Are You Crying?

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

no crying in baseballOn the TunneySide of Sports May 24, 2021 #849 Up next… “Are you crying?”

After further review… You could hear Jimmy Duggan, played by Tom Hanks the manager of the Racine Belles, the All-American Girls Professional Softball T*E*A*M (AAGPBL) as he yelled at Evelyn when she threw to the wrong base that cost the Belles that game. “Are you crying?” Duggan repeated. Then he followed with “There’s no crying in baseball!” I disagree!

Wouldn’t you think that there was a tear or two in Mickey Mantle’s eyes as he circled the bases after hitting #536 in his last home game against Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg on September 20, 1968 – one month shy of his 37th birthday. Or how about on October 8, 1956, when Don Larsen pitched that perfect game retiring all 27 batters in that World Series game? Larsen said afterward, “When it was over, I was so happy. I felt like crying.” My guess is he did!

This brings me to 24-year-old Tom Burns who won his first major PGA Championship at Innisbrook in Palm Beach, Florida earlier this month in the Valspar Championship. What’s unusual about Burns’s victory is that this was his first time being atop the leader board after 72 – that’s right – 72 PGA tournaments! As his wife and parents poured onto the 18th green, Burns was seen wiping away a face full of tears. A championship after 18 tries! Wouldn’t you? That victory was worth $1,242,000 or about ½ million more than second-place finisher Keegan Bradley, who, incidentally, helped Burns’ victory by double-bogeying number 12 in that final round.

Two weeks later at the Byron Nelson Classic in McKinney, Texas, Burns was the leader all three rounds but shot a 70 on the final round losing out to K.H. Lee who won his first PGA event.

Tears-in-your-eyes can take many forms. It happens in victory and in defeat. I remember holding a towel to cover my face sitting on the bench as our chance at a high school basketball championship faded away. Sports are played with passion which builds emotion that is sometimes unable to control. To those in defeat or victory, tears become a release.

Tears in victory are easy to understand. When you work so long and so diligently for something and then it happens– well, you have every right to release those emotions. You deserve that.

However, don’t forget your opponents! They have the right to release their emotions as well. “Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat,” said Christopher Earle. By doing so you will display a strength of character and a level of honor.

Will you show strength and honor in your victories or defeats during your sporting life?

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Jim Tunney had an exemplary career in sports. A former high school coach, teacher, principal, and district superintendent, he had a 40-year career in officiating football and basketball. Thirty-one of those years he was “The Face of NFL officiating” working a record twenty-nine post-season games including three Super Bowls (two back-to-back), ten NFC/AFC Championship games, six Pro Bowls and twenty-five Monday Night games, when MNF was THE game of the week. He officiated some of the most memorable games in NFL history, including “The Ice Bowl”, “The Kick”, “The Snowball Game”, “The Final Fumble”, “The Fog Bowl”, and “The Catch”. His book “IMPARTIAL JUDGMENT: “The Dean of NFL Referees” calls Pro Football as He Sees It”, chronicles his NFL career. See the website for all products.

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

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From Lombardi to Sinatra!

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

Frank Sinatra at Caesars PalaceOn the TunneySide of Sports May 17, 2021 #848 Up next… From Lombardi to Sinatra!

After further review… Last Friday, May 14th was the 23rd anniversary of Francis Albert Sinatra’s passing. He was 83. It will always be significant to me since it was in May 1985 that I met him. Going back, I was a teenager when he first came on the music scene in the 1940s. His popularity as a teen-idol was phenomenal. Perhaps the G.O.A.T. of singers!

Anyway, in May 1985, I was speaking for Budget Rent a Car at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas before it became the Bellagio. I noticed that Frank Sinatra was performing at Caesars Palace that evening.  I called Herb Alpert (TJB) for whom I had worked in the early 1970s to see if he might have a connection to get me a ticket for the Sinatra show. I told him I didn’t want a comp.

He called later with good news. So, after my Budget speech, I walked to Caesars. I picked up my seating ticket at Will Call noticing there was “no charge.” How nice of Herb! I was ushered down to the front of the stage and sat 3 seats from where Sinatra would be standing. I had brought with me my 2-cassette album (“Here’s to the Winners”) that I used to close my presentations with his version of “Winners.” The subject of many of my talks being about “striving” to win.

