A Man With Soul And A Devil Of A Man

What do former NFL head coach Tony Dungy and ex Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld have in common? Apart from both being featured in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal (see A Coach's Faith and 'From Lehman's Wreckage, New Lives'), I think there is little common between them.

I admire Tony Dungy. I detest Dick Fuld. When I saw Dungy and his Indianapolis Colts take Super Bowl XLI (41) in 2007 I was so thrilled. He and I are about the same age. He has much more top level playing and coaching experience than I do, but we share some important values, I believe. Dungy is a faithful man, and he knows his Bible. I am someone who has strong faith but I do not read the Bible often. I try to apply what I have as faith to many things in life--I'm a sinner and have not yet risen to be any saint, be assured.

But for me, Dungy is important because he shows his faithfulness in an arena so fraught with pressures to be faithless—that world of the professional athlete: win at all costs; cheat; finagle; etc. Yet, he seemed to stand above that. He also had gentility in a sport known for brutishness. In the Caribbean, I’m sure he would have been labelled as gay. The man is strong but slight. Smart but not smug. Able to let those who can do what they will—made easier with a sporting icon like Peyton Manning at quarterback. But what a happy coincidence that was.

What about Fuld.When Lehman collapsed last mid-September, it was the first time that this man came into my consciousness. When I saw him testify last September I almost threw up with the attitude he displayed. His holdings of Lehman stock were valued at US$145 million at the start of 2008. The day after the bankruptcy, he sold 2 million shares and netted US$525,000. He stayed on as CEO for 90 days after bankruptcy. He had to explain to Congress Lehman’s collapse. He complained that the US government had pulled the rug from under his firm but saved Bear Stearns and bailed out AIG. Whatever he thought, Congress saw him as ‘the villain’. He resigned and moved from executive with a US1 billion net worth and US$40 million remuneration to—well, still 'getting by' in that rich person kind of way. Bit by bit he sold assets and also transferred a US$13.75 million to his wife for US$10!!!—to shield his assets? He’s now named in over 50 lawsuits many alleging securities fraud against Lehman and its executives. He’s now on the way back with a new firm offering advice from crisis management to fixed income. He is moving back more in recent months.

But whereas Fuld seems all about himself (he has managed to say "He's sorry"), Dungy is largely about other people.

Dungy retired as head coach at the end of the 2008/9 season and has recently been instrumental in getting Michael Vick rehabilitated from convicted dog fight arranger and dog killer back to NFL quarterback after 19 months in jail. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Vick for US$1.6 million (about the cost of a Fuld room?). Dungy wanted to know where Vick wanted to go ‘from here’. Vick had blown his first big chance at role model. Dungy came from a stable middle class, alcohol and drug free family environment. He cam across alcohol and drugs at college, at the University of Minnesota. When he went into professional sport he saw amongst players what family breakdown and missing fathers had wreaked—something that Vick feared he would add to.

Dungy did not have a stellar professional career and after 3 years as a back up moved to coaching, becoming the youngest assistant coach in the NFL at 25. He set some awesome records—and note that he is a black man in a sport only now realising that black men can coach too—including 10 consecutive play off appearances (a record) and the first coach to beat all 32 NFL teams. He mentored 3 assistants into head coaches, including Mike Tomlin (another black coach/former player), who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl this year.

Dungy's favourite verse from the Bible? Matthew 16:26: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul” I wonder if Dick Fuld knows that passage? In the commentary on Fuld, the words faith, belief, and God do not feature. Should I blame the reporter for that omission? Or is the man in the article at fault for not correcting that? Maybe he is lying in the water just waiting to drown.

NAPSAC My Knapsack

Usain Bolt she is not, but who knows where she will land?
Jackie Joyner-Kersee she is not, but she left her prints in the sand.
A little smiling face with two gap teeth.
Her swinging arms, her stance so sweet.

Like a Trojan she entered the stadium.
Glancing left and right, trying to find her family.
She listened patiently and waited her turns.
Swing once, swing twice, bend knees, push hard, and fly.

Wow! Well into the air and landing without fear.
Dust off the hands and rejoin the line.
Glancing up at the crowds and frowning at what she heard.
Are they calling my name or am I just hoping?

Is this a big thing? I feel so very small.
Look at that man, he seems so tall.
He waves his flags. White is good, red is foul.
I did alright that much I know.

Just wheel and turn and another go.
We were many but now we are just eight.
I jump again. This is great.
We leave the sand and walk to a tent.

Some people speak. The National Anthem.
The meet begins, but it had already begun.
I am confused by the way grown ups do things.
Back to my team, and smiles from my teacher.

My Mum comes to find me and takes me from an 'Auntie'.
We climb the steep steps and find Daddy and Tanti.
I'm sweaty but not tired.
No school for the rest of the day; I can go home early.

I get great hugs and kisses too.
I know I did well and so do you.
Next year? I liked running on the coloured track.
So, look out Usain,I will be back.

