Tweaking PI?

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports June 3, 2019 #746 Up next,,, “Tweeking PI”?On the TunneySide of Sports June 3, 2019 #746 “Tweaking PI”?

After further review… As a result of a missed defensive pass interference foul by the on-field game officials in the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints, the NFL owners gave the Competition Committee the authority to “allow pass interference calls (or non-calls) to be challenged by coaches and reviewed via replay on a one-year experiment.” At this writing, the 2019 rule would not include the last two minutes, since in that time-period all decisions are the responsibility of the replay-booth official. From the perspective of a former 31-year on-field NFL game official, this is taking video replay beyond the game itself.

The non-call in the aforementioned National Football Conference championship game definitely put the offended T*E*A*M at a disadvantage. Some say it even cost the Saints a chance to play as the NFC champion in Super Bowl LIII. So, how does the NFL fix the non-call situation? There may be options, many of which will not get the approval of all concerned.

The NFL established guidelines in 1999 to permit NFL head coaches to challenge certain plays on the field. For example, whether a fumble occurred (or not) prior to a runner being down-by-contact, etc. In chapter 15, there are 28 pages of replay guidelines in the 2019  rule book. Over the years, the committee wisely has avoided judgment calls, e.g., holding, intentional grounding, etc. However, the committee now is going against what it always believed: “that judgment calls can be interpreted differently.”  The committee is taking that decision out of the hands of the on-field game officials and putting it under the direction of an official in the booth, who will then make the decision after looking at the replay – perhaps over and over.

When the league abandons the trust of its game officials, it has entered into the realm of a video game e.g., Madden’20! Trust is a part of any live-action sport. Officials must trust players and coaches to play by the rules. When those are violated, the officials must step in to keep the playing field level. The reciprocal is paramount in any successful relationship.

Being on the NFL field for 31 years trust has been the essence of my tenure. When a coach disagreed with a call, he trusted that the official was doing the best he could without prejudice. When that trust is lost, it changes the game.

Will you log-in your thoughts of the NFL change in its rules?

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Jim is publishing his third book in the Best of Tunneyside series called ‘Yet Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports’.

Look for it about July 1, 2019. $20 –  Includes autograph and free shipping.

 To contact Jim, go to JimTunney.com or email Jim@JimTunney.com. Jim’s books are full of inspiration and interesting stories. Please visit his online store to learn more. Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports Be sure to get Jim’s book ‘Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports’ by clicking this link or using the email above to contact Jim directly. These TunneySides take issues from real-life situations and relate them as inspiration for the betterment of others. Jim is available for speaking engagements on leadership and T*E*A*M Building. His books are available for $20 which includes shipping and tax. The Tunney Bobblehead is available for $30. Please visit JimTunney.com. Thank you!

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Memorial Day 2019

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

brian banksOn the TunneySide of Sports May 27, 2019 #745 Memorial Day 2019

After further review… General John A. Logan of Civil War vintage founded what was then called Decoration Day, later to be termed as we know it, Memorial Day. It was and technically still is a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live a life of freedom. It’s a national holiday on the last Monday in May, but it has become a day to barbeque hamburgers at the beach or at the park. For some, it starts on Friday for a 4-day holiday!

We tend to forget what got us to this 4-day-vacation but often treat it as if it were an entitlement. Some may lower the American flag to half-staff or take a flag to the grave site of a relative or friend or, perhaps, stand at curbside waving a flag at a parade. The question remains are we doing something in our daily lives to be grateful for our freedom as well as doing something to provide that for all Americans?

If you’ve ever been “locked-up,” you’ll know what freedom-taken-away from you means. Here’s a true story about a southern California 16-year old young athlete who was falsely accused of dragging his female classmate into the school’s stairwell and forcibly having sex with her. Faced with the possibility of a 40 years-to-life sentence, he was persuaded by his lawyer to accept a plea deal that put him behind bars for 62 months — to be followed by five years’ probation.

He was a promising football player who had a scholarship waiting for him at the University of Southern California and a realistic dream of playing in the National Football League. That’s difficult to do, if, for the rest of your life, you would live as a registered sex offender and branded with an electronic monitor.