He did 1:15 hours on stage and was sensational! I gave my album to the back-stage guard. I didn’t want to leave, so, I stayed in the showroom until Mr. Sinatra exited — with my album. As I walked into Caesars casino, I heard. “Jim Tunney – white courtesy phone – you have a call.” A call? No one knows I’m at Caesars! I picked up the phone and a voice said, “Jim, it’s Artie! Stay right there, I’m coming to meet you.” A moment later this little guy – Artie – jumps into my arms with my album in his hand. He says, “I haven’t seen you since I left Green Bay.”

It turns out Artie used to work for Vince Lombardi, head coach of the Green Bay Packers and I hadn’t seen him in years.  I said, “What are you doing here?” He said he now works for Sinatra and follows with “He wants to meet you.” I said no way! Artie said, “Yes he does, come with me.” Artie takes me over to where Sinatra and several (many) of his party were sitting. As we approached, Sinatra stands up and said: “ Mr. Tunney, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

We shook hands, but I replied, “Mr. Sinatra, you got this backward. It’s my pleasure to meet you.” We talked for about 10-minutes (seemed like 10-seconds) about NFL football as well as he wanted to know about what I did off the field. Artie told me later, Sinatra and they would always watch Monday Night Football on ABC (MNF). Artie said, “He (Frank) would always ask, ‘Is Tunney working tonight?). I had no idea!

Sinatra later invited me to play in Barbara’s (Sinatra) Eisenhower Hospital Charity Golf Tournament in Palm Springs. I played there on three occasions.

As I walked back to the Dunes, I kept humming, “Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars…” It was a glorious evening. What an honor!

Will you share a time you had with someone you admired from afar?

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There are many golf stories in Jim’s books such as Raymond Floyd having to qualify by playing an unknown caddy (Lee Trevino) in their early days. See the website for all products.

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

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Golf’s Player Impact Program

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

Golf’s Player Impact ProgramOn the TunneySide of Sports May 10, 2021 #847 Up next… Golf’s Player Impact Program

After further review… Golf courses report that there has been a resurgence in golf attendance as the pandemic slowly diminishes. Golf courses seem to be the perfect venue for the family, especially Par-3 courses or even the pitch-and-putt places. The community in which I live is a golf haven and recently upgraded its Par-3 course changing its name from Peter Hay, who was the first professional, to “The Hay.” The upgrading was done with excellent style and class.

I recently read in Golfweek that the PGA (Professional Golf Association) is planning on a  program to dispense $40 million in bonuses to some 10 stars deemed to have an impact in drawing the most fans to PGA tour events. Some of the star players mentioned were Tiger Woods  who is in long-term recovery), Bryson DeChambeau, Ricky Fowler, Rory McIlroy among others. It seems here that money could be of more help elsewhere. First and foremost, golf tournaments are and have been very generous in giving monies to local and national charities. Further, the prize money awarded to winning golfers today is greater than ever before.

As the PGA tour unfolds, it seems that many unknown names are atop the leader board each week. As an example, where did Hideki Matsuyama, who won this 2021 Masters, appear from? If you follow golf you know he is well respected on the tour, but his name value hasn’t matched up with Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, or other names in that realm. However, please mark Matsuyama in your book as it is likely he’ll be atop the leaderboard quite often.

Maybe more importantly, is this PIP plan a proper way to attract patrons to the PGA golf tournaments? As the restrictions for the pandemic ease, most golf followers will be flocking to courses. This idea of rewarding some players, regardless of how they perform, is antithetical to the golf industry. If you attend NFL, NBA, NHL games, those players already have their paychecks deposited. Not so in golf! PGA golfers have upfront costs that are not compensated until they perform well enough to earn prize money. Moreover, while golf is not a T*E*A*M sport like others, there is a “golfing family” attached to the professional game. Will this bonus pool create a division?

Will you log-in your thoughts about this bonus pool for “stars”?

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There are many golf stories in Jim’s books such as Raymond Floyd having to qualify by playing an unknown caddy (Lee Trevino) in their early days. See the website for all products.

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

Posted in Sports, Tunney Side of Sports Columns | Tagged | Leave a comment