I thought I’d pay homage to the MMQB for producing really intelligent pieces about football this off season. As I move into the tackle world I start to real recognize that football is about human stories and about insider and outsider groups. I see that insider/outsider dynamic very clearly in the division between coaches and parents on my son’s team. The coaches are a click–almost a family. They are often the fathers of the best players (at the very least the fathers of the kids who get the ball) and have come to these relationships through the trials of past seasons and friendships that have come to extend beyond the playing field. In truth, the majority of my (local) male relationships were built that way. It only stands out to me now because I am clearly on the parent side of the equation–an outsider who can only stand and watch and hope that my kid can play to the level deserving of touches.
The learning curve from flag to tackle is steep. Not only have I had to reach back years into my memory in order to remember the last time going through tackle drills, the offensive and defensive schemes are more advanced than before. Now, as a learner and perhaps future OC, I’m having to think about blocking assignments beyond merely the skill positions. I spent this last practice watching the team move through formations and picking out the possible plays and audibles out of those formations. It was good fun for me, and it showed me all the strengths and weaknesses of the team’s coach. One weakness is the lack of a backup QB.
I’m not quite ready to pull out a clipboard and get to work. I believe this summer’s basketball experience will be really helpful because I’ll be working with 6-7 year olds who don’t want to listen or do anything resembling teamwork. I’ll have to find a method through that and learn how to become a better manager. I’ll have to do something new with it all too, because the old way is limited and I’ve hit the wall.
Some Thoughts:
- This body as temple ideal has turned into more of a distant ideology for me. My body is filled with junk food, excess fat, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Nothing I usually do to get my mind, body, and spirit in sync in working, which I suppose is the core reasoning behind trying to do things a different way.
- They’re going to make this officer-involved murder about race, but it shouldn’t be. They in this case are the media and the people with a bone to pick. I haven’t seen evidence of systemic racism in this situation. I have seen a very terrible officer do something he immediately went all “Chicago PD” on and get caught doing it. One media truth: Without the video we would be hearing a very different narrative about the shooting… Or not hearing about it at all..
- 1798 was the year the USA established the Marine Corps. This was, in part, a political response to the very brief French-American war of the same year. I’ve often believed that wars are declared for financial reasons more than moral or political. Wars make money and enable national funds to be spent in very specific ways. Nowadays we outsource our war capabilities to multi-billion dollar corps. I fear this too is a mistake, because a publicly traded company is beholden to its stockholders and not to the quickest path to peace. There is more profit in continuing conflicts than ending them.