I was surrounded by sports fans that were obsessive in their undying love for their chosen team. Most in my town were adamant UK fans. They had the hats, the shirts, the jackets, the bumper stickers, the flags that hung outside their homes, and most importantly, the attitude. The mantra was, “I am for U of K and whoever is playing against U of L!”
I never particularly understood that way of thinking. My feeling was and still is that we had two great ball teams in Kentucky, and if either did well, it made us all look good. I’ve tried to explain that idea to rabid fans and I just get blank stares, but that’s okay. I appreciate the loyalty they have to their chosen team, and as long as the rivalry doesn’t get too ugly or personal, I figure it’s not that big a deal.
Many of these UK fans were family members, so when I chose to attend the University of Louisville based on my personal educational needs and not basketball…I was a bit of an outcast. I still remember the awkward silences and cold stares I received at get-togethers. Blue blood runs deep. They took the game and their team much more seriously than I did.
After marrying Connie and moving to Tennessee, I was introduced to a new sports culture. Basketball was an afterthought. Football was the game, and EVERYONE is a UT fan.
With no choice but to either join in or be a social pariah, I started watching the games and learning a bit about college football. Since there are far fewer college football games than there are basketball games, those ten or eleven Saturdays in the fall became events. Plans were made amongst family and friends to gather at whomever’s house had the biggest television. The chosen menu was chili, and I learned that Tennessee chili did not have spaghetti noodles in it like Kentucky chili, but instead required Frito’s, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. I realized that I had a lot to learn about Tennessee and their game of football.
My Cardinal red blood began to take on a blazing tinge of orange and I watched the Tennessee Volunteers through the end of the Johnny Majors coaching era and throughout the Phil Fulmer reign. I rooted for Quarterback Peyton Manning and cheered his replacement Tee Martin and the 1998 team as they won the National Championship. By 2008 I was invested enough to agree that after 16 seasons at UT, Fulmer needed to step aside and let someone else lead. It was time.
Lane Kiffin was announced as the new head coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers on December 1, 2008. Young and enthusiastic, he seemed like the perfect person to jumpstart the stalling team. In interviews he was brash, cocky and seemingly excited to be here. He brought with him an experienced group of coaches, including his NFL defensive legend father, Monte.
Despite a tough start to the 2009 season and a painful loss in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl game on New Year’s Eve, the team played well overall and he somehow performed a miracle and turned our quarterback Jonathan Crompton from a hit and (primarily) miss wannabe into a real offensive threat. It was an exciting, although sometimes frustrating, season to watch, but one that gave us great promise for the future.
Then…Lane Kiffin abandoned us.
Tuesday night, January 12, 2010 at approximately 8:40pm, as we are innocently sitting in our homes watching television, local channels cut into their regularly scheduled programming with the breaking news that Kiffin was apparently taking an offer to be head coach at the University of Southern California. First reactions seemed to be, “this has to be a mistake.” Then, as it became more obvious that it was not a mistake, shock, dismay and anger set in.
Some folks over-reacted. Many students on campus that night for the start of the spring semester the next day took to the streets and surrounded the athletic building where the announcement was being made. A mattress was burned and a big rock was spray painted with a multitude of profane threats toward Kiffin. Overall, the behavior was an embarrassment to the community, but not all that different than the reaction would have been at any other good sized college town. No arrests were made, no major property damaged (“no animals were harmed in the making of this protest”). College students don’t need much of an excuse to act crazy.
Kiffin’s justification for leaving was simple. Being head coach at USC was his dream job. He had been an assistant coach there for six years and this was the opportunity to go back and be the big man on campus. He explained that the Los Angeles area was home to him and his family. His children were born there. It was the only job that would make him leave Tennessee.
Pardon me while I wipe away a few tears. I love a happy ending.
So, those are the facts, give or take a few details. Kiffin came to Knoxville, signed a contract for multiple years for a TON of money (reported as two million annually, plus bonuses), assured the fans that this was the place he wanted to be and was appreciative of the opportunity. (Oh, did I forget to mention that just two months before he was hired at UT he had been fired as head coach of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders after a disastrously short run of only 5 wins and 15 losses? He was not the “Belle of the Ball” in any sense of the word. He was lucky to get the offer at the University of Tennessee, which he has since said is one of the top ten college football programs in the nation).
Now, I’ll be honest, after having some time to think about it, I can understand his decision. It was his dream job. We all have a dream job. (In my case it would be “not to have to work anymore and have plenty of money”). I’m sure that when he took the head coaching job at University of Tennessee he did not know that this new job would be coming available. Dreams are like that. We dream about them, but we don’t really expect them to come true.
Most of the frustration seems to be with the timing of his decision. One year is very short period in college football. It seemed like he had barely started. The image of his intoductory press conference was still fresh in our minds. I doubt that all the boxes moved into his new West Knox mansion had even been unpacked.
Worse than that, the stars aligned for him at an inopportune period for the Tennessee football program. New recruits were expected to start school the next day, and even more potential recruits are scheduled to visit UT over the next week or two. As news spread about the departure of Kiffin and the other coaches who will go to USC with him, many talented and sought after players are quickly reconsidering their decision to be a Volunteer. Fans who dreamed of a new start are now afraid that our team has been severely damaged.
