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 […]
Here’s a follow-up on yesterday’s post on concussions. It concerns a fatality that occurred on the Montclair High School football team in New Jersey. It serves as a sobering reminder of the need for safety in all sports programs. Another article, this one published a decade ago, details the end of a hockey career. Brett […]
A man is walking past a pet store and sees a sign that says, “Talking Bird Inside.” He enters the store and asks the owner to show him this amazing merchandise. Sure enough, the bird is talking! He is telling the story of a long career as a spy, complete with dangerous missions and high […]
“Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.” ~ Adam Hochschild For two straight playoff series, the Cleveland Cavaliers not only looked unbeatable, they in fact were unbeatable. They played eight games and won them all, winding up in the Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic. Then suddenly they were no longer unbeatable. […]
This time of year brings to mind one of my favorite stories from my days of covering pro hockey. The New York Islanders were deep into the playoffs, and one of their top players, Bryan Trottier, was being interviewed after a victory. Someone asked Trottier how he felt about the way things were going. “Scared,” […]
“Carelessness does more harm than a want of knowledge.” — Benjamin Franklin As the Stanley Cup playoffs open, one of my favorite hockey stories comes to mind. It takes place in the years 1980-83, when the New York Islanders were winning four straight championships. Mike Bossy was a key player for that dynasty, a highly […]