On that great list of things I think I don’t want to be, near the top is “glib.” I don’t want to be all back slappy, all here’s-a-trophy-even-though-you-didn’t-do-much, all smiling and treacly.

My daughter’s soccer team recently played in one of those excruciating ties. You know, after some ties, you’re kind of glad you made it out in one piece; after others, well, you should have had that one: This was one of the latter. Still, it was a well-played, hard-fought game by both sides.

After the game, one of my favorite athletes, our hard-working, no-nonsense sweeper, was walking off the field, and I nodded to her and several teammates and said, “You played well today.” She frowned and, in a comment typical of her personality, responded, “You know, Coach Scott, you always say that we played a good game.” She didn’t slam the door. She wasn’t being disrespectful. I think she was actually posing a complex question: “Are you really saying we played a good game, which would be a nice thing even though I’m personally frustrated right now, or is ‘good game’ something you just say mechanically all the time, which means your words are meaningless and… glib?”

I’ve watched this team of seventh and eighth graders evolve for years. Most of them I’ve coached at one time or another. This team started out with some success, was ravaged by selfish adults, and then struggled through some lean years. One season, we barely scored (the team parties were based on goal money, so they themselves were lean affairs back then).

But through it all, the players worked hard. Two great guys picked up the coaching. Parents hung in there. Now, they’re a good team, largely built around a core group who went through the lean years. We’ve watched these kids learn to win together and learn about hard work in athletics. We’ll see kids on this team, on their own, taking a run around town or spending time in the local gym. They’ve become athletes. Most importantly, we’ve seen them make this sports thing important to themselves.

They’re easy to root for. Does that mean I’m just an empty windbag, dishing out those “You’re all great!” compliments? Maybe it’s my personality, but I think that the clear path to success, especially for young athletes, is through positive coaching and support.

So when I see them, still far from the pinnacle of their athletic lives at 12- and 13-years-old, I can’t help but see it all as a positive progression forward – even when the game doesn’t end in a win. They make mistakes, but I see effort. And I see that they themselves care about it all. When things don’t go their way, their faces tell the story. They don’t need it narrated by some naysayer in the stands.

So why not be positive, encouraging. and complimentary? I wonder about this in my role as teacher too. Right now I am teaching a marvelous writing course. Each week, I ask the students to write about challenging, difficult topics, and each week, they have raised the bar. I don’t want to slap a virtual gold star on each essay, but I have found myself with fist in the air after reading some of the pieces, just feeling triumphant for the writer’s talent and effort. The students are putting it out there, embracing risk, trying to get better. And on the rare week when they didn’t pull it off, their faces tell the story.

Isn’t that why I do what I do? Why should I feel all glib and insufficient because they are doing well? (And what am I worried about anyway? Although I give very easy reading quizzes, you’ll see on my Koofers and Rate My Professor ratings that despite my fears of being a pollyanna, my students consistently say I’m a tough grader.)

Whether as a coach, teacher, or just supportive parent, I dish out a steady stream of compliments and encouragement. I look for the good. Sure, I think I can help, but the kernel of motivation must rest within my students’ and players’ own hearts. My job, in some way, comes down to motivating them to uncover it. And that’s not a journey filled with insults and disappointment.

Oh, there will be bad days, days in which the effort wasn’t there. But if the interaction is right, we both know. But mainly, we just need to guide them. Believe in them. Tell them they did a good job.

As I mentioned back in February, the Philadelphia Eagles made the atrocious offseason move of bringing Michael Vick back for another season. It remains to be seen whether or not he is still the starting quarterback, and I guess it is not a certainty that he will even make the team, but I was certainly distressed to see him return. I suffered through several seasons of having him on my favorite team, the last two of which did not even have the benefit of him playing well. I was certain that he would be gone after last season, especially when head coach Andy Reid was sent packing, as he had been Vick’s biggest advocate. Chip Kelly was brought in, and he apparently thought it made sense to give the guy another opportunity, despite that fact that he appears to me to be very poorly suited for Kelly’s offense due to his penchant for throwing interceptions, his constant fumbling, and his clear weakness at reading defenses. Vick was asked about the latter this week on a local radio show, and he lashed out at his critics, saying they “know nothing about football” and are “ignorant.”

