Sunday at the Post

QUOTE/STORY OF THE WEEK...

"It's only when you grow up, and step back from him, or leave him for your own career and your own home — it's only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it. Pride reinforces love." -- Margaret Truman talking about her father, Harry S. Truman

Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early 20th century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers and family-oriented activities.

A bill was introduced in 1913, President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea in 1924, and a national committee was formed in the 1930s by trade groups in order to legitimize the holiday. It was made a federal holiday when President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation in 1966.

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, and a special Happy Father’s Day to my father, Mike, who at 82 years young still cuts hair every day with great pride and passion. My father taught me all I needed to know about faith, family, dedication, persistence and hard work by the example he set each day. Growing up, I was always reminded by him that I am who I associate myself with, and with those words, I have been blessed to be around some very great people. Thanks, Pop.

And a special Father’s Day salute to the sons of Gary Papa, Nathanial and Tucker. Gary was a local sports anchor here in Philadelphia who died Friday from prostate cancer. He fought valiantly for six years, working as often as he could and refusing to let the cancer wear him down. His brother Greg is the play-by-play announcer for Raiders games and a wonderful person. Our condolences go out to the Papa family and especially to his two young sons.

Today is a special Father’s Day Sunday Post, with some NBA draft research from my friend, Eric Musselman.

THINGS WE LEARNED LAST WEEK IN THE NFL...

APDonte Stallworth

1.    Donte’ Stallworth pleaded guilty this month to a DUI manslaughter charge after his car struck and killed Mario Reyes on March 14. Stallworth's lawyer, David Cornwell, released a statement late Thursday expressing confidence that Commissioner Roger Goodell would take Stallworth's acceptance of responsibility and his cooperation with authorities and the family into consideration. "Consistent with the wishes of Mr. Reyes' family not to relive a tragedy through the public scrutiny of criminal and civil trials, we look forward to addressing these matters privately with Commissioner Goodell," Cornwell said. The commissioner is not going to take these events lightly and will use the power of his office to make sure Stallworth does not return to the field quickly. If I were working for the Browns, I would not count on Stallworth being available this season. With a suspension looming, along with his continual hamstring issues, he’ll have a very hard time helping the Browns in 2009.

2.    Vikings coach Brad Childress discussed Brett Favre on Friday on KFAN and described the quarterback as "pain free" but with some other questions to answer about his surgically repaired throwing arm. "Does he have the endurance and the stamina in that arm yet? He doesn't know that yet," Childress said. "It's no different than grabbing a golf club for the first time during the year when you rip 18 holes around and you wake up the next day and your side hurts. You say, 'Geez, I haven't felt that muscle in a while.' So he's got to build some endurance in that and see if he thinks he can get it back to where he wants to get it to." The key for me is not Favre being able to regain strength, but rather how long you can expect a 40-year-old quarterback to hold up during the season. How can the Vikings believe that Favre can withstand the rigors of the season?

APBrian Cushing

3.    First-round pick Brian Cushing was named a starter for the Texans at linebacker already after all the mini-camps. The Texans need speed and athleticism on defense, and Cushing will have to provide both. But the key for the Texans will be getting more production from their defensive line -- someone other than Mario Williams must make plays. Bill Kollar, the new defensive line coach, will play a critical role in improving their defense.

4.    The Eagles have not opened talks on extending head coach Andy Reid’s contract. Reid is in the final year of his current deal, and his agent, Bob LaMonte, expects things to heat up this summer.

THINGS I HEARD AROUND THE NFL LAST WEEK...

1.    Talking to some agents of a number of Vikings players, they wish that head coach Brad Childress would just come clean and let them know exactly what’s going to happen with Favre. Based on what I’m hearing, Childress doesn’t have total command of the locker room (some of the key veterans are not excited), and this Favre flirtation could turn ugly if it’s not handled correctly.

APPlaxico Burress

2.    I talked to some of the teams that might be interested in former Giant Plaxico Burress if he’s free to play this year, and all of them are concerned about the ruling from the commissioner. No one in the league takes the personal conduct ruling lightly, but what concerned one team most was Burress’ five brushes with the law as a result of driving since the gun incident. Everyone I spoke to seems to feel the commissioner will come down hard on Burress and is fearful that he might not be able to play. The delay game Burress is attempting is not really helping his situation.

3.    Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall is highly thought of as a player, but when you’ve had as many off-the-field problems as he has and always seem to be in front of the commissioner for personal conduct, his trade value does not match his talent. With Marshall, it’s always buyer beware. The Broncos are much better off keeping him than trading him for a reduced value. When they traded Jay Cutler, they received full value.

