From Tragedy to Farce

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports December 13, 2021 #878 Up next… From Tragedy to Farce

After further review… I write this on Dec. 7, 2021, exactly 80 years since the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor,  starting World War II with our country. Most of you may not remember where you were that day since, perhaps, you had not been born. I remember it vividly as I was an altar boy at 11 a.m. Mass when Father Patrick announced that tragic event. Indeed. It was tragic that day and for the next four years. Moreover, wars or “conflicts” involving the US have been happening throughout my lifetime – some of these farcical. It was Karl Marx, the German (actually Prussian) philosopher, economist, sociologist, author who said: “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.” No loss of life is farcical, but their occurrences may be farcical. This brings me to the tragic death of a thoroughbred horse.

Medina Spirit, a 3-year-old colt, died of a heart attack on Dec. 6  after a workout at Santa Anita Race Track on Dec. 5  – a tragedy! He won the 2021 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on May 1, in a time of 2 minutes, 1.36 seconds. Here’s a colt born in a dirt-filled field — the worst of conditions and was claimed by Gail Rice for $1,000 –unheard of!

Wait just a minute – Medina Spirit is under investigation for possible doping since he tested positive for betamethasone, a legal medication not allowed on race day! Medina Spirit’s trainer, Bob Baffert, claims the drug administered Medina Spirit was in an ointment to treat a skin rash – not through an injection! Some, if not many, veterinarians say no matter, it’s in the horse’s system. Bad news.

Why was Baffert chosen in the first place? His thoroughbred racing record is suspicious at best. While he has won more Kentucky Derbys than any other horse trainer and now Medina Spirit’s dispute is hanging over his head. The Kentucky Derby has suspended him throughout their 2022 and 2023 racing dates. Will this notoriety about his horse-training limit his future?

Baffert, 68, grew up on a ranch in Nogales, Arizona. His father gave him a horse when he was 10 and he’s been around horses all his life. He is the winningest trainer in thoroughbred racing today. Unfortunately, he is, perhaps, the most notorious trainer having been penalized for his desire to win at all costs. That’s tragic – to the level of farcical!

Will you keep integrity first and foremost in your life?

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home.

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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Education For The Blue Chip Athlete

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

college education for athletesOn the TunneySide of Sports December 6, 2021 #877 Up next… Education For The Blue Chip Athlete

After further review… A headline in a recent publication caught my eye: “Why worry about who’s No. 1 when education is No. 2” — a reference to high school football recruits in choosing a college.  What followed – it actually preceded it — was the shocking headline about Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly.

These are two current college football coaches who have left their current schools (Oklahoma for Riley and Notre Dame for Kelly) to accept a much larger salary at another university – just as the 2021 football season was concluding. It is an absolute shame that these two famous coaches abandon their players at this juncture. And what for? Yes, you’re right – money!

What is taking place as I write this is that several (maybe many) high school players – commonly referred to as “blue chippers” – are now switching their original intention to attend the school where either or both of these two coaches formerly coached to now attend where they are moving. As a lifelong educator, it certainly seems that education has taken a back seat for those choosing that route. On another note: first, they have that right to choose; second, the universities they will be attending are qualified to give them the necessary education needed if they so choose; and third, it is obvious their new choice of schools is planning for a future in professional football. Does education count?

It is apparent these football players, and many others, go to college only to move on to the NFL, so who cares what the education level is? May I remind athletes who think in those terms, that of all the hundreds of college football players eligible, the NFL drafts about 350 each year and of those drafted less than 100 “make it” in the NFL? Further, the average length of NFL tenure is three and a half years!

Just a few years back the Jim Tunney Youth Foundation had a special event with Andrew Luck, the former All-America Stanford quarterback and at that time current Indianapolis Colts quarterback, as our guest speaker. Luck was asked why he had returned to Stanford to meet with his college professor. Luck said that when his time came to drop NFL football, he wanted to be ready for his life’s journey. He now has started the Andrew Luck Book Club. Is education important to Andrew Luck?

What are your thoughts on the value of a college education in today’s world?

And I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday today to Linda, my wife of 25 years! Happy Birthday, my love!

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home.

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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Coaching And Teaching Can Be Synonymous

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports November 29, 2021 #876 Up next… Coaching And Teaching Can Be Synonymous

”Nothing is ever so bad it can’t be made worse by firing the coach.” wrote former syndicated sports columnist Jim Murray. Murray, arguably the greatest ever, was able to succinctly capture the essence of a sports story with humor and satire. What brings the Murray quote to mind is that this is the time of year when football coaches are separated from their jobs.

So, what is the role of a coach? At the Little League or high school levels, the coach’s focus needs to be on teaching. Players certainly should “play to win the game,” as Coach Herm Edwards says in my book “It’s the Will, Not the Skill.” However, teaching must come first. My belief is coaching and teaching can be synonymous.

As a former high school teacher and administrator, I believe that the role of a teacher is to help students become better people as well as better learners. What if in any given classroom, a teacher treated students as players, for example, some as quarterbacks, some as linemen, some as receivers with each student/player having different abilities? The teacher then helps develop that student’s special talents.

Should college and professional coaches be teachers as well? A former NFL coach, who has won a Super Bowl, told me “In the NFL, you don’t get paid to teach, you get paid to win.” Should that be the challenge for college coaches as well? Can a college or pro coach do both? Pro coaches with whom I had the pleasure of being with on the field did both [Lombardi, Landry, Walsh, Shula, Madden, and Edwards). Players spoke highly of their learning experiences both on and off the field. They appreciated the efforts coaches make in helping them become better people as well as better players.

Good coaches do that. However, all too often teaching takes a back seat to the pressures of winning. The race to be number one becomes too important. Economics often drives winning at all costs.

Will you support those who teach/coach the person inside the player?

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Jim’s books include many messages about rules and regulations (remember he was a referee). His bobblehead on your desk or shelf will be a treasure in your office or home.

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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