Thursday, September 24, 2009

A character moment

A reprint of my Sept. 17 column published in the Woodford Sun.

You probably missed it unless you were paying close attention.

On any given day, sports fans will find stories on ESPN, or in their local newspaper, chronicling athletes in trouble. Drunks. Wife beaters. Boorish behavior.

I never lack for subject matter when it comes time to award my weekly puck to the head.

Actions displaying class, sportsmanship and grace tend to get lost in the media noise.

But sometimes, within the swirl of negativity, something happens that restores my faith in humanity – something to remind me that behind every negative headline, hundreds of positive stories go unnoticed.

I experienced one of those moments at the Woodford County – North Bullitt football game Saturday night.

Had I not been paying attention, I probably would have missed it.

During Woodford’s first offensive series, starting Jacket quarterback Ryan Garrahan overthrew his receiver. The result – an Eagle interception.

During Woodford’s second offensive series, Garrahan stood on the sidelines, holding the proverbial clipboard, watching as sophomore Matt Couch took the reigns of the Yellow Jacket offense – his offense.

Garrahan knew it was coming. Coach Chris Tracy told him earlier in the week that Couch would get a shot with the offense in the third or fourth series.

But not now. Not like this.

If you weren’t playing attention, you probably missed the next part.

In that moment, standing on the sideline, Garrahan won a victory far bigger than the one the Jackets would win on the field that night. He won a victory over his own human nature. His own selfishness. His own desire to shine.

Ryan Garrahan made a choice. He chose not to pout. He chose not to hang his head. He chose to put his team ahead of himself.

“I understand him giving Matt that shot because I made that mistake,” Garrahan said. “The win is the most important thing.”

Garrahan spent the entire game engaged. He was calling plays on the sideline, and he was the first player to run up and hug Couch after the sophomore threw his first touchdown pass.

He wasn’t crying, he was encouraging. He wasn’t whining, he was cheering. He wasn’t sullen, he was exuberant.

I talked to Ryan on the Monday after the game. He wasn’t happy about being yanked. I could see it in his eyes. And I wouldn’t respect him if he accepted the situation without some anger. But throughout the course of our conversation, he constantly reminded me that team comes first.

Ryan wants to be a good quarterback. But more than that, he wants to be a good teammate.

That fact wasn’t lost on his coach.

“I give a lot of credit to Ryan. Ryan was on the sidelines calling plays. He was Matt Couch’s biggest supporter,” Tracy said.

After the game, Garrahan stepped up and led his team in prayer, just as he always does.

“Having that opportunity to share that with my teammates is important. It’s a priority to me.”

Perhaps that faith explains how the youngster stays so grounded.

Yes, the Jackets remain his team. He may not spend the rest of the season calling plays from behind center, but that doesn’t diminish his role. This is his team. He’s its leader.

Tracy said that Ryan will have other opportunities on the field as the season progresses.

“He’s important to us.”

But I think he’s already made his biggest contribution to Woodford football. He made it standing on the sideline demonstrating true manhood.

And to think, I would have missed it if I hadn’t been paying attention.

Quick Shots

On Sept. 10, the Woodford County High School volleyball team took the floor to face district opponent Western Hills. For the first time in my tenure as sports editor of The Sun, I walked into the Hive expecting the Jackets to win. This team has experienced quite a turnaround in one season. They play with confidence, they are competitive and they’re a lot of fun to watch. And along with the improvements on the court, they are raising expectations.

The University of Kentucky football team survived the bye-week and remains undefeated. I would expect the win streak to continue against the University of Louisville this week. After that, it’s gonna get ugly, Cat fans. My Gators are coming to town.

Did anyone else find it extremely bizarre to watch Brett Favre in a Vikings jersey? The old guy looked pretty good. But number four in a purple was still a trip into bizzaro world.

Speaking of old, Mark Martin continues to carry the banner for – let’s just say the more seasoned athletes everywhere. The 50-year-old NASCAR driver enters the chase for the Sprint Cup championship as the top-seed.

Quote of the week

“If I could, I would take this (expletive) ball and shove it down your (expletive) throat.”
-Serena Williams during a tirade directed at a judge after he called her for a foot fault in the U.S. Open.

Puck to the head

This week’s puck flies at the head of Serena Williams for the above-mentioned quote of the week.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Practice Practice Practice

A reprint of my Sept. 10 SlapShots column

"It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.”
-Paul Bear Bryant

Every athlete wants to win. Every team begins a season wanting a championship. Every competitor takes the field struggling and striving, wanting to reach the top.

