Any Volunteers?

Can you name this coach?

This person changed his/her respective sport along the lines of what Jackie Robinson did for baseball.  This person has the coaching acumen of a Phil Jackson, the tenacity to win like a Michael Jordan, and only second to the "Wizard of Westwood", John Wooden in number of championships won.  This person was named the Naismith Basketball Coach of the CENTURY in April 2000 and is the all-time winningest  coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division with 1098 victories.

This coach won a gold medal as a player in the 1975 Pan American Games. In addition, won a Silver Medal as a player in the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics and then won the Gold Medal as a coach in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.  This person coached for 38 years for the same team!!!

With this person at the helm, this team was a:

• 16-time Conference Champion
• 16-time Conference Tournament Champion
• 8-time Conference Coach of the Year
• 7-time NCAA Coach of the Year
• 8-time NCAA National Champion

This coach has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, named to Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest coaches of all time in all sports (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, college basketball, and college football), has not one but TWO courts named after him/her, a street named after him/her and was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2012.

This coach holds records such as:

• Most seasons coached without a losing record - 38 seasons
• Most consecutive postseason appearances - 38 seasons
• Most wins in NCAA postseason play - 109
• Most NCAA Final Four appearances - 16
• Most 20-win seasons - 36, all consecutive
• Most 30-win seasons - 20

If you have not figured it out by now, the coach I am referring to goes by the name Pat Summit.  Pat redefined women's collegiate basketball while becoming an ambassador for the men's and women's game.  While only coaching for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, she was asked not once but twice by the Athletic Director to coach the men's team.

In August 2011, Pat Summit was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease which has forced her to step down as the Head Coach of the Lady Volunteers after 38 years at the helm.  She will remain with the team as Head Coach Emeritus but will not be allowed to sit on the team bench during games.  

I know I am not alone when I say that Pat's face, even better her now-famous scowl she gave any player or referee within 94 feet, will be sorely missed on the sideline.  It will feel like something is missing because when you think of women's college basketball, the first name that comes to mind is Pat Summit.  Although her coaching has come to an abrupt end, her legacy will continue through the 45 players who have become coaches under her watch.

I am writing about a woMAN in regards to a sport a MAN invented (Naismith) because looking at the aforementioned statistics, she has coached the game better than any man will ever!!!  And if these stats are not convincing enough, how about this one: EVERY LADY VOL PLAYER who has ever played for Pat Summit has completed their eligibility and graduated with a degree from the University of Tennessee.  Name me another coach who can say the same, who can say every player they have coached has graduated, man or woman? Don't worry, I will wait!!!!!!

The landscape of the men's game has become so bad, it is a miracle if a player stays all four years and if he graduates, it is by the Grace of God.  Pat Summit took a program that was nothing from the start and built it into arguably the top program in women's basketball and she did it without ever being accused of cheating or breaking any NCAA rules and then had the nerve, the audacity to graduate every player she coached for 38 years!

Thank you Pat Summit for everything you have given to the game of basketball. You are a true representation of excellence, integrity, honesty, grace, love of the game.

As a man and a basketball coach, I will go on record and say the men have a long ways to go before we reach this SUMMIT!!!  

Emancipation Edition - I'm Offended!

***Walks into room, steps up onto soapbox, hits the mic 3 times, "Is This Thing On!!"***

Apparently there are a lot of people, in particular Black folks, upset with a new Burger King ad she did but has since been pulled.  Well, some of you are probably asking why, why are we up in arms about a black woman singing about chicken? Let me give my perspective...

At one point in U.S. History, Black folks were stereotyped and ridiculed in public via "black-face" and other forms of entertainment.  Black folks were made fun of for eating chicken, watermelon and other 'slave' foods.  A lot of people, particularly in the older generations, are often offended by such satire and it is understandable.

I will go on record and say I like chicken; I like it fried, baked, in a salad, blackened, burnt, and any other way you can have chicken.  I even eat watermelon occasionally and I am not ashamed to say it.  So I do understand the uproar but let me ask you this, is it really that big of a tragedy that Mary J. Blige is singing about chicken?

I am going to go out on a limb and say no BUT I will talk about what offends me:

1.  REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA

2.  PANTS BELOW THE BUTT (men and women)

3.  THE CONSTANT DISRESPECT SHOWN TO OUR PRESIDENT

4.  THE INABILITY TO FORM A COHERENT SENTENCE

5.  LOVE & HIP HOP

This list could go on and on but you get the point.  If Burger King wants to pay MJB a couple of million to harmonize about some food the majority of us love to eat, I do not see the big deal.  I do have an issue with a person who is up and arms about MJB but will go home and tune in to the newest episode of Real Housewives!  Really? You are mad at MJB but that mockery of a show that puts all Black women in a negative light you will support?

