Sunday At The Post

FROM MICHAEL LOMBARDI:

QUOTE/STORY OF THE WEEK...

A Farewell Toast: From Pierre Trudeau to Alexander Yakovlev, Soviet ambassador to Canada from 1973 to 1983. Three days after Mikhail Gorbachev returned to Moscow, the Canadian embassy picked up a rumor that Mr. Yakovlev was to return to the Soviet Union to lead a prestigious policy think tank. He left on July 14, 1983, days after Mr.Trudeau toasted him at a farewell dinner.

"Sasha," the prime minister addressed him, intimately. "You and I have met often. We have discussed everything from world peace to the health of your grandchildren and my sons. We have, I hope, challenged each other intellectually; we have at times commiserated on the future of mankind and, at other times, looked together at a new horizon of co-operation and understanding between peoples.  We have been through a lot. We have not seen eye to eye on everything, but that is natural. What we have done is far more important. We have found ways to work together to serve the interests of both of our countries. We have been able to exchange views in a productive way, respecting our differences but more importantly capitalizing on broad areas of agreement."

Thanks, Jamie, for sending this great message. 

THINGS WE LEARNED LAST WEEK IN THE NFL...

1.  The roof of the Cowboys’ indoor practice facility collapsed during a thunderstorm Saturday, injuring several people. Chris Hall, a member of the team’s personnel department, and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis were among those taken to area hospitals, although no one was seriously hurt. We wish Chris and Joe a speedy recovery.

2.  The Eagles have moved Shawn Andrews to right tackle.  I often do local television (Comcast Sports Net) in Philadelphia. On most shows, I’ve been very hard on the talent level of the Eagles’ offensive line. For all the screaming and yelling about the need for a wideout, I have always maintained that they must improve the line if they’re going to match up with the Giants.  With this move to right tackle by Andrews, the Eagles now have two of the most talented tackles in football, and if they get Andrews and Jason Peters to play to their talent level, this line might be the best in football in 2009. They have closed the gap on the Giants with their offseason moves. The Eagles were the only team in the NFL draft this year that got a proven left tackle. All the other teams might have found a left tackle (St. Louis, Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Baltimore), but the Eagles know they have one. 

3.  Brett Favre was waived off the New York Jets reserve retired list, and although he says he’s retired, it opens up a ton of interesting possibilities.  The Favre retired/unretired story will never go away – despite a text I got last week from his agent, Bus Cook, that said, “He is retired.” I can’t imagine Favre coming back for a camp, but can imagine him coming back in Week 10 if the Vikings are 8-2 and need a veteran quarterback to replace an injured player. He loves the Vikings’ offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, and might do it for him. I know he is retired now, but that urge to play is hard to cure.  Playing football is similar to what Eric Clapton once said about his addiction to alcohol: “Addiction does not negotiate.” We are all addicted to the game of football in some way. 

4.  The Rams may keep Alex Barron at left tackle and right now have Jason Smith at right tackle. I’m not sure I agree with this move -- now you’re changing two players’ positions instead of keeping things status quo. It’s early in the process, but for me, the quicker they get Smith to left tackle and have  him watch the rushers he’s going to face, the better he can expect to play.  When Smith was on “Path To The Draft” on NFL Network last week, I talked to him about being ready mentally and physically. He is now playing in the NFC West, which has some of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, and must deal with talented rushers in very loud places. The learning curve in the NFL is very steep. 

5.  Josh Freeman is a very confident player. He seems to feel he can play right away, and he might be right. The Bucs coaches’ comfort level with Freeman is currently very high. He might not be able to beat out Byron Leftwich right now, but once he gets up to speed, I suspect the Bucs might want to get him involved sooner than later. 

6.  Julius Peppers of the Panthers did not come to their camp this weekend.  Has anyone seen a man making over $16 million for one year more unhappy?  He doesn’t have to attend camps because he hasn’t signed his tender and is not under contract right now. I know money is never the answer, but at some point, when a team shows you this kind of love, give them some love back. I’m afraid this story will dominate the summer. 

7.  The Dolphins have changed the name of their stadium from Dolphin Stadium to Landshark Stadium and you have to love that one. Landshark is the beer developed for Jimmy Buffett by Anheuser-Busch. Buffett is now a part of the NFL in some way, and there’s talk he might take on a minority role with the Dolphins. I hope Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi – who loves the game -- gets the urge to be an NFL owner. 

