Like many others, I am excited about the prospects of a new administration, and the special significance of the United States having its first African-American President. To paraphrase President Obama, we are not the red states of America, we are not the blue states of America, we are not the white states of America, we are not the black states of America, we are the United States of America. President Obama is a trailblazer and you have to like that about him.
It’s a bit of a breath of fresh air after sixteen years of what appeared to me to be four consecutive terms of arrogant, self-centered, mildly brain-damaged, somewhat lazy and self-indulgent baby boomers Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who each, both in their own awful ways, demonstrated all of the very worst traits of the baby boom generation—Clinton in his philandering and uncontrollable appetites for food, sex and manic tirades which left his security details emotionally exhausted and upset about guarding him—and Bush in his stubborn intransigent refusal to change policies, his disappearances from public view for months on end, the rumors about his drinking which would resurface from time to time, his incredible oedipal complexes regarding his father and mother, his religious conversions from Episcopalian to born again to long rumored conversion to crypto-catholicism after long meetings with the two Popes.
I say, a pox on both their houses. The last good to excellent Presidents we have had, clearly, were Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr., whose three terms ended in 1993, and culminated in the downfall of the iron curtain, and the downfall of the Russian bear, the Russian communist government which had been in place since 1917, and the liberation of hundreds of millions of people from communism, including all of the enslaved millions of Eastern Europe. to my mind, this was the greatest accomplishment of the twentieth century, on a part with the defeat of Imperial Germany in WWI and the defeat of Hitler in WWII. Bush I and Reagan deserve our admiration and our respect for this great achievement. One might also throw in there the liberation of Kuwait and the defeat of the Russians in Afghanistan as well as the defeat of the communists and the Sandinistas in Nicaragua on their watch as well.
In my view, while both the Clinton and Bush II adminisrations had mixed successes, neither President could directly claim them as Presidential successes. Clinton could not claim credit for either the legislation he passed or the great economy he engendered—those were the work of the Republican Senate and House, and of his excellent Treasury Secretaries Rubin and Summers. Bush could not claim credit for the victories in the war on terror or in Afghanistan or Iraq—those were the result of VP Cheyney and the neo-con think tank, and General Petraeus. While Bush greenlighted those projects, he wasn’t the leader on them. And the economy tanked badly under Bush, as did many other domestic programs, such as EPA and FEMA. Clinton’s entire second term was marred by the Lewinsky scandal and his own impeachment, while the first two years of his first term were marred by endless scandals and the downfall of his own party in the mid-term elections of 1994, along with the destruction of his mandate for health care reform and the defeat of his reform agenda during 1993-1994. Likewise, Bush II got little or nothing done in his second term, and his approval ratings were poor, suffering as they did from the attrition of a long ground war in Asia (very LBJ like) and meandering domestic policies which culminated in economic disaster.
In short, both Presidents suffered from attention deficit disorder, self-centered personality issues, arrogance, unwillingness to listen to criticism and poor comprehension of the big picture. In short, they both betrayed the worst aspects of the baby boom generational personality. Frankly, their personalities were quite similar, in many respect, even though their policies and politics may have been different.
I leave this to the scholars and authors, but eventually, some briliant psycho historian will put this all together in a compelling thesis or book or article, comparting Bush II to Clinton, and resolving the many strands of the Baby Boom Complex. Whatever the issues, I’m glad that we can finally sweep these guys past us and under the rug.
I preferred older leaders, guys like Reagan, who organized the Screen Actors Guild in the 1930s and 1940s, or Bush I, who flew fifty or more combat missions in World War II. Those guys were real leaders who stood up for real principles and worked hard all their lives. They didn’t have time to worry about themselves because they were always worried about others.
This brings us to President Obama, a fellow that seems to fit the mold of our older civil servants, a fellow that is more interested in others than he is in himself. And you have to like that. Like Reagan, he was a sports buff when younger, and like Bush I, he gave a great deal of time when younger to public service and civil service projects at cost and expense to himself. I cannot recall too many former editors of the Harvard Law Review who spent ten years or more pacing the streets of the South Chitown ghettoes getting to know the old ladies and young men and getting them organized and out to vote. Most of those Harvard Law Review editor types go straight to NYC or DC and pick up the big bucks, especially back in the go-go 90s.
