Thirty-five ago, the U.S. Olympic hockey team was creating what came to be known as the Miracle on Ice. Under the stern leadership of coach Herb Brooks, the Americans upset the then-Soviet Union and capped a sports story for the ages with a victory over Finland. Brooks, whose tough style involved insults and at least […]
If you’re a boss or a coach, you want a great team. You want to build a champion! Here are some tips from Rajat Taneja of Electronic Arts. I’m struck in particular by No. 3, “Hire for uncommon strengths.” Too many people hire with the idea of avoiding weaknesses. Championship team-building involves hiring with strengths […]
A heat wave in the Northeast makes it a refreshingly good time to discuss someone who made his living on the ice. Wayne Gretzky is a Hall of Fame hockey player whose exploits earned him the nickname “The Great One.” What a nickname! But this post is not about hockey or Wayne Gretzky. It’s about […]
Pity the poor Cleveland Browns. Not only did they lose to the Detroit Lions, but their coach is making excuses about it. After Sunday’s last-second loss to Detroit, Cleveland Coach Eric Mangini suggested that the Lions faked injuries to slow his team’s no-huddle offense. “There were multiple, multiple, multiple injuries throughout our no-huddle process,” Mangini […]
Hall of Fame baseball player Sandy Koufax comes to mind today because in 1965 he declined to pitch in Game One of the World Series and instead attended synagogue on Yom Kippur. At the time, Koufax was the best pitcher in the world, and the Dodgers sorely missed him in Game One. He came back […]