THINGS I HEARD AROUND THE NFL LAST WEEK...

1.    Rey Maualuga, the second-round pick of the Bengals, needs to make sure he walks a very tight behavior line in Cincinnati. Maualuga slipped in the draft for a number of reasons, and he must keep his off-the-field behavior in check and not create problems for the coaching staff. In talking to some NFL people, I heard that Maualuga was not always compliant with the rules on and off the field at USC. He was, as one GM said to me, putting it mildly, “a handful.”  

2.    Connor Barwin, the outside linebacker from the University of Cincinnati and second-round pick of the Houston Texans, was on at least two teams’ boards at tight end that I talked to. Barwin is very athletic and worked out great at the Combine, but he’ll need to make a giant leap to help the Texans’ defense. He’s a project at the linebacker position in the NFL, and some teams felt he could make more of an impact by moving back to his natural position of tight end. For the Texans’ sake, they need him to be an impact player next season to help their defense add speed and athletic plays.  

 

3.    I read last week that Vikings head coach Brad Childress said that he thought the Patriots were prepared to take Percy Harvin right behind them had the Vikings not selected him at No. 22. From my talks with people who know what NE was thinking, they indicated to me that the Pats were inclined to move down all the way in the draft, and if a few selected defensive players made it to them, they might stay and consider making the pick. New England did not like the first round of the draft for the past month and never had any intention of moving up, only down, which is what it did. 

4.    It seems clear to me that the Jets’ quarterback competition between Mark Sanchez and Kellen Clemens is going to be over before it even starts.  Sanchez is going to be the starter, making it very important to get the contract done soon. Most of the NFL people I’ve talked to are wondering what kind of huge deal he’ll receive from the Jets. They feel that Sanchez is holding all the cards in the negotiation. 

5.    Everyone talked about what position the Lions needed to improve before the draft. In the Lions’ draft room, there was a simple message: “We need talent.” Well said. The Lions beat out several teams for their fourth-round pick, Sammie Lee Hill from Stillman College. I talked to two teams that really wanted Hill in the fourth. The other name I heard from teams disappointed to lose him in the fourth was Vaughn Martin, who went to the Chargers.  Martin is a big body who can help the Chargers’ inside run defense and allow Jamal Williams a break from time to time. 

 

6.    All the talk about Plaxico Burress maybe playing for the Jets this year is just all talk. Everyone I’ve spoken to about this seems to feel there’s no way Burress can avoid jail time because this is the mayor of New York’s law and it carries more than a 98-percent conviction rate. However, I’m sure the key will be when he has to serve the time if, in fact, he’s convicted. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK...

CHURCHILL ON LEADERSHIP

EXECUTIVE SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

BY: STEPHEN F. HAYWARD

I must admit, I’m a Churchill fanatic. I read everything about him and have a large bust of him in my office. His willingness to speak his mind, even at times when his words weren’t popular, display a unique sense of courage. I love his honesty, his ability to construct words with eloquence and rhythm. In addition, his delivery was always sensational. 

In 1989, when I was with the Cleveland Browns, we played a preseason game in London against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ernie Accorsi, the GM of the Browns, also loved Churchill, and we wanted to tour Chartwell, where Churchill had his official home, as well as the museum. Before the afternoon practice, we rented a car and attempted to take a quick tour before heading back to London. We left early in the morning and arrived at Chartwell right at 9 a.m. for the official opening – or so we thought. As we approached the door, we saw a small sign that said the opening that day was at noon. We were both heartbroken; we had to find a way to get someone to open early. After all, we had come all this way. As we scaled the property wall to look for anyone with a key, we made our own private tour, viewing the grounds and the brick walls that Churchill was famous for building. When the woman who ran the museum showed up, she thought she came across two Italian burglars. 

Thankfully, Ernie had a unique ability to talk us out a huge problem, and the woman was kind enough to open a little early to allow us to make the inside tour, purchase a few items in the gift shop and head back in time for practice. Overall, it was a great day. 

In this book, there are many lessons to learn on both a professional and personal front. Churchill laid out “five distinct truths” for military decision-making, which can apply equally to business:

• That there is full authority.
• That there is a reasonable prospect of success.
• That greater interests are not compromised.
• That all possible care and forethought are exercised in the preparation.
• That all vigor and determination are shown in the execution.

