The Power to Positively Effect Change
I don’t typically follow mainstream media, news or happenings, and I definitely don’t follow the NBA, so this story was interesting to me when I heard about it. Recently, in an interview with Maxim Magazine, LeBron James (Team Captain of the Cleveland Cavaliers) was quoted, when asked “If there was one guy on the planet you could dunk on, who would it be?”, as saying: “If it doesn’t have to be a basketball player, George W. Bush. I would dunk on his [ass], break the rim, and shatter the glass.” (LeBron is a known-supporter of Barack Obama.)
The friend who told me about this LeBron story wrote this to me in our correspondence: “Boston just beat the Cavaliers with King James and Shaq. After LeBron’s majorly inappropriate comment about wanting to dunk and shatter the backboard over Pres. Bush (more than any other person), I have lost respect for LeBron. How about dunking over Osama Bin Laden? In LeBron’s role model position, you just don’t show that kind of disrespect for the President even if you don’t like him. Not to mention, his poor sportsmanship in losing the playoffs last year… he wouldn’t shake hands after the game. Your manly opinion on this?“
In response, I wrote: “In my humble opinion, LeBron has no class, no leadership and an immaturity that rivals others. He who, in his position, could effect MAJOR POSITIVE CHANGE on a global level. On a manliness scale, he’d rank very very low. No virtue = Not Manly.”
The reason I highlighted positive change (both in my response to my friend and in the title of this post) is because LeBron could bring
about so much positive change in this world, simply because of his stature, his following and his presence in the media. The trouble here, is that if you ask a fan of LeBron if he’s effecting positive change in the world, they’ll emphatically say “Yes!” It’s a clouded judgment that some people can’t see past because he appears to be so influential and such a boost for the sport. A TRUE boost to the sport would be challenging men to live virtuous, moral lives.
Just my $.02 today.
Man up!
Worshipping the ESPN God
Here is my latest article on iibloom.com. The title is “Worshipping the ESPN God”.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE, or start reading below…
“We are in the time of year when it is quite easy to become enamored by the lure of sports. The post-season is in full-swing in Major League Baseball, football season is flying at us from all sides (both the National Football League and College Football) and the National Hockey League recently kicked off their season. The National Basketball Association will be tipping off in a matter of weeks and NASCAR and the Professional Golf Association are both going strong. There is no other time on the calendar when all of these sports are played at one time. If you are a sports-junkie, you love this time of year. For many of us, sports have always been an important aspect of our lives.”
Continue reading HERE.
Man up!
7 Days of Manly Superbowl Stuff – Last Day
Well, we’ve just about arrived. Kick-off to Superbowl XLIII is merely hours away and the anticipation of the game is on the minds of many sports fans across the country. Sadly, the anticipation of the commercials, which might be the larger anticipation, is on the minds of television fans and of people who like parties with lots of food. In the end, there will be a winning team (the champions) and a losing team. It may be the team you are rooting for, it might not. 50-50. Win – go down in history. Lose – be forgotten.
A quick thought today… God wants our best, given freely to him, in all we do. In the little things (hosting a party, being a guest, making comments about the plays, the calls or the commercials) during the game (and always) be aware of your words, your actions and your thoughts. A True Man never makes someone call into question his motivation, his intent or his character. Be a gentleman and a servant of Christ.
COMING SOON… since Superbowl Week is now over, we’ll be back to our normal posting schedule. Please watch for upcoming podcasts, video and the addition of the e-book, “The Biblical Man – e-book Edition” by Dave DiNuzzo.
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated!
7 Days of Manly Superbowl Stuff – Day 6 (Mike Tomlin Day)
Only 2 days left until THE BIG DAY! (Go Steelers!) Superbowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals.
Before you read this post, please check out this clip of Steelers Head Coach, Mike Tomlin, at one of his Superbowl Press Conferences this week. CLICK HERE FOR THE MIKE TOMLIN VIDEO. (Notice specifically the video segment 0:45-1:36 – as he speaks about “the game plan”). Sorry I wasn’t able to embed it in this post.
What stands out to me in this clip is the attitude that Coach has. This is the youngest head coach in NFL history to ever take a team to the Superbowl. He’s constantly telling his players to be humble, play hard and to not underestimate their opponents. He sets the example of cool-calm-and-collected. He realizes that their team isn’t perfect, while at the same time continuing to shoot for perfection. His positive and optimistic outlook guides the Steelers towards greatness.