There’s something nice in the way those old grandmothers from Chicago talk about the President that you have to like. A fella that’s willing to eat a meal at someone’s modest home in the south side of Chicago is a regular guy.
Also, and this one goes out to my good friend Scott Pritikin of Chicago, you have to love the fact that President Obama is a Chicago White Sox fan, and doesn’t care for the Cubs or the Red Sox. He’s not one of those yuppies or baby boomers who instantly root for the Cubs or Red Sox because they think they’re supposed to, or because it’s the elitist thing to do.
Rooting for the White Sox is a sign of being a down to earth, South Side Chicago, Blues Guy. A guy who likes reality, not cash, who likes to play hoops, not tennis or polo. The man is real. Really real. Everything peripheral about him seems just right. He’s no baby boomer–he’s a solid citizen. He’d rather spend the day eating pie with your grandmother than fooling around with some intern. That’s way righteous. And we all know he’s a religious fellow, and a righteous fellow, and a fine speaker.
But what I’m saying is, it all seems to come from some wellspring of personal integrity and decency.
In President Obama, we finally have someone who appears, on the surface at least, to be a serious, detail-oriented, intelligent man who will devote himself 24/7 to the job of being CEO and CFO of the United States of America, the most difficult and demanding job in the world. His cabinet picks and transition team work to date has been outstanding, and he has picked excellent people. Speaking in a nonpartisan fashion, I have been impressed with his willingness to appoint people from all points of view and from all sides of the aisle to his administration, including notably Defense Secretary Gates from Bush’s administration. There does not appear to be a pronounced liberal policy bias—instead, there is a bias towards getting the jobs done right in each and every sector of government. This is a blissfully good sign of proper management skills.
Plus, the new President shoots a mean left hook and he was a great athlete in high school. Hey, he even works out with the leading scorers of college basketball. To be nearly fifty and be able to work out with college kids, that’s saying something.
His hobbies are not self-indulgent, weird or twisted. He likes to shoot hoop in his spare time at the gym. This is the kind of guy I can actually relate too. He’s not some weird, self-centered, twisted baby-boomer in search of the meaning of life either by having an affair with a white house intern or by sitting down and chatting endlessly with the Pope. This President knows himself, is comfortable with his values and sense of self, and is just about business and getting the work done. He’s a down to earth regular guy, from what I can see.
You have no idea how refreshing that is to see in a President. I wish him well, and I hope they build a basketball gym at the White House, and invite kids from the neighborhood to come and have shootarounds Mondays and Thursdays with the Prez.
Part II – Donovan McNabb and Ernie Davis
Now, onto discussing Ernie Davis and Donovan McNabb.
Last night, I finally had the chance to watch a movie that explores in detail the racial problems of the old America in detail, while also telling the story of a sports legend. I refer here to “The Express—The Ernie Davis Story” which tells the story of “The Elmira Express,” Ernie Davis, the first African-American football player ever to win the Heisman Trophy. Davis followed Jim Brown to Syracuse University and wore Jim Brown’s #44 from 1959-62, and led Syracuse to an undefeated untied season, a #1 ranking, a national championship and a Cotton Bowl victory over #2 Texas in the 1959-60 football season. His accomplishments were unbelievable.
One of President Obama’s great heroes, the late President Kennedy, admired Ernie Davis greatly. President Kennedy was also a former athlete, and played football at Harvard. He truly admired Ernie Davis for his accomplishments on the football field, and he went out of his way to praise Davis for his Heisman Award, and in the film is shown to have met Davis in person to congratulate him.
And yet Ernie Davis, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and would have played in the same backfield as Jim Brown (what a backfield that would have been) never played a down in the NFL. He was stuck down in the prime of life by leukemia, and died in 1963 at age 23. President Kennedy himself sent a memorial message.