This great book will benefit your day. 

VIDEO OF THE WEEK...

This video is only available on HBO right now, but the story is so powerful that you should watch it if you can. 

Hard 2 Live, Easy 2 Die

This story begins with a single stunning statistic: Seven football players from Hampton Roads, Va., were gunned down in a 10-month period between March 2008 and January 2009, and now a desperate search for answers is underway. For many African-American kids in this part of Virginia, sports has long been a safe haven from violence and a way out of poverty. But amidst a current scourge of gang and youth violence, the shootings of so many promising student-athletes are raising questions. Were they targeted, or are these cases mere coincidence?  And is it now harder than ever for young athletes to run the gauntlet of the inner city?  “Real Sports” correspondent Jon Frankel follows the trail of these cases and reports a story of gangs, guns and the grip of fear that has left most of them unsolved.

LEADERSHIP IMPROVEMENT IDEA...

From the University of Florida Football Coaching Clinic, which featured New England head coach Bill Belichick and former Bucs coach Jon Gruden.  Here are notes from the clinic:

JON GRUDEN’S NOTES

·         You’ve got to love the game.

§  Preparation

§  Players

§  Competition

·         What is a Coach?

            1. Teacher

            2. Motivator

            3. Challenge them to finish!

• Show players examples of what you are looking for. Show them 6-7 clips.
• Stage competitive drills. Best vs. Best.

• Offseason:

            1. What do you do to get better?

§  Study film.

§  Think about things.

            2. Who is dominant in what they do?

            3. What are the problem plays?

            4. How can we be the best?

§  Eliminate excuses. Guys that dominate are mentally tough.

• Improve mental toughness.
• Fundamentals – Accumulation of knowledge and fundamental work.

§  5-10 minutes every day. Before, during, or after practice.

§  Repetition is the mother of learning.

• The great ones concentrate.

• Effort – what you put in is what you get out.
• FINISH PLAYS – Practice standards.
• COMPETE – There is a short time to prepare.
• KEEP GETTING BETTER!

BILL BELICHICK NOTES

• Get people in your program that you can trust.  Have a strong core.

• Coach the team every week.

§  15-30 minutes every day talking about and showing the team what we are going to do to be successful.

• There is no I in Team. There is an I in WIN. It is about individual performance. Everyone do your job.
• Always start with special teams.

§  Ball handling.

§  No penalties.

• Uses plays to show his players – your team, other teams.

§  Discipline and judgment.

§  Need to know right and wrong plays.

• Expect and Demand.
• How to stop players, plays, critical plays. What are we going to do? How are we going to defend it?
• Is everyone trying to do what we ask them to do?
• Emphasizing Fundamentals:
•   WR Coach tells the players two things each week:

                                    1. Get open.

                                    2. Catch the ball.

• The Patriots do not beat themselves.
• Your team has to be adaptable.  Every team you play is different.
• When putting in a play he asks these two questions:

            1. What is the upside on this play?

            2. Why are we running it?

If you have a chance, check out this Web site called Change This. It features many free and short ways to improve your management and leadership skills.  One of my favorites, and relevant to today, is Tom Peters and his 100 Ways to Help You Succeed/Make Money, Part 1  It is free and very helpful.  Make this a weekly stop. 

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE WATCHING OTHER SPORTS THIS WEEK...

Now, can I rant as a fan, as all of you do to me? I’m talking Philadelphia 76ers basketball now and admit that I’m a diehard fan with no cure for my addiction. My two sons know I’m hopeless and actually feel bad for me when the Sixers do something stupid -- which seems to happen all the time. It’s been the one team since I was a fat kid, now a fat adult, that I can still call my own. I had the NBA TV ticket in my office (thanks, Johnny O) and watched over 65 games a year when I was living in California and working at the Hotel. Game time was always at 4 p.m. Pacific. 

Thursday night, against the Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic, it was as bad as I thought it would be. I predicted a loss, not because I was being negative, but because they have Stan Van Gundy as their coach and we have a “draft protector” as our coach. I say the following with respect to all personnel men: What new head coach Tony DiLeo has been doing since he got hired is protecting his bad picks. With starting guard Willie Green, every game is high comedy -- but running plays for Willie Green to start every game and every third quarter is a showstopper. Why would they run plays for a player at the start of the game and the third quarter that I would never play at clutch time? He’s not a good player on either end of the floor, and if he’s the only available player, then change the starting lineup from game to game depending on the opponent (see Belichick notes above).