In the big scheme of things, I don’t want to imply that this is a vitally important issue, particularly since on the same day Kiffin resigned from his little head coach job at UT the tragic earthquake in Haiti killed thousands and has left many thousands more injured and homeless. It’s just football, after all. It’s a game. Like almost everything else we usually worry about, it pales in comparison to the serious problems many people deal with day after day.
Still, I can’t shake the notion that there’s a bigger ethical dilemma lingering in this situation. How much do we owe to those to whom we’ve made a commitment? Can we simply walk away for our own selfish reasons? It’s a question that has plagued mankind throughout history: “How can I look out for Number One without causing a world of Number Two for others?”
Kiffin is not the first and certainly won’t be the last person to drop out of a commitment for personal reasons. It happens daily in marriages, jobs, and friendships; always with a “good reason” and usually followed by a half-hearted apology. It doesn’t take much for us to believe it will all work out for everyone as long as it appears to be working out for ourselves.
In an odd convergence on this theme, this week seems full of stories of commitment and honor (or lack of those things). NBC, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien are battling over contracts and what was implied or promised (I’m team Conan, by the way). Sarah Palin began her tenure at Fox News after quitting her elected position as Governor of Alaska last July (a move that upset many Alaskans, especially those who supported her). I guess when she said "I love my job, and I love Alaska. It hurts to make this choice, but I am doing what's best for Alaska," she meant that by earning millions on a book deal and countless more being on television, it would somehow help the working class of her state. It will be interesting to see how that works out.
At some point we are all faced with decisions that put our own self interests in conflict with others feelings or needs. How we deal with those decisions say a lot about our character.
As for Lane Kiffin, he’s made his bed and he’s gotta lie in it. He may have forgotten, as most of us do when we don’t consider the impact of our decisions on others, that in order to live the dream, we have to be able to sleep at night.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Obligatory New Years "Self-improvement" Blog
The New Year always brings the promise of new beginnings and the hope of discarding bad habits. For most of us that wave of optimism lasts until about January 10 (maybe the 15th if we’re really dedicated…or the 4th if we have to start back to work too soon after the holidays).
I did not make a list of resolutions this year. It’s far too depressing to start the year off with failure. Instead, I have chosen to relax and try to simply enjoy the year and the life I have been blessed with. That’s an entirely new concept for me.
I’m a world class worrier. I get that from my Mom, who worries about people she’s never met. Her current worry obsession is for that little kid in the bank commercial who doesn’t get a real pony. She’s sure that the child will be scarred for life. I’m not that bad, but I’m close.
I can’t recall the last time that I stopped to smell the roses. If it had even crossed my mind to do it, I’m sure I would have talked myself out of it for fear of getting stung by a bee.
Too often, I've let life grab me by the collar and drag me past the spectacular creations that surround us. Who knows how many rainbows I've missed? Or how many dew covered spider webs I've walked by without noticing? How many times have I looked through one of daughters beautiful smiles or tuned out the glorious melody of their laughter? All of these things, and more, are gifts. To ignore them is a crime against myself.
I need to learn to say "no" to the things that don't really matter, and "yes" to the questions that never get asked. I need to take a nap when I have the opportunity so that I can be refreshed and awake when those wonderful surprises of life fall into my lap.
It’s not going to be easy. I’m barely half way through the first week and I’ve already had some work stress and a restless, sleep deprived night…but that’s okay. Change isn’t easy and it is almost never quick.
I need to be more like the tortoise; patient and wise. I’ve already got the round shape, and I’m prone to retreat into my shell, so now I just need to get my short legs moving and stay steady on course.
I did not make a list of resolutions this year. It’s far too depressing to start the year off with failure. Instead, I have chosen to relax and try to simply enjoy the year and the life I have been blessed with. That’s an entirely new concept for me.
I’m a world class worrier. I get that from my Mom, who worries about people she’s never met. Her current worry obsession is for that little kid in the bank commercial who doesn’t get a real pony. She’s sure that the child will be scarred for life. I’m not that bad, but I’m close.
I can’t recall the last time that I stopped to smell the roses. If it had even crossed my mind to do it, I’m sure I would have talked myself out of it for fear of getting stung by a bee.
Too often, I've let life grab me by the collar and drag me past the spectacular creations that surround us. Who knows how many rainbows I've missed? Or how many dew covered spider webs I've walked by without noticing? How many times have I looked through one of daughters beautiful smiles or tuned out the glorious melody of their laughter? All of these things, and more, are gifts. To ignore them is a crime against myself.
I need to learn to say "no" to the things that don't really matter, and "yes" to the questions that never get asked. I need to take a nap when I have the opportunity so that I can be refreshed and awake when those wonderful surprises of life fall into my lap.
It’s not going to be easy. I’m barely half way through the first week and I’ve already had some work stress and a restless, sleep deprived night…but that’s okay. Change isn’t easy and it is almost never quick.
I need to be more like the tortoise; patient and wise. I’ve already got the round shape, and I’m prone to retreat into my shell, so now I just need to get my short legs moving and stay steady on course.
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