If you do not support MJB and you do not support such coonery like the Housewives then we are ok but you cannot pick and choose what you want to support.  Either you are with us or against us!

***Drops Mic***

Mo'ney In The Middle, Conclusion

If you did not read part one of this series, just click here so you can catch up!

After posting last week's blog, some interesting perceptions and insight were posted and they were much appreciated.  I felt as though this was an important topic to address after some "incidents" in my life and hearing about the missteps of some of my friends and associates.  And to add insult to injury, being a man and never knowing or understanding the language, thought processes, or perspectives of women, we are left in complete and utter darkness trying to figure out what we did wrong?  Once we figure out what we did wrong, oftentimes it is too late.

Why is Jane fed up? Does she have a right to be angry at this point? If there is an issue, what is it exactly and how can John or any other man, for that matter, do better in a situation like this?

***Some of the following information I obtained directly from the female gender***

Yes, Jane has a right to be fed up! John created an expectation that he could maintain the financial "transactions" he was making.  It is not like Jane gave John an ultimatum upfront that said he must pay for everything and everywhere they went had to be the best of the best.  No, John made the choice and decided to take that route.  John decided on the locations for dinner, he bought the tickets to the play, he paid for the weekend trip.  John created a small picture of what it would be like to be with him and Jane was paying close attention.

From a male point of view, John was doing what we, as men, thought all women wanted: to be wine & dined, wooed and courted.  Common sense to us is the understanding that this does not sustain itself, it is just part of the process.  Eventually, it does slow down, adjusts, or stops.  But it does not stop completely but maybe it does not continue with such intensity and high finance!

The Lesson to be learned....

Listening to my female counterparts, when a man starts dating a woman, she is not necessarily ready to get married tomorrow but she is interested in trying to find a partner she can be with long term.  This "search" intensifies as a woman ages.  A man has to realize and communicate upfront who he is, what he is, and what he wants and expects.  Maybe the woman should do the same but that is up for the debate.

Men have to understand that during this "search", the woman is paying to your character, how you treat the server, the amount of money you spend, if you open doors; the woman is paying attention to the complete man so everything is being examined and scoped.   Men can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that the woman stuck around because he was great in bed when in reality, that could be a reason but it is a small portion of the whole.  She stuck around because the total package that was presented to her while being courted was appealing.

I can say this much, I do not have it all figured out and it is truly not this simple and there are many other variables not taken into account but this is a start.  There is a serious dysfunction in regards to dating going on these days and it needs to be addressed.  The divorce rate is at a smooth 50% right now if not higher and it does not seem it is going to get better.  A very wise person told me this one day, "Women pick boyfriends, men pick wives."

It starts with the ladies and ends with the men so we all have to step up!!!

SPEAK OUT!

Mo'ney In The Middle, Part One

Here is the scenario:

John meets Jane at a bar.  He spotted her across the room and immediately was smitten by her beauty.  John approaches her and offers to buy her a drink, as any gentleman would do.  They drink and laugh, laugh and drink, John and Jane have a good time and decide to go on a first date.

John picks her up and they go to a four-star restaurant and he picks up the bill.  Jane knows dinner was probably expensive but John is single, good job, nice car so he could probably afford it.  Once again, they have a good time and decide to go out the following weekend.

John takes Jane to a Shakespeare play, another dinner at a four-star restaurant and then they go dancing.  John pays for the entire night.  Now they both really like each other and they are spending a lot of time together on the phone, texting, etc.

Week 3, John takes Jane to a Black-tie gala which included dinner and they danced the night away.  At this point, Jane is thinking she can get used to this.  Jane has been on a few dates with John and she has not paid for a thing and she is really starting to fall for John.

Week 4, John surprises Jane and takes her on a weekend trip to Atlantic City where they stay in the penthouse suite at Caesar's.  They are treated like royalty and Jane is now falling hard for John.

Two weeks later, Jane decides to take John out; they hit the movies, dinner, and dancing and the whole night was on her.  John is feeling good about himself!  By this time, John and Jane are an item, they are going "steady."

Everything is going well but Jane has started to notice that all the things John was doing, he is not doing so much anymore.  Jane asked John "why don't we go on another weekend trip?"  John responds, "I do not have the money for that right now, I just had to get my car repaired."  Jane understands and does not revisit the topic.

Some more weeks go by and the best Jane is receiving as far as a date is a movie and McDonald's afterwards. Jane finally says something to John in a tactful manner; she asked if they could go to one of her favorite four-star restaurants next week.  John tells her he cannot afford it right now, money is tight.  At this point, Jane is fed up and about ready to leave John.

Why is Jane fed up?  Does she have a right to be angry at this point?


If there is an issue, what is it exactly and how can John or any other man, for that matter, do better in a situation like this?


Answers and other explanations to these questions will be addressed in next week's blog entry but for now I would love to hear from you!!!!!!