Auguste Roc's My Two Cents
05.18.15 | Don't Get It Confused
Have you ever reached a point where you've just got to "go there"? Do you know what I mean?
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05.11.15 | Extra Ordinariness
The challenge:
Can you deal with your circumstances and yet, still keep your eye on the victory?
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05.04.15 | Reset
Sometimes life will lull you into believing that it is already too late, that there is no point in pursuing what you once imagined was possible.
And,
Sometimes...
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04.06.15 | Morale Support
"Imagine if, for just one second, everyone in the world, was cheering you on" -- I thought this thought out loud. More...
03.30.15 | Eager Beaver
You've got to understand the rules if your going to play the game!
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03.23.15 | Reality Check
I'm a natural born defender.
Ever since I was a kid, my initial reaction has always been to jump in the middle of a fight and defend "the other kid" from the bully. It seems to be instinctive...
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03.16.15 | Executing Effectively
In any game that you're playing, when your coach, your director, your boss says one thing and you decide to do the other -- does it really matter? More...
03.02.15 | Goal Tending
Have you ever agreed to play a game, launch a project or complete a task and then found yourself having to deal with unexpected problems and issues that threaten the outcome?
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02.23.15 | Leave No Doubt
Few things are more gratifying in life than posting a decisive victory; the kind of victory where there is no question who won and who lost...
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02.16.15 | In Spite Of
Have you ever been plagued by a set of circumstances or a series of setbacks that threaten to take you out of the game?
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02.09.15 | Show Time
There are no dress rehearsals for the game of life! That's one big difference between The Game of Life and every other game. More...
01.26.15 | Stay Strong
Once the bell rings, the fight is on.
Once the bell rings, the fight is on. It's time to get it on or end up knocked out and lying on your back.
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01.19.15 | Tick Tock
I'd rather take a stand and risk being on the unpopular side of an issue, than to remain quiet, especially when somebody needs to know what I think. And, in a situation where my opinion is the one that is supposed to matter, I feel...
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01.12.15 | Trading Places
"If we only had yesterday, what the kids are using today, imagine what could have been."
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01.05.15 | But, I Get Up Again
"We've even hired a coach to focus on preventing fumbles and turnovers."
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12.22.14 | Relish!
"What a hot dog?!"
What do you mean --
"What a hot dog"?
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12.15.14 | To Be Continued
How many times have I done that before?
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12.01.14 | BIGGER
We all know what it's like to win a few and we all now how it feels to lose. And, while winning is...
More...11.24.14 | Invincible
In football there is a drill where two players face off like rams, butting and crashing into each other, sacrificing their bodies to knock the opposing player down. Once one or both players fall, the coach blows his whistle and the two warriors rise to their feet, resume action and go at it again.
It's an exercise specifically designed to distinguish the strong and to eliminate the weak; to expose...
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11.17.14 | Are You Hearing Footsteps?
You brace yourself for that lethal hit. You shut your eyes and cringe for the death blow, but -- the vicious collision never comes. More...
10.20.14 | Free Speech
I'd rather take a stand and risk being on the unpopular side of an issue, than to remain quiet, especially when...
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10.13.14 | The Undisputed Truth
If you want to beat a champion, you have to knock him out....
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10.06.14 | Beauty Secret
In my opinion, the key to leaving people inspired...
More...09.15.14 | Mind Over Matter
I was caught up in a conversation with a friend about two of our favorite NFL teams, the Giants and the Jets, and the chances of either team making the playoffs this year, when, our talk got serious, as it often does with true fans...
09.08.14 | Do You See What I See?
"It's just two guys beating each other to a pulp, if you don't consider the details."
This was the observation of a friend, shared over dinner the other night.
"To understand and appreciate boxing you really need to get up close."
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09.01.14 | So, You Had a Bad Day...
When I heard the scream, I reluctantly turned around to look while at the same time trying to prepare myself for what I might see.
"What the..."?!!!!
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08.18.14 | It's In Your Hands
"When in the heat of battle, the last thing that you want to do is --
disempower the troops."
More...08.11.14 | Every Move You Make
I got into a conversation the other day about how to effectively execute -
anything.
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04.14.14 | Play Ball
"Play ball!"
It's an old familiar adage that many of us recognize as the opening bark of a baseball umpire announcing the start of a game.
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06.30.14 | It's All Relative
"When I woke up I didn't know where I was!"
My friend Peter shared in a story he was telling at the gym.
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06.02.14 | Stuff Happens
"Damn!"
I found myself bent over, sweating hard, breathing heavy, and trying to recover from the impact of the blow and the pain coming from my mouth.
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04.28.14 | Elements
"Act like a champion and you will be a winner!"
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04.21.14 | Rise
"We won't know how good we are until we give them a chance to perform under pressure."
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04.14.14 | The Ultimate Opportunity
Whether you choose to accept complacency once you've attained success or whether you continue to explore ways to surpass your personal abilities and pursue winning outside your familiar boundaries, might ultimately be your...
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03.31.14 | Covert
We all possess the indirect power, whether we realize it or not, to elevate people and circumstances or to bring them down...
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01.27.14 | Yesterday
"Play ball!"