4.    The 49ers really feel they have a good team, a playoff-type team. Alex Smith received praise from head coach Mike Singletary last week for his impressive offseason. Can Smith win the job from Shaun Hill? This one won’t be decided until the preseason games are played. Based on camps, everyone is impressed with Smith’s talent and feel he’s ready to be a good player.

BOOK OF THE WEEK...

“Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945,” by Andrew Roberts

The great lessons of leadership can often come from reading history and learning how great leaders handle complex situations that are truly life and death. Roberts gives his readers a detailed history lesson of each character in this book. His descriptive narrative is very compelling with intense detail and never-before-read notes of the British War Cabinet meetings.

VIDEOS OF THE WEEK...

"My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I'm honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring." -- Tiger Woods

Tiger and Earl Woods tribute.

This is Father’s Day, along with the U.S. Open final round (if it ever stops raining). Here is Jim Nantz on Charlie Rose last week discussing both.

LEADERSHIP IMPROVEMENT IDEA...

From Seth Godin... Godin, author of 10 bestselling books around the world, changed the way people think about marketing, change and work. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages, and his ebooks are among the most popular ever published. He’s responsible for many words in the marketer's vocabulary, including permission marketing, ideaviruses, purple cows, the dip and sneezers. His irrepressible speaking style and no-holds-barred blog have helped him create a large following around the world.

You matter.....

When you love the work you do and the people you do it with, you matter.

When you are so gracious and generous and aware that you think of other people before yourself, you matter.

When you leave the world a better place than you found it, you matter.

When you continue to raise the bar on what you do and how you do it, you matter.

When you teach and forgive and teach more before you rush to judge and demean, you matter.

When you touch the people in your life through your actions (and your words), you matter.

When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.

When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.

When you inspire a Nobel Prize winner or a slum dweller, you matter.

When the room brightens when you walk in, you matter.

And when the legacy you leave behind lasts for hours, days or a lifetime, you matter.

ARTICLES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THAT AREN’T WORTH MISSING...

From Larry Harstein of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, dealing with the issues of Michael Vick and Donte’ Stallworth.

Great article for all coaches of any sport, What Richard Quick taught me, by Andrew Silver.

From the New York Times Sunday Magazine, Rafael Nadal and his world of tennis.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK FROM THE POST...

"Angelina was super hot before she started adopting 32 kids and dressing like a bum on the streets."

-From "Northwoods Tom" on the article "Eight in the box" by Matthew Bowen.

THE NBA DRAFT IS COMING....

"Decisions in the NBA follow you, and each one you make limits options that may present themselves in the future." -- Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti.

This will hold true after each pick come Thursday night.

One of my closest friends and mentors, and often a voice of inspiration, is Eric Musselman, the former head coach of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. Eric and I share a passion for leadership, coaching, love of sports and a love of learning new ideas. I asked him to give me a little background for this week’s NBA draft.

You can follow Eric on Twitter by CLICKING HERE

Here are draft-room examples and lessons from Eric:

Chuck Daly in Orlando: did not like watching individual workouts – preferred watching 5-on-5 game tape with the player playing in real game trying to win. Jason Williams of U. of Florida -- Chuck loved him on tape!! Said, “Why do we even need to see this kid in a 2-on-2 setting?”

Jerry West in Memphis: great eye for talent. Night after he flew from Memphis to Jackson, Miss., came back and said he just saw a future NBA All-Star play in a high school game -- Monta Ellis.

John Gabriel: when in Orlando was great in draft room pressure. Handled the incoming calls and trade scenarios unbelievably amongst the chaos. In a draft room, he was at his calmest and best.

Gary St. Jean, Golden State: had great trust in his scouts. Saint, because he was a former head coach, could really envision how a player would fit and his future role. For example, Troy Murphy would be a good pick ‘n pop guy -- which he became -- and Mike Pietrus a great on-ball defender, and he became one.

Pete Babcock in Atlanta worked so hard at the draft – he had a rule with coaches, if you wanted to be part of the draft process, you had to watch as much film as the scouts (both feet in) leading up to the draft hours from 7 to 7 with prep work. Pete loved the “Superman drill” with two balls, a dunking drill to test conditioning and mental toughness – who would quit?

Barry Hecker, player personal director of the Los Angeles Clippers. The first draft room I was part of. He believed if you had an opinion on a player it should be a strong opinion, not a wishy-washy one.