Apparently I have just been called ignorant by Michael Vick. Michael Vick. Yeah, that one. That’s awesome. I guess I don’t blame the guy for trying to defend himself, but this is a bit much to take. If you look over Vick’s career, reading defenses has never been his strong suit. His play just does not back up that claim. If he is good at reading defenses, then he is really bad at executing plays, as the sheer volume of mistakes he has made on a regular basis would certainly suggest some sort of problem. If he made the right reads, then he is just a very bad quarterback. He has also been sacked repeatedly, and while that does suggest some weaknesses in the offensive lines that have played in front of him, his penchant for holding the ball for far too long is an indicator that making quick decisions was not one of his strengths.

Vick protested that “you don’t last 12 years in the NFL not being able to read the defense.” You do if you have the sheer athleticism that he has and that made him the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. By the way, Mike, you haven’t lasted 12 years in the NFL if you don’t count the 2 years that you were in prison for running a dogfighting ring and the year after you came back when you really didn’t play, but that’s beside the point. I am not suggesting that he has no defense-reading ability at all, of course. I am saying that he has never shown a predilection for rapid decision-making. That skill, by all accounts including the coach’s, is the main prerequisite for running his offense. Yes, Kelly’s quarterbacks have often had the ability to run with the ball, which is why so many people latched on to the idea of Vick sticking around when Kelly was hired, but Kelly’s own words detail a variety of skills needed, and running the ball is not near the top. That and his strong arm are all Vick really brings to the table here.

It’s true that there is no obvious alternative to Vick at the moment. Nick Foles, while he showed some promise last year when Vick was hurt, also held the ball for far too long, although he did show a skill for reading what the defense was doing. The Birds drafted Matt Barkley out of USC in the fourth round, and although his stock plummeted from where it was after his junior year, quick decisions and throwing well on the run were clearly his strong suits. His arm strength is in question, and he is not the biggest guy, but his leadership is spoken of highly and I would not be at all surprised to see him leading this team. It may not happen at the beginning of the coming season, but I don’t think it will take too long. In the meantime, I guess I may need to suck it up and deal with a little more Michael Vick, even if he did call me ignorant.

Bad sports, continued:

2) Speaking of the Eagles, running back LeSean McCoy is being sued by a woman who was allegedly assaulted on a party bus by McCoy and his guests back in December.

3) Former NASCAR driver (and owner of one of the greatest names of all time) Dick Trickle shot himself to death on Thursday at the age of 71.

4) Flamboyant wide receiver Chad Johnson, who is currently unsigned, had a warrant issued for his arrest on Thursday for failing to report to his probation officer.

5) Mike Goodson, a fifth year running back for the New York Jets, was arrested on Friday on drug possession and weapon charges. He was found in a car that was stopped in the center lane on Interstate 80 in New Jersey at 3:00 AM on Friday morning along with a friend of his who was behind the wheel. Both were in pretty bad shape at the time.

6) Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams is suing his former fiancee to recover the diamond engagement ring he gave her. The ring reportedly cost nearly $800,000, which seems just a bit excessive.

7) Kenwyne Jones, a striker for Stoke City of the English Premier League, found a severed pig’s head in his locker on Friday.

Good sports:

1) Jimmie Johnson won his fourth All-Star Race on Saturday night, setting the record for the most career wins in the annual event, a record he formerly shared with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.

Bad sports, good sports appears every Monday

10. I Might As Well Be Dating Jody Foster

9. One Night On A Carnival Cruise!

8. Crepe Paper, Bunting, and Gym Sock Odor!

7. The Future Is Ours! (1% only)

6. The Blue Ball

5. Journey to the Center of My Pants

4. Chlamydia-Palooza!

3. Moon Over Gitmo

2. Memories To Last An Evening

1. I Might As Well Be Dating Manti Te’o’s Girlfriend
 

Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

#78

I once stood staring down a long staircase,
Then stood up having fallen all the way down.
The time between appeared to have erased
Both itself and the memory of what I’d done.
Unhurt, staring up at the staircase, terrified
Of forms and forces I now understood, I cried.
There are many steps, floors, and bannisters
In this ant people world, but only one sun.
Yet all depends on the attitude of the stairs,
Which share the simultaneity of the boson.
Every direction ends in a shift of perspective,
Hinting that the fifth dimension may be us,
Each riser a mere extension of consciousness,
Until, falling down the stairs, we no longer live.