One of the reporters asks him about his “game plan” and if getting to the Superbowl was in his plan. He answers this (somewhat ridiculous) question by saying “of course it was my plan. It’s every coach’s plan, and it will always be my plan as long as I am coaching.” Liken this to our goals in life. If we go into our “season” without a game plan, without a set of plays and without the playbook, we’ll easily be defeated. (Note: our “season” is our life. The “game plan” is our daily plan of how we’re going to grow closer to Christ. The “set of plays” are our everyday prayers, actions, choices and the Mass and our “playbook” is Sacred Scripture.) If we set a goal of achieving the title of “champion” (heaven), we’re much more likely to be granted that salvation than if we never decide to shoot for anything in life. Set your goal towards God.
Man up!
7 Days of Manly Superbowl Stuff – Day 3
T-Minus 5 days and counting until Superbowl 43…
Today, I’m thinking about the players in the NFL, and the typical picture that is painted for us of a player on the side lines. Typically, we see the star players getting a water-boy to squirt water in their mouth for them, someone who takes their helmet off and places it on their own personal “helmet heater” and yet another person who comes behind them and places a warm cape over their shoulders during cold games. Is this reality? Do you have an assistant that comes behind you and “takes care of you”? Most of us want to say no, but if you think about it, you might have to change your answer to yes.
Think about it this way… if you’re a married man, do you make your wife take care of everything around the house? (The cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping and the bills?) Does your wife do everything for the children? (Feed, change, dress, educate and play with them?) If this is making you think, I’m glad. My hope is that each of us realizes that, much like the players on the field, a marriage is a team. In football terms, how well would a team do if the offense also played defense AND special teams? They received no rest, no substitutes and no relief. They’d get run down and worn out. Are you doing this to your spouse? A True Man knows that cooking is a huge help (on a grill is preferred!), that cleaning any part of the house is a major relief and that a break from the kids is a god-send. A True Man also knows that this DOES NOT take away from his manhood, but enhances it. Be a teammate.
Man up!
7 Days of Manly Superbowl Stuff – Day 2 (Troy Polamalu Day)
T-Minus 6 Days and counting until Superbowl 43…
Many of you are familiar with the star of the top-ranked Steeler defense, #43 Troy Polamalu (pronounced: poh lah mah loo). You’re probably familiar with him because of his tenacity, aggressiveness, number of sacks and interceptions, and especially because of his long, curly, black, Polynesian hair. (Not familiar with Troy? Click HERE.) You might not be familiar with him because of another reason… his Catholic faith. Polamalu is a devote Catholic, a genuine family man and a humble servant – off the field. This picture of him seemingly contrasts his playing style – on the field. Troy disagrees. He believes that his passion (for football) on the field is directly related to his passion (for Christ) off the field. He was quoted in the Pittsburgh Catholic saying “Football gives me confirmation of how I can carry out my faith. It’s my way to glorify God.” He also recently started a philanthropic foundation that benefits our service men and women!
His teammates have some things to say about him, too. “Knowing Troy and how he carries himself, he brings light to the team,” said offensive lineman Alan Faneca. “Everybody respects that.” “He’s definitely one of those guys who lead by example,” said quarterback Charlie Batch. “He’s not a talker when he gets out there, but you see the work he does on the field and produces every Sunday. When you put that combination together, yeah, he’s one of those guys that you’re going to follow … and he doesn’t take for granted that he’s blessed with incredible speed and instinct.”
Leading by example… that’s TRUE MANHOOD. Way to go Troy!
Check out the full story from the Pittsburgh Catholic HERE.
7 Days of Manly Superbowl Stuff – DAY 1
The countdown has begun; t-minus 7 days and counting until the big game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals – Superbowl 43 on February 1, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. This game is especially exciting for me this year because I’m a huge Steelers fan.
It’s easy for us to get into the stereotypical (“dumb ox”) mindset when it comes to football… “ugh… me like football. mmm, smash, kill, score, win… arghh”. It’s easy to yell at the television, even though we know they can’t hear us and that the play we’re yelling about is already history. It’s easy to stuff our faces full of greasy food during any given game. It’s easy to become involved, in an unhealthy way, in the fantasy of the game. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing intrinsically evil about football, and in the right context, is perfectly normal and healthy, however, we should guard against a few tendencies.
- We must realize that football is a game and has zero positive bearing on what should be our goal in life – getting to Heaven.
- We shouldn’t try to live (vicariously, or otherwise) through our favorite team or all-star players.
- We should never allow football to take precedence over family time.
- We should never allow football to take precedence over our responsilibities.
- We should “consume” football in reasonable amounts.
LOOKING AHEAD. Monday’s post: How a real life football star stays grounded as a family man and philanthropist.