My father, Bill Musselman, when he was with Timberwolves, did not believe in psychology testing. He believed in getting tough-minded players who had good awareness along with a very high will to win. He felt you couldn’t teach speed --yet you needed speed to win in any league. He believed 85 percent of the league was equal in talent, but it is important to find the mentally tough players. Character does matter, and who we surround them with in terms of mentally tough players make them much better.

We made a big mistake in Orlando many years ago. We were turned off because high school player Rashard Lewis was so weak in the weight room. He could not lift anything at all, which is why he was drafted in the second round.

I was with the Hawks when we had Joe Johnson in for a visit. He was so exhausted traveling from team to team that he almost fell asleep at lunch, which made us upset, and we took him off the board.

TOP POINT GUARDS

Tyreke Evans, Memphis – Multi-position player with great size; will play right away.

Ricky Rubio, Spain -- Point who made a name for himself in Olympics last year. His contract buyout is a concern for teams. I think his adjustment running a team at the NBA level will be harder than many expect. Great court sense and exceptional passer. He sees things two plays ahead.

APStephen Curry

Stephen Curry, Davidson -- A two guard who will convert to the point guard in NBA. High basketball IQ, an underrated passer and the best shooter in the draft. Will help any team by stretching out the defense with his threat of the three-ball. Right now, he’s a scoring two guard, a shot maker. He might not be around at the eighth pick.

Jrue Holiday, UCLA -- An NBA starter as an on-the-ball defender. Needs to improve his point guard skills. NBA body right now. Scouted vs Miami of Ohio. A willing and good passer. Not ready to run a NBA team as a true point but will learn the position.

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse -- Vocal point guard willing to give his team direction. One concern -- as a defender, played 2-3 zone and will struggle in his first few years as an NBA one-on-one defender (his high school team played man-to-man defense and Flynn did not stand out as a defender; he was adequate). He has also played two summers with USA Basketball and gained some experience there in one-on-one D concepts. He’s a competitor, explosive. Plays winning basketball. The more teams postseason evaluate him, the more he rises

TOP OFF GUARDS

James Harden, Arizona State -- Excellent one-on-one player due to strength. Will be a better pro than college player but must learn to play hard all game.

APGerald Henderson

Gerald Henderson, Duke -- Excellent transition scorer. Finishes, plays both ends of the floor. Must improve his shooting range. A rotation guy right now. He is really a 3 man who needs to play the off guard.

Terrence Williams, Louisville -- Versatile player who can play three positions. Good athlete. Will end up being an NBA starter in time and a good defender.

Jeff Teague, Wake Forest -- Teague will have to be a scoring point guard at NBA level. Has a lot to learn as a point guard, but in a few years will be a starter. Shot 44.1 percent from the three-point line this season. Very talented. Will he play hard every night? Not verbal, flat-line guy. Can get in lane. Was really good early in year. A poor man’s Devin Harris.

Marcus Thorton, LSU -- A scorer and willing defender. Knows how to catch and shoot off the move. Will be effective off NBA sets with pin downs.

Wayne Ellington, UNC – Second-best shooter in the draft behind Curry. A spot-up shooter who needs to be drafted by a team that has a point guard who can create shots for people and/or play on a team that has a low-post scorer who demands a double-team. He will struggle to create his own shot. Has a professional approach in interviews.

TOP SMALL FORWARDS

DeMar DeRozan, USC -- This pick could be high risk/high reward. I was very disappointed early in the year when I scouted him in a home game vs. UC Irvine, but as the season progressed, he got better. Great athlete but must improve as shooter. Has a great frame. Reminds me of the Lakers’ Trevor Ariza.

APEarl Clark

Earl Clark, Louisville -- Good athlete with size. A multi-positional player. Must be a 3 man because he’s not physical enough right now. Lacks NBA toughness. Must improve as a foul shooter. A poor man’s Tim Thomas.

Omri Casspi, Maccabi Tel Aviv -- Will be able to play both "up front" positions but may be too light to play NBA 4 man. Tough kid (unorthodox shot a la Shawn Marion). Competes.

Austin Daye, Gonzaga -- I feel he should have stayed in school. Must get stronger. Skilled with upside. Individual workouts fade once fatigue set in.

Sam Young, Pittsburgh -- A power small forward. Will rebound his position but must improve his ball-handling. Plays hard.

Jonas Jerebko, Sweden -- Participated in 2009 Reebok Eurocamp. Played in Italian League this season.

Chase Budinger, Arizona -- I scouted him against California last season. I do not think he’ll ever be a NBA starter; more of a career role player. Too inconsistent as a shooter. He’s had three coaches at Arizona and is somewhat soft for NBA . What will be the one trait that makes him a great player? Not sure he has one.