But simply wanting something does not make it so. At some point, DOING must factor into the equation.

And that doing begins long before those stadium lights flicker on – in out-of-the-way places, at unlikely times, in quiet moments broken only by grunts, labored breathing and the sharp, staccato commands of coaches.

Behind every moment under the blazing stadium lights and for every goose bump raised on an athlete’s arm when the fans scream with abandon, stretch hours of inglorious sweat and pain on the practice field.

Every athlete has suffered through “one of those” practices. The workout where it seems nobody on the team can find the same page. The one in which the last 30 minutes consists of running “gassers” because the team failed to accomplish anything else on the field. Athletes hate those practices. They look forward to them with the kind of dread normally reserved for a stint in the dental chair. And when it finally ends and the team has safely gathered in the locker room, it collectively showers the coach, long out of earshot, with horrible invectives for putting them through such torture.

But a method exists within the coach’s madness. The skipper knows that without preparation, the team will tank it in competition.

When I was playing hockey for the University of South Florida, our coach would often tell us, “You will only play as well as you practice.”

It was amazingly accurate prophecy.

The Woodford County High School football team learned that lesson last week. After what was reportedly a lackluster week of practice, lacking in focus and intensity, the Jackets lost a game to Dunbar – a team they should have beat. The lack of focus and intensity seemed to spill over from the practice field into Community Stadium.

“When you don’t prepare, you get beat,” Woodford coach Chris Tracy told his team after the disappointing loss.

But an early season defeat like the Jackets suffered at the hands of Dunbar can prove positive, IF the team learns the lesson.

“I hope that focuses you, because in the grand scheme of things, this game doesn’t mean a thing,” Tracy said.

Nope, the game didn’t mean a thing in the overall picture. It was a match-up against a team in another class. (Woodford plays in 5A and Dunbar competes as a 6A school.) But it could well prove a turning point in the season – if the team takes the lesson to heart and puts the effort in on the practice field.

Yellow Jacket quarterback Ryan Garrahan has the right idea.

“All we can do is get out in practice and bust our butts to correct the mistakes.”

That’s the secret. Busting butts – every minute of every practice.

I have no doubt that the Jackets want to win, but will their desire to win translate into a will to prepare?

Quick Shots

As I walked into Community Stadium last Friday, I got a little thrill as I looked up into the stands and saw them filled with yellow and black. There’s nothing like the atmosphere of a Friday night high school football game, especially in a small town. The sound of the marching band, the chants of the cheerleaders, the churning prism of school colors, the adolescent bravado of the players and the carefree giggles of teenage flirting all wrapped in the bright white stadium lighting captures something uniquely Americana. In a country that often seems torn and fractured by political rhetoric, a small town high school football game does something politicians and pundits find impossible. It brings a community together.

Easy there UK fan. It was just Miami of Ohio. Yes, your Wildcats looked pretty good. The offense put points on the board and the defense pitched a shutout. But keep in mind that they were facing a small conference team with a brand new coach, and there were some things that would concern me if I were a Big Blue fan. The offense was pretty much the Randal Cobb show, and a one-dimensional attack isn’t going to cut it against an SEC defense. And speaking of defense, the Wildcat D failed to put pressure on the Miami QB throughout most of the game, and that could spell big trouble down the line. But the good news for the Cat faithful is that UK beat a team that they should beat. That hasn’t always been the case. It may well prove a good season for the Wildcats, but don’t get delusions of grandeur based on this game.

I was looking at the qualifying order before the NASCAR Pep Boys Auto 500 race. As I was reading the order to my wife, she asked me where Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified. I told her I hadn’t gotten to him yet, to which she replied, “You should have started from the back.” Kasey Kahne won the race, running away after a late caution. Earnhardt took 17th.

Quote of the Week

“I don’t think toughness is when a quarterback says, ‘I’m going to run somebody over.’ Toughness is playing the worst game of your life, but not backing down. You don’t want to sit on the sideline. You want to stay in there and win.”
-Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger

Puck to the head

This week’s puck flies at the head of University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount for punching Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the jaw after the Sept. 3 game between the Ducks and Broncos. Blount allegedly threw the punch after Hout taunted him. Apparently Blount missed that whole “names can never hurt me” thing in grade school.

A review of Calipari's book

A reprint of my Sept. 3 SlapShot column published in the Woodford Sun

I spend an inordinate amount of time involved with sports, not only in my professional life, but also personally.

