Tag: Culture in Sports

Strength Through Purpose

A year ago, talk show host Skip Bayliss criticized Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after admitting he was suffering from anxiety and depression after his brother’s suicide.  His admission was called a sign of weakness, […]

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Old School vs. New School

Major League Baseball did something pretty cool earlier this month.  They held a regular-season game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees in Dyersville, Iowa, at the site of the movie set […]

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Who is Accountable?

After five years of investigating, the NCAA levied sanctions against Baylor University for mishandling multiple sexual violence cases this week.  However, the penalties were not severe.  Several key players in the scandal escaped punishment.   Why […]

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Time for a New Season

The past two weeks have not been as I expected.  Two events I have waited for with anticipation, along with some trepidation, happened on July 23rd, the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and […]

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Building a Better World

We are nearly a week into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.  It has already proven to be an Olympics like none other in the past.  The best surprise is the lessons the greatest athletes in […]

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The New Land Rush

The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners sent shock waves to the landscape of college football this week by sending signals that they are seeking to leave the Big 12 conference and join the SEC. They […]

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It’s Time to Talk…Are You Ready?

There has been a recent culture shift, where athletes are now using their platform and resources to create spaces for open and honest conversations beyond their sport.  HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted is a show starring Lebron […]

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A Celebration of Hope

“The Olympics have the power to bring the world together, to inspire, to show what’s possible,” said World Health Organization boss Tedros Adhanom.  He added, “May the rays of hope from this land illuminate a […]

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Is This a Bad Dream?

Basketball is in the spotlight right now, but it is having a rough go of it.  The USA Olympic team is far from a “Dream Team,”  the long-awaited Space Jam 2 is getting terrible reviews, […]

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Heroes and Villains

This week, baseball has taken its annual midseason break to celebrate its heroes at the All-Star Game. In a season unlike any other, one hero has stood out by accomplishing feats never done before in […]

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Dear England

Winning an international soccer competition is brutal. Changing a culture is more challenging. Somehow, an unlikely leader has managed to accomplish the latter with a new vision based on clear values and patriotic identity. Today, […]

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The Rules are The Rules

Unfortunately, we will not see Sha’Carri Richardson compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics later this month. Richardson is the fastest female athlete in the United States and quite possibly the world. But she broke the […]

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Another Swing and Miss

Well, it was about time Major League Baseball took a stand! Clear and decisive action is required when players behave poorly. Without it, we risk anarchy. It’s essential to send a message to let the […]

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Grateful for the Dog Days

It happens every year around this time, but typically a little later and a tad bit less intense. The sun aligns with the star system Sirius and brings heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad […]

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Pay to Play?

Have youth sports become a pay to play business model? Are resources equally available to youth of all economic backgrounds? I would argue not. many club teams have scholarship opportunities, but is that enough, when […]

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It’s About Time!

The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously last Monday not to allow the NCAA to prohibit its student-athletes from receiving benefits related to their education. This decision opens the way to ending the current practice […]

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Make Up Your Mind, Please!

Major League Baseball does a great job of getting themselves in sticky situations. Unfortunately, the latest one is really sticky. Literally. Until a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of Spider Tack. I’m […]

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No Rest for the Weary

Recently an interview with Stephen Schoch, pitcher for the University of Virginia baseball caught my attention; not just because it was hilarious but because his comments struck a chord. When asked what makes him nervous, […]

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What a Mess!

It’s been three months now, and nobody seems to know what to do about the Deshaun Watson situation. What’s becoming clear is that the culture of the National Football League does not align with its […]

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Here We Go Again

Several months back I wrote about how we as fans contribute to the culture of the game, and yet we find ourselves here again. It seems a few people did not listen. This first week […]

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The Power of a Nemesis

The semi-vaccinated public is returning to large gatherings. For over a year, we have either been alone or with close friends and family members.  Consequently, now have to face our nemeses once again and learn […]

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50 Is The New 50

Phil Mickelson shocked the world and thrilled a large gallery last week by becoming the oldest major champion in golf history.  He held off a charge by a much younger Brooks Koepka to win the […]

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Sting Like a Bee

This past Thursday was World Bee Day, honoring the birthday of the world’s first beekeeper.  Its purpose is to acknowledge bees and other pollinators in the ecosystem.  It’s a good reminder for us to be […]

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Eat ‘Em Up, Kats!