Note: This is one of more than 115 poems after paintings or images, which can be viewed at the blog, Zealotry of Guerin.

I recently read an article by someone who said the reason he stopped being a vegetarian was that vegetarians don’t see the big picture. The writer went on to say that not eating meat wasn’t solving bigger problems like the destruction of animal habitats or the depletion of resources, so he was done with it. Obviously, the author has a few shortcomings in sequential reasoning, but his point is valid to the point of inspiration.

When comparing ourselves to others, it’s easy to feel good, but if we’re honest, this feeling is unmerited. Just because I’m not doing wrong doesn’t mean I’m doing right. Taking into consideration transportation, waste, energy, and other factors, many vegetarians still have a negative overall impact as high or higher than carnivores

I have been declared Emperor of the World. Let us not waste time explaining why or how; let’s all simply accept the fact that we are better off, as a result; hence, my next decree: 

Emperor’s Decree No.2013: The world is not a series of plastic chutes, lined up side-by-side and feeding into one another at prescribed intersections. The “real world” is a tangled jungle, rich with the heavy palm leaves and sketched over with arabesques of the vines of dark beauty and unpredictability. Therefore, we should go to school not to be ushered into the entrance of a plastic chute, but to be taught how to wield a machete; how to find our way by the sun; how to make shelter against an unexpected storm; how to appreciate the sunset even while the mosquitoes are sucking.

Our kids see a series of teachers for twelve-plus years. Each teacher has something to offer, either as an example of the good or as an example of the bad. Some teachers will make curriculum crystal clear; others will present lessons about life that are invaluable, even if at the expense of a perfect chemistry lesson. Twelve years of human interaction and assignments and grades are enough. We should, then, hand our kids the machete and let them loose to make their own way. They are not robots to be programmed but firework shells to be packed, fired off and watched in their hot-bright glory, bursting against the dark sky and falling in random patterns. We need to stop pretending we can turn out the perfect human being.

The Punishment: Legislators who continue to use standardized testing will have everything in their lives that brings them joy — everything that is not strictly necessary for their survival — taken away from them. After all, why waste time on things that don’t produce practical results?

Now, go forth and obey. 

The Emperor will grace the world with a new decree each Tuesday morning.

The concept of “political correctness” is an interesting one. Essentially, the term is used to describe attempts to avoid offending people. That seems like a pretty good idea, doesn’t it? Sure, there are people who are very easily offended, and there are others who find offense in things where it really does not exist, but for the most part, doing or saying things a certain way to avoid making someone feel marginalized is a pretty good idea. Of course, there are a lot of people who think our society goes too far in trying to appease the folks who would be otherwise offended. In fact, as you might expect, there are individuals who go wildly overboard with it, suggesting that any attempt at all to toe this line is a waste of time, and that anyone who feels victimized by language should just get over it. Those people are rarely the ones on the receiving end of the offensive words, predictably.

Political Correctness was at issue this week in the public discussions on the name of the Washington Redskins, the NFL team that represents our nation’s capital. This is not a new subject, as the team’s name has been debated many times in recent years. This time, a city councilman in D.C. discussed a non-binding resolution to recommend a name change for the team, with the moniker of Redtails being proposed as the alternative. Team owner Dan Snyder responded by saying that the team’s name would “never change.” He tossed out this quote as explanation:

“As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season.”

Umm, what? That not only does not give a rationale for the decision, it actually doesn’t say anything at all. Let’s put this very simply: the name is patently offensive. There are no two ways about it. Of the many team names related to Native Americans throughout the sports world, I am pretty sure that “Redskins” wins the award for most ridiculously offensive. I don’t care how much history the team has, how resistant to change people are, or how much money it would cost the team to change the name. This is just flat-out wrong, and the NFL, always so concerned with its image, should not allow a team with this name to continue to participate in its league. If this were a brand new expansion team, would they be allowed to name themselves the Redskins? Absolutely not. That same standard should apply here, regardless of the fact that the team has had this name for many years. Offensive is offensive, and this is offensive. Let’s not kid ourselves about the cost to the team, also. A change in name and logo would prompt a huge increase in merchandise sales for the franchise and would promote a lot of goodwill for the team and the league.