The female victim’s family sued the school district and won a $1.5 million dollar settlement. When he was freed, the victim “friended” him on Facebook and said she made up the rape charge and admitted the sex was consensual. The school district was able to recoup the money. But that’s not the point. His freedom was wrongly taken away.

The inspirational true story of Brian Banks, high school All-American, will be a movie directed by Tom Shadyac scheduled for an August 2019 release. Be sure to see it.

Will you enjoy this Memorial Day with the freedoms that have been granted to you?

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 To contact Jim, go to JimTunney.com or email Jim@JimTunney.com. Jim’s books are full of inspiration and interesting stories. Please visit his online store to learn more. Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports Be sure to get Jim’s book ‘Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports’ by clicking this link or using the email above to contact Jim directly. These TunneySides take issues from real-life situations and relate them as inspiration for the betterment of others. Jim is available for speaking engagements on leadership and T*E*A*M Building. His books are available for $20 which includes shipping and tax. The Tunney Bobblehead is available for $30. Please visit JimTunney.com. Thank you!

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

The 88 Plan

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports May 20, 2019 #744 Up next...The “88 Plan”On the TunneySide of Sports May 20, 2019 #744 The “88 Plan”

After further review… The “88 Plan” was established in 2007 by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the NFL Management Council to “provide benefits to certain players suffering from dementia.” 88 was in honor of the former Baltimore Colts tight-end and ProfootballHoFer, #88, John Mackey. Unquestionably, he defined the tight-end position.

Mackey was a second-round selection by the Baltimore Colts in the 1963 draft going on to play 9 seasons for the Colts. He was five-time ProBowler and a Super Bowl V champion. Many say Mackey “set-the-bar” for tight-ends. He could block, run excellent routes, catch any ball thrown his way, and, most-of-all was hard to tackle — gaining yardage after the catch (YAC).

“It is difficult to summarize John’s contributions to player advocacy,” says his wife, Sylvia, who wrote in a Baltimore Sun op-ed , “He started his career at a time in history when he was told he couldn’t sleep in the team hotel prior to his first training camp because he was African American. John told the desk clerk he would sleep on the lobby couch until they found him a room – and he did. John understood the importance of striving for fair treatment. He led the fight for free agency, over-turning the ‘Rozelle Rule’ by taking the NFL to court in 1975, and was a central figure in creating the NFLPA we know today.”

John signed his first contract for $17.500 and after nine years was making $35,000. Do those figures sound ridiculous compared to today’s salaries and bonuses? Of course. So, John did as most NFL players did in the 1970s, worked a second job — as a sports commentator. Today’s players can thank John Mackey for the salary and benefits they enjoy today. Yet, while offensive and defensive systems of today may look different, the game is played with the same number of players on each side of the ball, with four downs to gain ten-yards or six-points (TD).

Sadly, Mackey was diagnosed with dementia in 2001 at the age of 59, receiving an NFL pension of $2,500 per month. He died in 2011 living in an assisted facility and suffering with dementia for 10 years. The diminished dignity then is the same today for former players  (called pre-93ers) who still don’t receive health insurance. The 1993 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set a low, fixed pension for pre-93ers, but no other important retirement benefits.

Today, there is a concentrated effort called Fair for Athletes in Retirement (FAIR) which is solely focused on pension reform for these men, like Mackey, who built the league. If John were alive today, he’d be on the front lines with FAIR, advocating for pension reform in the CBA of the NFLPA headed by President Eric Winston and Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

Will you support FAIR for pre-93ers who built the NFL?

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 To contact Jim, go to JimTunney.com or email Jim@JimTunney.com. Jim’s books are full of inspiration and interesting stories. Please visit his online store to learn more. Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports Be sure to get Jim’s book ‘Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports’ by clicking this link or using the email above to contact Jim directly. These TunneySides take issues from real-life situations and relate them as inspiration for the betterment of others. Jim is available for speaking engagements on leadership and T*E*A*M Building. His books are available for $20 which includes shipping and tax. The Tunney Bobblehead is available for $30. Please visit JimTunney.com. Thank you!

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