This film is a great deal about the bravery and pioneering efforts not only of Davis against discrimination and bigotry, but also of Syracuse University, and their trailblazing efforts to recruit and develop African-American talent at the highest levels of national championship football. We seen in this film an unbroken chain from Jim Brown to Ernie Davis to Floyd Little, and we all know what kind of running backs Jim Brown and Floyd Little were in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos—great ones.
This got me to thinking a great deal about the traditions of football at Syracuse, and about another great football player who is having an incredible NFL career, who also is African-American and went to Syracuse, and here I am speaking of Donovan McNabb.
Does anyone seriously doubt that Donovan McNabb went to Syracuse because he was chasing the ghosts of Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little? Donovan McNabb, even though he jokes and smiles, is I believe, serious about advancing the cause of greatness on the football field for African-American players. Don’t let the Chunky Soup ads fool you. Terrell Owens may be a clown, but Donovan McNabb is a thinking man’s football player, and serious about the advancement of African-Americans.
At this point, we must start asking ourselves, is Donovan McNabb the greatest African-American quarterback of all time ever to play in the NFL to date? The unequivocal answer is yes, absolutely and positively, yes. No other African-American quarterback has been to five conference championship games within an eight year span as has Donovan McNabb, including the Super Bowl. Other African-American quarterbacks have put up gaudier numbers—and here I think of Warren Moon principally—and Steve McNair was great for a long time with Houston/Tennessee and also reached the Super Bowl—but McNabb has been greater for longer and been a consistent winner for a longer period of time than any of them.
In point of fact, McNabb’s accomplishments in the NFL are very similar to those of Obama in politics. At this point in his career, anything that McNabb accomplishes, from here on out, is pioneering unchartered ground for an African-American quarterback in the NFL. McNabb of Syracuse has redefined the level of quarterback play for African-Americans in the NFL, like Jim Brown of Syracuse before him redefined the level of running back play for African-Americans in the NFL. McNabb would certainly belong in the Hall of Fame for this accomplishment alone, but beyond that, he has matched the record of Steve Young in the 1990s for appearing in five conference championship games in one decade. And no one doubts that Steve Young, Jerry Rice and George Seifert all belong in the Hall of Fame.
And I remind you all, that in none of those seasons (except perhaps the one with Terrell Owens) did McNabb ever have a receiver as gifted as Jerry Rice. Imagine if McNabb had Jerry Rice and Steve Young had to throw to Todd Pinkston or Greg Lewis for eight years. Does anyone doubt that McNabb and Rice would have gone to five super bowls while Young would have been lucky to get to one NFC conference final had those two guys had each others’ receiving corps?
This past season has defined the greatness of McNabb in so many ways. A lost season was redeemed. Impossible playoff games were won. Even in the final NFC championship game, when all seemed lost, McNabb gave a heroic, Olympian effort to win the game during the second half, and played the most beautiful, perfect quarter of football that anyone has ever seen from a quarterback in an NFC title game in decades.
That McNabb and the Eagles lost the game is irrelevant. For most of the second half, McNabb was the greatest, most dominant player I have ever witnessed on a football field. He took over the game the way only great players do, players like Jim Brown, like Joe Namath, like Roger Staubach, like Troy Aikman, like Terry Bradshaw, like Franco Harris.
And, like Ernie Davis. McNabb’s greatness was there for all to see.
I doubt seriously that we shall see his kind again.
To those who say McNabb is a good and not a great QB, you are wrong. McNabb is a great QB. It is Kurt Warner who is a good and not a great QB. Two or three great seasons, interrupted by sitting on the bench for years in NYC or playing in the arena league in other years, does not a HOF career make.
This is super bowl year 43. Next year will be Super Bowl #44. That’s Jim Brown’s Number and Ernie Davis’ Number. For some reason, I think Donovan McNabb might have extra special incentive to want to win Super Bowl #44. It would be very special indeed if he could win Super Bowl #44 in 2010. It would be homage to Jim Brown, to Ernie Davis, to Floyd Little, to Syracuse, to a whole of players who have gone before…
and it would certainly stick it to Rush Limbaugh and TO for making those horrible racists comments about McNabb a few years back…
I think the Eagles have a fine chance of coming back to the playoffs next year, and perhaps going all the way. And even if it’s 80-1, as I’ve argued elsewhere, there are worse bets in the marketplace than putting a dollar on andy reid.