Back-up point/off-guard Lou Williams is so overrated (yes, a second-round pick of the old regime but re-signed by the new one). All this talk about him getting to the free-throw line is just talk. He might get to the line, but he’s not strong enough or powerful enough to finish, so he always shoots two instead of  the famous “and one.” 

It was not all former GM Billy King’s fault that they had a bad team. Someone helped him build this mess. I had my questions about DiLeo’s ability as a personnel man and was hoping he would have a GM perspective when he became the head coach, as Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich or New England head coach Bill Belichick do.  They use their skills as evaluators to help them as coaches. I was hoping DiLeo would use his talents and ability to evaluate players and work them into the right role -- and change that role based on the opponent. Yet all he did was what most personnel men do, protect their bad picks. He never gets mad at players or makes a change in his rotation, in spite of watching poor play right before his eyes. If you don’t like confrontation, you can’t be a good coach. Bill Walsh was not always fond of scouts because he felt they were bad coaches telling good coaches what to do. Logic was important to Coach Walsh. 

Sixers president Ed Stanfaski has to make a change. He has to get a fresh perspective on these players. His players are good enough to start but not good enough to win in the NBA. Just because a player can start for a team doesn’t mean he’s capable of helping you win a championship. I’m not blaming DiLeo for the failure of the team to win this year. I’m upset at the talent level on the roster -- which he played a large role in creating. (I know I’m doing a Mr. Murder imitation here with the length of this rant, but I promise I won’t rant again until the NBA draft.)

If they don’t re-sign point guard Andre Miller, they’ll be a lottery team -- but if they do re-sign him, they’ll be hoping for an eighth playoff seed.  That’s the worst place to be as a GM – no-way-of-winning land. The reason they’re in this mess is because they can’t evaluate their own players objectively or correctly, which, as you know, is the most critical aspects of all sport teams. 

As I’ve said many times, never confuse hope for a plan. I am sick. 

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

I had a long flight to Los Angeles and bought a few magazines to read for the long journey. One magazine that caught my eye was Vanity Fair with Super Model and wife of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen on the cover.  This article offers tremendous insight into the Brady-Bundchen relationship and why they’re both successful.   

I could put a Bill Simmons column in here every week, but this is one for the ages. In part, it’s about the great series between the Bulls and Celtics, but it’s what makes this site and all the other sites -- the fans. It’s not a fan tribute in a corny way, but it’s done in a “make you think” and nod your head way when you’re done reading it. 

This next article did not make me very happy. I was thinking we’d moved past the “red meat is bad for you” age in America. Then someone had to publish “Paying A Price for Red Meat” that appeared in the New York Times. If you want to keep eating red meat, just avoid the link, but if you’re worried about your health, as I am since I turn 50 next month, you might want to read it. 

However, for all the wine-drinking fans, here is an article you definitely don’t want to miss. Wine adds five years to your life, more than beer, but only a half of glass each day. Enjoy. 

REMEMBER WHEN...

Every team is involved in some form of mini-camps, and for me it always evokes memories of the times I was in the league and the first look at all the new players.  Some of those first looks are wonderful; some are just painful when you quickly realize you made a huge mistake. 

It’s easy to go to camp and feel like all the picks are great, but in reality, today there are a few teams that are finished with their camps and know they’ve made mistakes.  It might come back around, but as Malcolm Gladwell documented in his book Blink, the first look might always prove to be the best. 

In 1987, when I was working for the 49ers, we had two No. 1 picks, the 22nd overall and the 25th. We also had a high second-round pick. With pick No. 25, we drafted a one-year wonder running back from Clemson named Terrance Flagler. In the second round, we picked USC offensive guard Jeff Bregel. After the first camp, Coach Walsh knew we had made a mistake with Flagler (we actually had the card filled out with Texas A&M running back Roger Vick’s name, but he went right before we selected) and was worried Bregel would be able to maintain his size and power through the long NFL season. 

He told me, “From now on, we are never taking the one-year player and looking forward; we are taking the one-year player and looking back, finding out why he did not play. It has nothing to do with personalities; it has all to do with reasons based on talent.” 

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