Serving it up: Views from New York City

Over the next few days, I will be spending time at Flushing Meadows, New York, watching tennis at the US Open. Spending time abroad is always good for reflecting on things at home, wherever that happens to be. I am going to be more extensive over the next few days, but for the moment the post will be brief, as it is nearly 2am in the morning, and my day has ended with a little drama. We were locked out of the apartment where we are staying and had to summon a locksmith to open the door.

But I want to reflect briefly on what was served up today. The US Tennis Association celebrated the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson's winning the US title with a show including local singers and marching band, Aretha Franklin, a parade of black American women who had been firsts in their fields, and fittingly followed that with two singles matches featuring the Williams sisters (see www.USopen.org for details). Beforehand, each had paid fitting tribute to the doors opened for them by Althea Gibson.

The day also saw a short parade of black tennis talent. Donald Young (an 18 year old American, who previously won the junior US Open, and this year won the junior title at Wimbledon) won his 1st round match, and showed that the recent run of good form may signal that he is now ready to be a real player on the senior circuit. Ahsha Rolle (see photo; an American of Bahamian parentage, ranked #109 in the world, getting a wild card entry and never before getting past a Grand Slam 1st round) beat Tatiana Golovin, seeded #17, ranked in the world's top 20). Could she do a Marion Martoli in the US Open? Scoville Jenkins, from Georgia, played well but lost to Roger Federer. No surprise!

There is no one playing singles at the tournament who is a true product of the Caribbean. Mark Knowles, a Bahamian, is a doubles specialist, and is ranked very highly with his Canadian partner. Ryan Sweeting, also Bahamian by birth, but studying in the US and choosing to represent the US, is a young promising player. As I watched the match involving Donald Young, I met one of Barbados' best tennis coaches, Sydney Lopez, and asked him what it would take to produce players to compete at the highest levels. He merely remarked "US$150,000 a year". That kind of backing does not seem to come forward readily in the region. We ought to take a look at the talent we have in the region and wonder if we are letting a set of good assets go to waste, not just in tennis but across a range of sports.

The Americans showed how they can put on major events, and I have to admit that at many times during the day, I reflected on the experiences with Cricket World Cup, and wondered how we seemed to be all at sea over some of the logistics, knowing that there is so much expertise available to help put on big sporting events. Admittedly, a large part of it comes down to budget and what the customers expect, and for what they are willing to pay.

I'll try to tackle some of these points and other things with more energy over the coming days.

Sports day

The message given clearly to the children was "Everyone is a winner." Some parents didn't like that because they could see their children not making an effort. Others had concerned children, nevertheless, because they were still concerned about being last.

Kids don't have adult logic. They can also get thrown off balance emotionally even after lots of preparation. So, I always watch with a sense of trepidation to see if my 3 year old is going to have a bout of "stage fright" when asked to perform in front of all those strange people. She did not have a clue what to do with the hoop for "skip a hoola" and was guided by a gym mistress to the end rope for a respectable "winning position".

After that series of events, where they had the boys and girls competing separately, the parents of the entry class (mainly 4 year olds) milled closer to the events to give their physical support for the next set of events. "Egg and cup" came next. When I saw one boy look in horror at his fallen egg, and stare, arms folded and face scowling like John Cleese as if to say "You! You have let me down!" When aided by some elder kids and another mistress he dissolved into tears. Well, this event went well for the class, and the little lass ran well till she saw Daddy and veered off towards me, forcing me to take a position behind the finish rope to help her get there. Hugs and kisses and shooing off to the arms of the teachers again. This was getting harrowing. Well, I know that my kid can run, as she was happily doing laps around an apartment for afternoons on end over the past two months and fatiguing her at-home parent. And yes, she came up with a few tricks. She ran the 40 meters dashingly and looked happy and saw Daddy and ended up in the middle of the field for an even better "winning position".

That was it for the little ones and no parents/child race for us. The youngest ones were trooped back to their class rooms and had a little more real schooling to suffer, sorry I mean do. One boy had had enough and on seeing a parent in mid-morning clearly had no idea why he was not going home; he bawled.

Do I want to go into the moral of day? No. Times have changed. Lots of Dads were there and the Mums that were there were not all stay-home types. I had noticed from my time as a football coach in the US that the mothers are more rabid fanatics, and it is also evident in Barbados. Do you really believe that winning a sack and skipping race or skip a hoola warrants sreaming and jumping all the way along?
Time management was on good show and BlackBerry-itis was evident, dare I say mainly amongst the women. When I picked my lass up at the regular time, she said she had had a great day (after "I don't want to go to school!") and really enjoyed the sports where "I ran and ran." Rest of the day was good too. She got to play with a class mate who lives a few house away now and they played happily all afternoon at the two houses. My girl's Mum came back from her business trip too, so all's right with the world.