Congratulations to the Sam Houston State Bearkats for winning the NCAA Football FCS Division championship last week.  It was a strange game that ended a peculiar football season, and, in many ways, it may have […]

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The Power of One

We know there is no I in team, but there can be one (or sometimes a few) player that heavily influences the team. I recently read about Miami Heat veteran player, Udonis Haslem, and his […]

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Testing is Failing

The Tokyo Olympics are in trouble.  The immediate issue is COVID-19.  Case rates in Japan are rising while vaccination rates are low.  It will take a logistical miracle to figure out protocols and rules on […]

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Winning the Week

Last week did not get off to a good start for my home team Houston Astros.  Their tour of shame entered the Bronx on Tuesday for a three-game set, and the Yankees fans did not […]

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Searching for Fat Tails

Big-time data analytics has arrived in college football.  FCS Division school Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina has hired Kevin Kelley to coach the Blue Hose next year in the Pioneer League.  Kelley has been […]

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Patience and Discipline

Getting drafted in the first round of the NFL draft is an incredible accomplishment.  Not only do you have to be a great player who has demonstrated the ability to play at the highest level, […]

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Can We Handle the Truth?

More so than other sports, Major League Baseball is woven tightly into the culture of our society.  The two evolve together.  Last weekend, the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed the second […]

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Find Your Flow

What has gotten you through the past year?  Have you taken up baking sourdough bread or nurturing a small jungle of houseplants?  According to psychologist Adam Grant, many of us have been in a state […]

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Not So Glad All Over

Sunday night’s announcement that twelve of the largest European soccer teams were pulling out of UEFA Champions League competition to form the new European Super League rocked the football world.  The reaction was loud and […]

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The Mindful Athlete

There are plenty of quotes and cliches about the mental aspect of sports. Mountaineer Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Mount Everest, once said: “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Muhammad Ali […]

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Hope is Dope!

“Dude, You’re On ESPN!” That’s what Dom Valdespino told his girlfriend, Hope Trautwein, after she completed the impossible last weekend, a perfect perfect game.  That’s right, two perfects.  Twenty-one batters came up, and twenty-one batters […]

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PIVOT!! PIVOT!!

When we hear the word “pivot” I’d be willing to bet many of us first think of Ross Geller’s famous “PIVOT!! PIVOT!!” Growing up a dancer, when I hear the word pivot, I think of […]

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Are We Burning Kids Out?

Youth sports are a staple of American culture, often viewed as the surest track to developing talented athletes. It makes sense — more practice time and more gameplay lead to better skill and fitness. For […]

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Zuzu’s Petals

“You died on a Saturday morning” No matter how many times I watch Forrest Gump, that line always gets to me.  Why did Jenny have to die?  She had worked so hard to overcome her […]

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The Wide World of Sports

We are all from somewhere, and this is important because it is the beginning of our story.  We don’t know how our story ends but we know where it started. Everybody has a story.  Each […]

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Straw, Sticks, or Bricks?

You can tell a lot about an organization’s culture or an individual’s character by how they handle setbacks.  There are two paths to go down, acceptance or denial. Setbacks are inevitable.  We know this.  Lately, […]

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It’s Time to Level Up

Athletes understand the importance of challenging themselves to reach the next level.  Yet, the organizations that support them are stuck in complacency.  As a sports fan, I continue to be amazed by the athletes in […]

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What is Your Why?

In January of 2021 Ryan Smith, the new owner of the Utah Jazz announced that for every Jazz win, they would award a 4-year full ride scholarship to a Utah high school senior to attend […]

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Are We Rooting For Laundry?

“The sea was angry that day, my friends.” Suppose you are, like me, a Seinfeld fan. In that case, you immediately recall this line and remember George Costanza’s speech at the diner explaining how he […]

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The Power of Inclusivity

In the summer of 2015, I had the opportunity to be involved with the Special Olympics World Games based in Los Angeles, California. I spent the whole week working the volleyball portion of the whole […]

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My Game of the Century

In Nebraska, where I grew up, everyone knows about the 1972 Nebraska-Oklahoma game. It is known as the “Game of the Century.”  Lyle Bremser’s call of the classic Johnny Rodgers punt return is legendary.  Still […]

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Rings of Loyalty

Okay, full disclosure here, even though this is only my second article, I may ruffle some feathers with these next few statements. I am a native New Englander, which means I have a passion for […]

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Forever Changing Goalposts

On Monday 22 February the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnston, unveiled the UK’s latest road map to lead the UK out of lockdown into the new ‘normal’ of existing with Covid. 12 April being the […]

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Flopping

Last week, LeBron James earned a warning from the NBA for his acting.  While his acting was not good enough to win at the Oscars or Golden Globes, it did fool the officials on the […]

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Black Sox and Whistleblowing

Anyone familiar with sports, and baseball in particular, is sure to have heard of the infamous 1919 scandal involving the Chicago White Sox and the allegations that they “threw” (no pun intended) the World Series […]

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Old School Behaviors

What do you do when a leader in your organization makes backwards and derogatory comments about a group of people you identify with? Do you quit? What if you are passionate about the organization’s mission? […]

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