Working Smart
Set Yourself on Fire
Years after his retirement, Hall of Fame baseball player Ty Cobb attended an Old Timers’ Day celebration at Yankee Stadium.
A reporter approached Cobb and asked him, “If you were playing in the modern era, what do you suppose your batting average would be?”
Cobb replied, “About .300.”
“Only .300?” said the startled reporter. “You have the highest [...]
Your Actions and Words
Paula Deen, who creates high-fat, high-calorie recipes, is eating less of her own creations these days. That’s because she has diabetes, a fact she never mentioned for years while serving up yummy but artery-clogging items.
“I’ve always said, ‘Practice moderation, y’all.’ I’ll probably say that a little louder now,” Deen said Tuesday after revealing her diagnosis [...]
What Successful Coaches Saw as Kids
Over the weekend I had the chance to hear a talk by sports psychologist Dr. Gloria Balague.
Among her remarks was a look at successful coaches and how they were shaped by their childhood experiences.
Dr. Balague said that when these successful were young:
* Their youth coaches were passionate about sport.
* Their coaches were positive [...]
Capt. Sullenberger’s Withdrawal
In a town where Babe Ruth, Joe Namath and Willis Reed won championships, no one has ever performed with as much skill under pressure as Sully Sullenberger did three years ago today.
In command of an airliner disabled shortly after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Sullenberger put the craft safely into the Hudson River, [...]
Passion and Problem-Solving
Here’s a different point of view on something you’ve heard a lot: follow your passion.
It comes from Oliver Segovia, a young author and entrepreneur, who argues that following your passion can leave you feeling empty (as well as poor). Segovia instead suggests finding big problems.
“Happiness comes from the intersection of what you love, what you’re [...]
Five Things Great Coaches Know
The mood at a coaches clinic always excites me. People are there because they want to be, not because they have to be. They want to learn. They talk shop.
Right now I’m in Elmhurst, Ill., speaking to the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association. While here I’ve already met great coaches. One of them [...]
Is Today Your Lucky Day?
A wise man once described the difference between superstition and ritual.
Superstition is doing things to avoid something bad. Rituals mean doing certain things to make something good happen.
Superstition involves belief in things beyond your understanding and control. Rituals are a way to organize the things that you can control.
All this comes to mind on Friday [...]
Why the Jets Picked Joe Namath
You can make the case that Super Bowl III, which took place on Jan. 12, 1969, was the single most important sports event in the history of North America.
Without that game, in which the New York Jets defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts 16-7, there might not be a Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 [...]
How the 49ers Turned It Around
In his first year as coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Coach Jim Harbaugh led the team to its first playoff berth since 2002. On Saturday the 49ers host the New Orleans Saints, another franchise that has prospered after decades of futility.
How? How do turnaround artists show people how to win?
Harbaugh said something that really [...]
Big-Time College Sports
Congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide for its victory over LSU in the BCS Championship football game in New Orleans.
That being said, I find it hard to get too excited over anything in big-time college sports. People who love the college game always point to the spirit and youthful enthusiasm on campus. That may be [...]