Obviously, sports consume my workday. Off the “clock” I watch sports as a fan and participate as an athlete. My experience in college hockey was an extremely significant part of my life.

With all of this focus on sports, I have to confess that I sometimes struggle with the significance of that which consumes so much of my life. I mean really … sports – so what?

Every once in a while, while in the heat of competition or pontificating on this game or that team, I hear that little voice.

“Dude, it’s just a game.”

But from time to time, something comes along to remind me that the valuable lessons learned on the fields and courts of athletic competition apply in my everyday life.

University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari’s new book Bounce Back serves as such a reminder.

For those of you looking for a “sports” book in the strictest sense of the word will find yourself disappointed. Fear not Cat fan, the book has plenty of references to basketball, and provides some interesting insights into the heart and mind of your coach. But Calipari’s focus really centers on practical ways to bounce back from setbacks in life. The book was written to help you – not entertain.

Drawing primarily from his experience of getting fired from the New Jersey Nets, and to a lesser degree Memphis’ loss to Kansas in the 2008 National Championship game, Calipari takes the reader through a step-by-step process in dealing with and overcoming setbacks, whether personal or professional. His advice focuses on practical steps – surrounding yourself with people who can help, maintaining a positive attitude, being proactive and engaging in serious self-evaluation. Bounce Back even contains interactive exercises throughout.

As regular readers know, I’m not much of a Wildcat fan, so I wasn’t exactly ga-ga about reading a book by the Wildcat coach. But the publisher sent me a prerelease, so I decided give it a read. I’m about two-thirds through and I have to admit, the more I read, the more impressed I become.

The book makes for something of an odd read because Calipari wrote it assuming that the reader is in the midst of a setback. It takes you step-by-step through the process of dealing with personal adversity, from the moment of the “trigger event”, the anger and frustration, and all the way through to the ultimate success of the bounce back.

I’m not experiencing any type of setback in my own life, so it was initially a little hard to relate. But as I got into the book, I started to recognize principles I can adopt.

My wife will tell you that I am NOT an optimistic person by nature. I’m definitely a “glass half empty” kind of guy. But in reading through the chapter entitled “Next – the Power of Amnesia,” I realized I would be far better off to develop a more positive attitude and dwell less on the negative.

The underlying message Calipari communicates is that we control our own destiny. We will always encounter obstacles, but how we face them will determine the course of our journey. Too many people ride through this world as passengers in their own lives.

What a waste.

“You have to be adaptable; you will do that by having a positive attitude, unrivaled energy and a vision of where you’re headed,” Calipari writes.

Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of rah-rah self-help books. But as I’ve read through Bounce Back I’ve realized that so many of those simple principles I’ve learned out on the ice – self discipline, hard work, a positive attitude and a refusal to quit apply just as much in “real life.” I need to utilize those same principles in my work and my relationships.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book – even you Louisville fans.

Maybe sport isn’t as insignificant as I sometimes think.

Quick Shots

A couple of weeks into the fall and Woodford County High School has three undefeated teams. Both the girls’ and boys’ soccer team are 3-0-1 and the football team is a perfect 2-0. All three squads show a lot of promise, but they’ve also shown they still have a lot of work to do.

The Wildcats open their football season this weekend against Miami of Ohio. The Cats have a pretty tough schedule. After its opener against the Redhawks, UK has a bye and then 11 straight games, starting with Louisville on Sept. 19. As usual, Wildcat fans seem a little over optimistic. I’ve heard many UK faithful on talk radio predicting a 9-3 or 8-4 season. Looking through the schedule, I would call 7-5 optimistic. The team should beat Miami and Louisville, but after that I look for them to lose three of their four games against Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and Auburn. Of the remaining games, Mississippi State, Vandy and Georgia certainly don’t rank as gimmies. Then there is Tennessee. The Vols are rebuilding under new coach Lane Kiffin. Maybe this is the year the Big Blue will finally take down the dreaded Volunteers. At least they play at home so they won’t have to listen to “Rocky Top” 1,000 times.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough pre-season football. I’m ready for the real thing!

And on a personal note, I’m thrilled that the ice is back up at the Lexington Ice Center. That means one thing – hockey time!

Quote of the Week

“I've got six players coming in who think they poop ice cream.”
-UK coach John Calipari on his heralded recruiting class

Puck to the Head

They make this SO easy. This week’s puck flies at former UK coach Billy Gillispie. Alleged drunk driving. The upside for Wildcat faithful is that he just made the University of Kentucky administration look like geniuses.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Who's tough? Who's not?

A reprint of my Aug 27 SlapShots column from the Woodford Sun.