–Art Kyriazis Philly/South Jersey
Home of the World Champion Phillies
Happy New Year 2009
The Horrible BCS
January 12, 2009
Florida defeated Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS National Championship Game last week to win the BCS National Championship for this past 2008-2009 season. The game was pretty even for three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, Tim Tebow and the Gators pretty much took control of the game as did the Gators’ defense. I’m certainly happy for Florida and for the good people of Gator Country.
Which reminds me of a funny story. I was interviewing for some positions early in my career in the Jacksonville, Florida region. This was a while back. I was I had flown in from the North that very morning. I was pretty young and naïve. Everywhere I went, I noticed that everyone had a certain lapel pin on. Finally, my third or fourth interview through, I asked, pretty stupidly, what is that pin y’all have on?
“Why son, THIS HEAH IS A GATAH PIN. WE HEAH ARE ALL GATAHS!!!”
In other words, they all were wearing Florida Gator pins. I knew right then and there, I was toast. There was no way they were hiring a Northerner in that or any other related office. Just to complete the story, I ran into some friends of friends some years later in LA who were Gator alums, and they assured me that U Florida was one of the best universities ever, both in terms of courses and in terms of social fun, ever. Apparently a lot of celebrities and actors send their kids there. But they, too, were Gators.
I’m actually happy for Florida and the Gators. Maybe it took Steve Spurrier leaving for them to get a national championship, or maybe just a Tim Tebow to put them over the top. Whatever, they’ve now won two BCS national championships in three years, which is a signal accomplishment.
But this is about the horrible BCS, which this year served up a couple of one loss teams in Florida and Oklahoma in the BCS Bowl. This year, other schools which have a reasonable claim to the national championship include Utah, which finished undefeated, won a BCS Bowl and destroyed their BCS opponent in that Bowl. Why wasn’t Utah in the BCS Final? Frankly, they looked pretty compelling in destroying Alabama.
Then you have the USC Trojans—who did a pretty good job of destroying the Penn State Nittany Lions, and a very good Nittany Lion team at that, one which was a one point loss from being undefeated. It’s hard to believe that USC lost a game to anyone this season. Even so, watching them in the Rose Bowl, USC certainly looked like a national champion. Why wasn’t USC playing Florida in the BCS final bowl?
Then you have Texas, which defeated Ohio State in another BCS Bowl, though it was a close game and not a decisive win. Texas didn’t really make out the case for a national championship, but certainly they belong in the mix of elite teams. Why wasn’t Texas playing Florida in the BCS final bowl?
So what this controversy builds up to is the compelling need for a national playoff system in BCS/NCAA football. Why this is so difficult escapes me. The top eight ranked teams in the BCS should be eligible for the playoffs, and should be seeded in the BCS bowls; in fact, to be REALLY fair, the BCS/NCAA should put in the top sixteen teams and seed them accordingly. They certainly have enough teams. After all, if you’re ranked first, you should have a creampuff first round opponent, eh? Meanwhile, you can get some interesting 8-9 matchups, etc.
Sixteen playoff teams will result in eight bowls in the first round, four bowls in the second round, two bowls in the third round and a final championship bowl in the penultimate round. That makes fifteen bowl games over four weeks to decide a national champion. There would be plenty of advertising money and plenty of TV rights all around. As for the remainder of the bowl games, obviously there should be a pool to allow all of the bowls to be playoff/BCS bowls from year to year—but due to regional and conference matchups other bowls will still have appeal, e.g. Penn State, Notre Dame, the service academies, even if they’re not for the playoffs or national championship.