In 1992, the public was polled about this name and 89% were in favor of keeping it. Today, that percentage has dropped to 79%. I find it revolting that nearly four out of every five people think this name is okay. It makes me sad for our society that people have so little regard for the feelings and dignity of others. If the name were offensive to other groups, it would most certainly be on its way out, but I guess mistreatment of Native Americans still doesn’t stir outrage in many of us. That’s a real shame.

Bad sports, continued:

2) The hits keep on coming for the NCAA, especially in the case of the handling of the Miami investigation. Frank Haith, a former Miami head basketball coach who now coaches at Missouri, is accusing the NCAA of illegally accessing his private bank records as part of its investigation into possible wrongdoing at the South Florida school.

3) Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ was hit in the head with a line drive on Tuesday while pitching against the Tampa Bay Rays. He suffered a skull fracture.

4) Not only did the umpires blow a homerun call on the field during the Cleveland Indians-Oakland Athletics game on Wednesday night in Cleveland, but they reviewed it on television and still managed to get it wrong. Both teams and everyone in the stands knew it was a homerun, especially after the replay. The umps somehow did not.

5) Not to be outdone, an umpiring crew handling the L.A. Angels and Houston Astros game looked even worse than their cohorts in Cleveland on Thursday. Crew Chief Fieldin Culbreth has been suspended for allowing the Astros to remove a pitcher who had just come into the game and had not yet faced a batter. Blowing a call is one thing, but not knowing the rules is simply inexcusable.

6) A British sailor who had won a gold medal during the 2008 Olympics was killed on Thursday during training for the America’s Cup competition. Andrew Simpson was 36 years old.

7) Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young had a pretty spectacular week. He was arrested three separate times this week, including twice in the same day last Sunday. That has to be a record, right?

8) Golfer Sergio Garcia was doing very well in the Players Championship this week when he made a bit of a mess for himself. After Saturday’s round, he complained that he had been distracted by something done by Tiger Woods, with whom he had been paired for the day, and said that had cost him a shot. Garcia and Woods have never gotten along, and this prompted a bit of a negative back and forth between the two hid did not reflect well on Garcia, in my opinion. He looked even worse when he completely fell apart while fighting for the win on Sunday. He dropped two balls in the water at Sawgrass’ famous 17th hole, and followed up that quadruple bogey with another ball in the water on the 18th. Woods won the title, while Garcia finished eighth. Oops.

Good sports

1) Last Sunday, a teenage boy with cancer, Joshua Jones, was seated in his wheelchair in the first row at AT&T Park in San Francisco. He is a Dodgers fan, and was there to watch his favorite team. At the end of the game, Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, who had been told about Jones by third-base coach Tim Wallach, came over and gave the boy his cap, jersey, and cleats while also signing a ball for him and shaking his hand. Fantastic.

2) A 15-year-old blind girl, Charlotte Brown, competed in the pole vault at the Texas state championships on Saturday, clearing three heights, the top one being 10’6″. What did you do on Saturday?

10. Vote for a Stand-Up Guy!

9. The Right Man with the Right Staff!

8. Anthony Weiner! – He’s the Full Package!

7. Too Big to Fail!

6. You Can’t Keep a Good Weiner Down!

5. Progress You Can Hang Your Hat On!

4. Anthony Weiner: Hard On Crime!

3. Fighting for Working Stiffs Everywhere!

2. I’m No Quitter! I Plan to Stick It Out!

1. Once an Upstanding Member of Congress!
 

Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

#68

The jack-in-the-box dictator dominates,
Green scowl squeezing envy into hate.
Sinners pray to Jesus in the store window.
Draped in gold chains, clutching His scepter,
He laughs at their ruler’s show of temper.
Henchmen wait for new orders from below.
Eternal cities outlive their architecture.
Columns collapse, statuary crumbles,
“Return my youth,” a lame crone mumbles.
Speeches, even sermons, become lectures,
Endless repetitions, what everybody knows.
When the militia gathers, the catacombs
Fill with refuges and would-be deserters.
No murderers here, we are only torturers.

Note: This is one of more than 115 poems after paintings or images, which can be viewed at the blog, Zealotry of Guerin.