Watching the Woodford County High School girls’ soccer team battle Assumption last week, one thing really stood out to me. These Jacket girls will not back down from a physical challenge.

Amy Morford was particularly aggressive, banging Rocket players and obviously getting under their skin. Teammate Taylor Kelly called Morford, “a beast.” But Kelly did some bumping and banging of her own, and Hannah Greenwell also played a physical brand of soccer.

Then there’s Katrina Ott. I’ve seen her play hurt more often than not. Several times during the game against Assumption, Ott went down hard, throwing her body around with abandon. Coach McIver has commented on more than one occasion that Ott plays like a boy. He means it as a compliment.

I’m not going to lie. I liked the physicality and toughness the Jackets brought to the field. I hope they continue to play with that kind of intensity. I think it will intimidate other teams and pay dividends in tight games, as long as they can keep that aggressiveness under control.

Yeah, keep up the physical play, girls. I like it – a lot.

I can’t help it; it’s the hockey player in me.

Every sport develops its own culture and ethos. Expectations evolve, and players reinforce and pass along those unspoken standards in the locker room.

And in hockey, toughness is king. I mean, have you ever heard of a wimpy hockey player?

I’ve spent many years playing hockey, and I’ve certainly adopted toughness as a virtue. Hockey players don’t back down. Hockey players play hurt. And hockey players certainly don’t whine and complain.

So when I see any team play with grit, determination and toughness, it immediately gains my respect.

Yes, Yellow Jacket girls – you’ve got my respect.

While we’re on the subject of toughness, what’s wrong with baseball players?

An article in the Herald-Leader caught my eye the other day. Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher Aaron Harang is out for the season after undergoing an appendectomy.

Out for the season? Seriously?

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericcson had his appendix surgically removed during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He played – FOUR DAYS LATER. By the way, he scored a goal in his first game back too.

Maybe I’m missing something.

Perhaps pitching a baseball is more physically demanding than swinging a hockey stick and getting banged into the boards. Maybe something in the throwing motion makes it impossible to pitch after appendix removal. (Any readers in the medical field feel free to help me out here.) Perhaps standing in the dugout gnawing sunflower seeds is more difficult than hurtling up the ice at 30 miles-per-hour.

Or maybe Harang is just a sissy.

Quick Shots

The Yellow Jacket football team looked pretty good in its season opener against South Oldham. The defense seemed much improved over last year. The Dragons really only managed one sustained drive. Woodford also looked more physical than last year. I really liked the way the defensive backs finished their tackles. Junior Wayne White in particular laid some nice hits. Quarterback Ryan Garrahan looked shaky in the first half, but settled down and made some nice throws in the second. It seemed like the game was faster in Garrahan’s mind than it was in reality in the early going. He often rushed throws when he had plenty of time. But he seemed to gain confidence in his line as the game wore on, and did a much better job of standing in the pocket and stepping into his throws. It will be interesting watching this team evolve as the season goes on. They definitely have a strong foundation to build on.

Former Yellow Jacket soccer player Stephanie Patterson earned a starting forward spot at the Air Force Academy.

Kyle Busch got a much needed win at Bristol, edging out Mark Martin in the Sharpie 500. For his effort, the driver of the number 18 got showered with boos. Busch gets a lot of grief from NASCAR fans and I can understand it to some degree. But he’s my favorite driver for two reasons. Number one, he’s one heck of a race car driver and number two, it gets under other NASCAR fans skin when I talk up Busch. Yes, he can come across as miserable and whiney. Yes, his aggressive racing sometimes gets him into trouble on the track. But it’s only because he hates to lose, and that I can respect. Martin summed up the fan hatred for Busch pretty well. “He has won a lot of races. I'll tell you, anybody that wins a whole lot gets booed. Jeff Gordon never did anything, in my opinion, to get booed. And he got booed because he won a lot. That's part of the sport.”

Quote of the Week

“Donte Stallworth kills somebody – 30 days in jail. Michael Vick kills dogs – 17 months in jail. Plaxico Burress shoots himself – two years in jail…our legal system seems to be working normally.” –Tyler Crane

Puck to the head

This week I’m shooting a whole slew of pucks at all of the University of Louisville fans throwing rocks at University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari after the NCAA forced Memphis to vacate its 2007-2008 season. The punishment stems from allegations that Calipari’s former team’s freshman phenom, Derrick Rose, had a stand-in take his SAT the second time around. Cardinal fans should probably focus on the goings-on in their own house. I’m just sayin’.