Many, many persons have spoken out for a national playoff system in NCAA/BCS football, including our President-Elect, who is in favor. The team that has been most hurt by the lack of a national playoff system in NCAA football, without any doubt, has been Penn State. Four times in NCAA history, Penn State has had an undefeated system without being ranked #1 or having an opportunity to play for the #1 ranking in a bowl game at the end of the season. By my reckoning, Joe Paterno and Penn State should have six, not two national championships. Paterno and Penn State have been shamelessly deprived of numerous national championships by both the polling systems and by the lack of a national championship playoff system, starting in 1969 and most recently in 1993.
The other team that has been systematically discriminated against even with the BCS system is Utah, which the BCS/NCAA feels for some reason can’t play football, even though Utah churns out pro quarterbacks and pro coaches with astounding regularity. I don’t even know who the Utah quarterback is, but I bet even now he’s more likely to end up on an NFL roster than Bradford the so-called cant miss prospect from Oklahoma (who looked hopelessly confused during the fourth quarter of the BCS bowl).
Meanwhile, Tebow, who the NFL scouts say won’t make it in the NFL, there’s a guy I’d certainly draft if I was GM for an NFL team. Tebow is a born leader. I’ve only ever seen one guy do that jump pass thing—the star quarterback of our prep school football team—and all he did was play for BC four years and play for the Giants until he messed up his ankle. He’s a professional sports announcer now. I say Tebow can play pro—he’s got the desire.
But the horrible BCS has to be overhauled. We need a playoff system. I’m pretty sure Tebow and Florida would still win such a system, and the final game would probably be Florida and USC. But what a game that would be.
–Art Kyriazis Philly/South Jersey
Home of the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies
Happy New Year 2009
JOE PATERNO
January 5, 2009
Joe Paterno was coaching before I was around and he may be coaching after I’m gone. He’s been coaching so long that no one remembers a time when he was not the coach of Penn State, although I had an uncle, who’s now passed away a few years now, who was recruited to play football at Penn State back in the 1950s for Rip Engle, who once was the coach before Joe Paterno, but Joe Pa was Rip’s assistant coach even then.
Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions may have lost the Rose Bowl, but so what? Penn State Football is one of the greatest institutions known to mankind. You see ex-Penn State ballplayers everywhere, from every generation, the 50s, the 60s, the 70s and onwards to the present day—and the names are incredible—Lennie Moore, John Cappelletti, Franco Harris, Matt Millen, Dan Connor, Kerry Collins and so forth. There was a time when Penn State used to provide about 10-20 per cent of all of the NFL’s linebackers and kickers. There were Matt and Chris Bahr of Penn State. There were Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris, who must have gained 20,000 yards between them for the Colts and Steelers. Rosie Grier, who was by Bobby Kennedy’s side when he was shot, and who was an incredible person as well as an amazing football player.
Penn State football players graduate. They all leave with degrees, with intelligence and with personality. Happy Valley is a wonderful place, and Penn State is one of the finest universities in the world. Joe Paterno is the uncrowned Emperor of Happy Valley, and in another era, he would have been an Emperor—perhaps of the Romans, or the Austro-Hungarians, or the Holy Roman Empire. His is a loving and kind autocracy, a gentle and good autarky. Emperor Paterno is beloved by his subjects, adored by his colleagues, and will rule for life.
It’s true that once upon a time he was just a scrappy Italian-American kid from Brooklyn, who got a chance to play quarterback at Brown in the 40s, and made good, but that was a long time ago. He’s passed from kid to man, from man to legend, from legend to hero, and from hero to myth. And we worship him because we should. He is a role model befitting us all.
So here’s to Coach Paterno, one of the greatest of the great. The pride of Pennsylvania and of Penn State, and the reason why wherever you go in this good Commonwealth at holiday time, people put out their American Flag, their crèches and/or Hanukkah Lights or whatever, and their statues of the Nittany Lion and Penn State Flags. Because we love him and revere him. Because he’s good old Joe. Penn State Nation and Pennsylvania would not be what they are without him.
Art Kyriazis – Philly/South Jersey
Home of the World Champion Phillies
Happy New Year 2009
