You Never Met My Brother

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D
On the TunneySide of Sports
August 8, 2022 #912
Up next… You Never Met My Brother

After further review… I sit here on Saturday in the process of writing my weekly column that will soon be published. Thoughts of my brother Peter fill every crevice of my mind. Aug. 6 is Pete’s 84th birthday but he’s not with us. Pete died about a year ago – Sept. 22, 2021. His memory will be with me forever. He was more than just a brother.

It was Aug. 5, 1938, when our family moved from East Los Angeles to 439 No. Daroca, San Gabriel. My dad was a teacher/coach at Lincoln High on North Broadway in Lincoln Heights. With not much money being a teacher in those days, dad managed to save what he could to qualify for an FHA loan with which he bought the Daroca house and lot – for $6,000 he once told me. I remember helping dad load that rental trailer – more than once for this 20-mile trip to 439 Daroca. That trip in his 1936 Dodge seemed like we went through three states. Pete was born the next day.

God love my mom! At 9, I had no idea of the difficulties in moving. I just followed orders – “put this in the trailer,” “put this in the kitchen” — and didn’t fully know the difficulties Mom had in simply moving around. But then you didn’t know my mom – I guess I didn’t either. Not sure when Dad and Mom got to the hospital the next day or with whom my sister Joanne and I boarded.

They brought home this little guy, Pete, with whom I then was forced to share my bedroom. It really was an easy transition. We got along very well. Of course, being 9 years Pete’s senior, I was gone a lot doing my own thing with my friends. Until Pete got to be 3 or 4 we then often played catch.  As I got into high school, I spent more time away – sports and all. But I did notice that Pete was faster than most kids. We would have him “race” other kids often 3-5 years older. Then to build his upper body we had him chin himself on our clothes pole. He outperformed everyone who showed up.

Pete played Little League baseball but as he got into high school, football and track were his sports and he was good. He was the captain of every class-level team he played. In his senior year, he broke his leg in the first preseason game and was through for the balance of that season. He ran track, 10.7 seconds in the 100. Gulp!  He repeated that in college and set the school record in the 4X100 relay.

He was recruited by Payton Jordan, track coach at Occidental College. Pete did go to Oxy, but Payton took the job at Stanford. Every time Jordan’s Indians competed against Oxy, the Tigers beat them. Pete was also Oxy’s star tailback. In his senior year, he was selected All-Conference and honored on the Little All-American football team. He was in line to play in the NFL. An injury prevented that. However, he followed Dad’s path in California’s thoroughbred racing and was general manager of Golden Gate Fields for 30 years.  I miss him every day.

Will you follow brother Peter’s example of bouncing back?

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Jim’s Bobblehead is still available for $30. He has added one of his books (your choice – you pick one from his website www.jimtunney.com) at no extra charge. 

Shop here.

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

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Culture of a TEAM

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D
On the TunneySide of Sports
August 1, 2022 #911
Up next… Culture of a T*E*A*M

After further review… The National Football League consistently promotes the theme “Football is family.” This has been of significance to my family since the NFL has fulfilled that role for me for 62 years after I joined in 1960.

With me on the field for 31 seasons, my family has watched with great interest my involvement. I’m not convinced too many families had the same interest. However, I have noticed many times that families do attend their home games. Thus, ‘team’ brings us all in the family together.

The NFL officiating family comprises crews whose lives are interwoven both in the season and after. The seven members in each crew know each other’s personal families and develop their own group culture. In each crew is a referee – the crew chief – who sets guidelines for each member of the crew. Each member of the crew has his/her own style but conforms to the standards set by the crew chief.

I would suspect the same method is used by each of the teams. However, as I observe the behavior of some teams, it is apparent that no one is in charge. Is it the head coach’s responsibility to see that proper guidelines are established to expect conformity?  I don’t need to go back to the rogue behavior of Colin Kaepernick to cite this behavior. I know that Kap wanted to make a statement about his beliefs,  but it was done on “company time” and not with the outward approval of management. Good/bad/right or wrong, in all fairness, it did raise interest in his cause with some good to follow.

Having had the privilege of playing, coaching, and officiating in team sports for my entire life, it has always been my belief that team, family, and officiating crew culture must take precedence over personal issues. Does this mean one devalues or foregoes issues of integrity?  Of course not! It does mean that one needs to accept the culture of one’s team or help his/her team change what is necessary for that culture.

It occurs to me that if one is unwilling to adapt to or is unable to accept his/her team’s culture, then separation from that team must happen for the success of both the individual and the team.

Will you accept your team/family’s structure and work successfully within those guidelines?

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Jim’s Bobblehead is still available for $30. He has added one of his books (your choice – you pick one from his website www.jimtunney.com) at no extra charge. 

Shop here.

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

Posted in NFL, Sports, Tunney Side of Sports Columns | Tagged | 1 Comment

Turning the Corner?

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D
On the TunneySide of Sports
July 25th, 2022 #910
Up next… Turning the Corner?

After further review… As we begin the 102nd season of the National Football League (62nd for me since joining as an on-field official in 1960), what changes can we expect to see? Several teams will be changing uniform colors or designs. New players from the 2022 draft will add rookies whose salaries were unheard of in past years. Nine of the 32 head coaches have been replaced as have many assistant coaches. Some others have been moved up into those spots. One always needs to improve his status.

Well, maybe not just his, but hers, as more women are being recruited for NFL administrative jobs. This is not the first year women have been in NFL administrative jobs. An example is Mrs. Virginia Halas McCaskey, daughter of Bears founder George Halas, who serves as owner and attends every game. There are others (some are widows) who perform a variety of tasks. Can they add something that men cannot?

With continued spousal abuse and accusations of groping and unwanted sexual male aggressiveness, can women play a role in helping NFL players treat women with respect? I was fortunate to have had both parents who instilled in me the importance of learning and practicing that value.  Will players listen? Even so, beyond listening will their behavior change? Will some players step-up to be leaders when needed? Some whose background was not as fortunate as mine may need guidance.

Leadership on a team is important for its immediate effect as well as its sustainable future. It isn’t just the coach or the quarterback who needs to be the leader, it’s often the player whose locker is next to yours. One too often reads or sees it in the news of these misdeeds. Is it because the players today are making too much money and thinking they can get away with it?

If players are having marital problems, there are ample counselors to help. In addition, fellow teammates are often good resources. This is a call for others to step up to help. I’ve often thought that three of the most important words in one’s vocabulary are “I need help.” Certainly, it is nothing to be ashamed of since we all need help in some way or the other at various times in our lives.

All too often players (or people) are hesitant because they don’t want to interfere or say to themselves, it’s a personal matter and none of my business. Or maybe the helper is afraid of being rejected. Yet, how many times have we heard “If I’d only said or done something!”

Will you have the courage to help when you see the need?

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Jim’s Bobblehead is still available for $30. He has added one of his books (your choice – you pick one from his website www.jimtunney.com) at no extra charge. 

Shop here.

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

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