TOP POWER FORWARDS

APBlake Griffin

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma -- The No. 1 pick in the draft. Could be a future NBA all star. He will be better than Carlos Boozer because he’s a better athlete and can put it on the floor better. Will surprise people with his ball handling and ability to beat people off the dribble

Jordan Hill, Arizona -- Scouted him at California. Very good athlete, face-up 12 -15-foot range. Will be able to play in NBA games and contribute right away as a back-up 4 man. Great athlete and active. Would fit in with a running team like New York Knicks or Golden State Warriors. Plays with a good motor.

James Johnson, Wake Forest – He’s an older player, a 22-year-old sophomore. No true position as he is a 4/3 man. Fell in love with his jump shot too often last season.

Tyler Hansbrough, UNC -- He will work hard, be great in practice and will be able to come into games late first quarter, early second quarter vs. subs and contribute off effort and energy.

DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh -- He is an undersized 4 man. Some are concerned with his weight issues -- weighed more than 300 pounds in high school. He has a nose for the ball and good timing. Can really rebound well. Can make 15-foot shot (push-jump shot). Solid passer, finds cutters , can swing the ball as a trail man.

TOP CENTERS

APHasheem Thabeet

Hasheem Thabeet, UConn -- Raw and long. Has played organized ball just six years. His strength will improve. Big upside. He’s a natural at protecting the rim. He should go No. 2. He only had about 10 touches per game at UConn. Never been used in pick ‘n roll situations before at UConn. This summer, he has been working with NBDL and former NBA assistant coach Scott Roth, who has already helped him. Many people will be surprised by how well he has come along offensively. His offensively skill level and hands are better than many may realize. He must improve his feel for the game; at times, a half step slow reacting.

B.J. Mullens, Ohio State -- Big body with skill. Must learn to play hard and compete every night. Good feet and hands.

DRAFT NOTES ...

Player who helped himself at Portsmouth is Jermaine Taylor from Central Florida. Has moved himself up to early second round.

Two potential sleepers: Potential undrafted player who could end up on someone’s NBA Summer League team and find his way into a rotation is Tennessee-Martin guard Lester Hudson. He has just 3.4-percent body fat and a great body. The one negative is his age -- 24 years old.

Paul Harris, off guard, Syracuse -- Strong and has had some very good postseason workouts (New Jersey Nets workout was solid). A P.J. Tucker type, smaller version of Billy Walker.

Charlotte Bobcats have three picks in the draft, and coach Larry Brown believes teams need “stars.”

Thanks, Eric. This is a great start to NBA draft week.

STORIES TO SHARE ...

The Devoted Son ...

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son,
shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the
world, adding only the finest treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of their family estate. The widowed elderly man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.

As winter approached, war engulfed their nation, and the young man left
to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, the elderly man received a telegram that his beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season -- a season he and his son had so looked forward to in the past -- would visit his house no longer. On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. He opened the door and was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand.

The soldier introduced himself to the old man, saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you." As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told everyone of his – and his father's -- love of fine art work. "I'm also an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man began to unwrap the package, paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man's son. Though the world would never consider it a work of genius, the painting featured the young man's face in striking detail.

Overcome with emotion, the old man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the portrait above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task. True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars worth of paintings. And then the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man learned that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart. As the stories of his son's gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease his grief, as he realized that, although his son was no longer with him, the boy's life would live on because of those he had touched.

The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the priceless pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation, since, with the old man's passing and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day, the way he had received his greatest gift.

The day finally arrived, and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world's most spectacular paintings. Dreams could be fulfilled this day; greatness could be achieved as some could say," I have the greatest collection."

The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum list. It was the painting of the old man's son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent.

"Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Moments passed as no one spoke. From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son. Let's forget it and get on to the good ones." More voices echoed in agreement. "No, we have to sell this one first," replied the auctioneer. "Now who will take the son?"

Finally, a friend of the old man spoke. "Will you take $10 for the painting? That's all I have."

“Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence he said, "Going once, going twice ... gone!" The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone shouted, "Now we can get on with it and bid on these treasures!"

The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced that the auction was over. Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Then someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean it's over? We didn't come here for a portrait of some old man's son! What about all of the other paintings? There are millions of dollars worth of art work here. We demand an explanation!"

The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son gets it all."

Just as the art collectors discovered on that day, the message is still the same. The love of the father ... a father whose son gave his life for others ... and because of that father's love ... whoever takes the son gets it all.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY.

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