Dan,
I couldn't believe my ears over the discussion that you had with Rosie about the basketball player who confessed the ball went off of him. The commercial depicts how I coached. Sure, I only coached at the junior high level in a school in Michigan, but our high school coach that I was under also coached the same way. We coached in the model of John Wooden. The purpose of the sport was to train boys to develop character of manhood. I was ashamed of Rosen after I heard his take on it. The team trumps truth seemed to be his motto. That's ridiculous! The score doesn't matter, but the character is the bottom line. If you coach right, the team would be also of that same character and would have fully understood why the player confessed. It was because it was the truth. I also don't understand how Tennebee believed it usurpt the authority of the referee. Authority in the referee that will refuse to overturn a call is prideful and ignorant. I also refereed in another time in my life. My mentor taught me that humility was the best trait for a referee. We wanted the right call to be made at all costs. If a ref doesn't see a call, he asks for help from the other ref. To tell you the truth, I have even had to stop the game and ask for a parent's video camera from the stands to help me make the call. The best referee is one who doesn't call attention to himself, but makes the right call even if it hurts his reputation or his authority. The call is all that matters. When I coached Little League I reversed tons of calls against my team. After all, most referees at that level are young kids and don't know how to get in position to make calls or can be intimidated. So, I ask Rosie, "Do you live by the ethics you learned in your life of sports?" I love you, Common. I have grown to appreciate you more each day. You give me hope for the future that there are men like you who want to raise up honest, truthful men. Tell Rosie to read John Wooden on Leadership, and then tell us we are wrong.
