Last week, coworker friend excitedly told me of her son’s Saturday Pee Wee football game… “Undefeated!.. . 5 and 0... And he blocked FOUR, count ‘em FOUR punts!”
Saturday, at wedding.. Asked her “so how’d today’s game go?”.. . “Eh, not-so-well… he’s having a tough time.. .they lost.. He’d never experienced that… Today’s rough for him.”
Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini is a sore loser - which helps explain his sideline blowup late in the Cornhuskers' loss to Virginia Tech.
The 35-30 setback was Pelini's first as Nebraska's head coach. Counting his Alamo Bowl win over Michigan State as interim head coach in 2003, he's 4-1 with the Cornhuskers.
"I'm a poor loser. I'm not very fun to be around the next day," Pelini said Tuesday. "I take losses hard. I took them hard as a coordinator and position coach. When I start enjoying losing, or when I can handle it well, it's time for me to go into another profession."
Pelini said Monday that he had no concerns about his ability to control his temper and that no one, such as athletic director Tom Osborne, had told him to keep his cool on the sidelines.
Pelini on Tuesday acknowledged that he used bad judgment by drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech. He called an official an unflattering name after Huskers lineman Ndamukong Suh was penalized for hitting Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor out of bounds.
Ok. Pelini hates losing. We all do. But we keep our cool. I’m reminded of the abusive spouse, the belligerent coworker, the insolent child.
I’m reminded of me, and that initial feeling I get upon rejection… work (perhaps) constructive criticism.. A friend winging it from such a ridiculous angle, I wanna shout “YOU FRIGGIN’ IDIOT!”….
Thankfully, the older I/we get, the more we understand we don’t always get our way, we don’t always win, and people have different viewpoints - and that’s ok. (Editor’s note: exempt from this rule is the “B” in account’s receivable who storms into my cubicle ready to lynch me before she’s ever heard word-one of my side’a the story.”) Hehe.
Pride is hard to swallow, but it will do down. Again, aging helps one to “think about it” for a minute.. Try to see from ‘their’ shoes.. And react. Calmly, respectfully.
Losses happen. Per our 1-4 head football coach (KC Chief’s Herman Edwards) “get over it.”
Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times. Lance Armstrong got testicular cancer (‘50-50” chance of survival) and won how many Tour De France’s after?.. Jim Abbott won 87 games as a pitcher in the Major Leagues. Nowhere near a record - but he did it with one arm.
Some people mebbe hurt by saying/indicating/not responding “thanks, but no thanks,” We lose. Not all the time, but sometimes. Picking one’s self up after a loss is essential. For some of us, it’s a little lengthier recovery than for others of us. Some ne’er recover.
It’s given we’ll lose. It’s given, no matter our heart, some simply won’t like us. We, humans, will fall, strikeout, get sick, extend our heart willingly and without fear of the same not being returned… and sometimes it just doesn’t workout.
Victor? Where you goin’ with this. Heck I dunno. Good happens too. Not always, but does. There’s the homer, the laugh, the handshake after a discussion, the making up after an argument, the respect filed away for the spunk of the other when in debate.. And let’s not forget, the orgasm. VICTOR! Well hell! Babe Ruth did have 714 homes runs too to go along with the 1330 strike outs! The kid DID block FOUR punts!
“I’m disturbed by Pelini’s outburst” said longtime TV announcer Kevin Harlan… and whilst I don’t remember verbatim what else he said, somewhere along the way he expoused we don’t always win. We need to handle the losses as well as we handle the wins.
Batting .300 is a very good thing in baseball. It also means failure happens 70% of the time. In our making it thru this wonderful thing called life - mebbe it’s a good lesson for us all.
Tune in tomorrow… when I might relate the story of.. One day this dude was like 38 over par.. On the final hole.. He’d hit two into the water hazard right infronta him. And then a third. He kinda-sorta lost it. Picked up entire bag, clubs and all, tossed them into the water. Headed for car.
Five minutes later, here he comes back down to pond. “Aha, he’s rethunk it, it’s life, IT HAPPENS!”… Dude wades into pond. Fishes and finds golf bag. Lifts it out. Unzips side pocket, gets car keys. Tosses bag back in water and walks to car.
I’m the baby, gotta love me! Love, Victurd.
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