Today, I continued the assault on Baylor football. Their lack of leadership is clearly evident and makes us ponder just how wrong Vince Lombardi was - winning is not the 'only thing' character is far more critical.
I opened with a great, great quote from Abraham Lincoln:
This says it all in my opinion. I have some friends still in Texas - and there are many people who judge Briles by how he treated them - and I get that, but the truth of the matter is that he and Starr failed the entire campus. They are supposed to be developing leaders, but they failed to lead by example.
Yes, today I use my words to maybe send my own little message. Will it get heard or seen outside of DSA? Difficult to say. What I can say is that I know for sure some executives at Nike will see the work, because my wife emails it to a couple of them - but this is an issue where sports, football in particular, can change the world if they have the integrity and character to do so. If we are to call football 'just a game' then we do a disservice to the impact and power its players and coaches have as leaders. It is more than just a game - and it's time that all of this money poured into the game reaps a benefit for all of society and not just a few.
If, as Abraham Lincoln implies, character is how you handle power, then it past the time for those in power to have the character to make a change for the better. That time has come and gone and they must not just respond to this crisis, but be proactive to change the manner in which athletics integrates with society.
Flock Talk: The Oregon Way
I opened with a great, great quote from Abraham Lincoln:
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln
This says it all in my opinion. I have some friends still in Texas - and there are many people who judge Briles by how he treated them - and I get that, but the truth of the matter is that he and Starr failed the entire campus. They are supposed to be developing leaders, but they failed to lead by example.
Yes, today I use my words to maybe send my own little message. Will it get heard or seen outside of DSA? Difficult to say. What I can say is that I know for sure some executives at Nike will see the work, because my wife emails it to a couple of them - but this is an issue where sports, football in particular, can change the world if they have the integrity and character to do so. If we are to call football 'just a game' then we do a disservice to the impact and power its players and coaches have as leaders. It is more than just a game - and it's time that all of this money poured into the game reaps a benefit for all of society and not just a few.
If, as Abraham Lincoln implies, character is how you handle power, then it past the time for those in power to have the character to make a change for the better. That time has come and gone and they must not just respond to this crisis, but be proactive to change the manner in which athletics integrates with society.
Flock Talk: The Oregon Way