It's an old familiar adage that many of us recognize as the opening bark of a baseball umpire announcing the start of a game.
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01.20.14 | Schooled
I love college sports.
With all its pageantry, historic rivalries and rich traditions, it continues to distinguish itself from professional sports.
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01.06.14 | But I Get Up Again
I was reading an article about a pro football team forecasting their upcoming season. The head coach was emphasizing the need for his team to do a better job at keeping possession of the ball in order to have a successful year, and to ensure that he had brought a specialist in to teach his players... More...
12.16.13 | We
When a team works together, there is nothing that's impossible.
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11.25.13 | For Example
I think everybody has those moments or days, even weeks, when...
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11.04.13 | Harmony
When Gussie was eleven years old and attending a summer arts camp in the Midwest, she played the violin as a member of the Junior Orchestra.
One of the primary objectives of her conductor that summer was to strengthen the ability in each of the students to play well, and to play beyond...
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10.07.13 | Double Minded
"You can't rely solely on playing defense if what you want to do is,
win".
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09.30.13 | When Less Is More
It is far easier to take advantage of the low hanging fruit, to follow the path of least resistant but it is far more rewarding to...
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09.23.13 | Wax On, Wax Off
"If you want to win, you've got to take what's yours!" I didn't get the full meaning of this, the first time that I heard coach say it.
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09.16.13 | Homecoming Redux
Just in case you've ever wondered if it is too late for you to...
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09.09.13 | Tune In
"Listening is the doorway to effective communication."
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08.05.13 | Let There Be Light
"You will know the truth and --
the truth will set you free"...
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06.03.13 | Play
"We stayed in the game and when we finally saw a glint of light, we knew we could win" More...
05.13.13 | For The Record
Recently, the term slam dunk has been misrepresented and casually tossed around in the media....
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04.22.13 | Ownership
Coaches are very often the difference between which team will be successful and which team will not...
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04.01.13 | An Admission
"You don't want to be just a fan. You want to be a player."
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02.25.13 | Pro-Test
Have you heard the one about the U.S. Women's Bridge Team?...
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01.21.13 | Country First?
What it really boils down to is the basic principles of Math:
Division leaves with you less in the end
Multiplication leaves you with more
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12.10.12 | Masquerade Party
Let me get this straight:
Everybody agreed to the rules before the game got started, and now...
More...10.15.12 | Walk This Way
This past week I came to a couple of conclusions that were based on observing a counterfeit:
Leadership:
1) "Leader" is an earned distinction that great leaders realize they have to keep earning - moment by moment. Really great leaders welcome the opportunity to continuously evolve and grow in order to serve exceptionally.
2) Followers have to be good leaders too, even great, because effective execution and "team play" require an innate sense of what it takes to be a good leader.
Lately, I keep wondering...
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05.07.12 | Once The Bell Rings
Once the bell rings, the fight is on.
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04.23.12 | Blind Sided
Every once in while I can claim that I've gotten something, worth repeating, from a movie that I never intended to see. Last week it was a line from Rocky Balboa...
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02.13.12 | Original Intent
"When I got here, people would do the monkey noises and chants and stuff like that, and I just kind of laughed it off."
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02.06.12 | Mind Game
For those of you struggling with getting started or staying on track with your goals for the New Year, here is a little story, that I hope may offer some encouragement...
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01.23.11 | Even Though...
If you are thinking "It's too hard" or if you are thinking "I can't", watch this video clip and then take a moment to think again...
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08.22.11 | On Automatic
I sized him up quickly and then, satisfied with my assessment and surprised that I took the time to notice...
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05.16.11 | Brief
"She said she came to play the game. But did she come to win?"
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02.21.11 | Coffee Talk
"Where is it all coming from?"
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01.17.11 | OVERCOME
I look forward to the week-in-sports highlights as much as anyone.
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11.08.10 | I Yield My Time
This week I "yield my time" to make room for a poem by Gussie Roc. Gussie has been selected by Scholastic and The Alliance of Young Artists and Writers as one of the Best Teen Writers of 2010. (As her Dad, I am proud).
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11.01.10 | Beyond
Have you ever accidentally come upon a book or a movie that just grabs and keeps your attention? I just happened to catch Running the Sahara, one of the most fascinating documentary films that I ever watched and one of the most inspiring sports stories that I have ever found out about.
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10.25.10 | Git 'er Done!
The main difference between managing something sufficiently and ultimately producing a result is...
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06.07.10 | Matchless
Basketball fans and sportswriters openly and passionately debate and question who the best are among their favorite players.
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04.19.10 | Moving Aside...
Today, I yield my "time" to Gussie Roc, a writer and a poet (who happens to also my daughter) because I found the poem she wrote below, moving and humane. I hope that you do too...
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02.15.10 | Everybody's Got One
"Remember the time that we thought 'Big Cliff' was going to beat your butt," my friend said.
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01.04.10 | Due Diligence
Every once in a while the talking heads on the Sunday morning talk shows offer something worth repeating...
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10.12.09 | Free For All
"It's going in one ear and out the other, Dad", Gussie shared with me one evening while doing her homework. It turns out that she...
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06.15.09 | Off A Cliff
This past week I concluded a couple of things as I pondered the idea -
Leadership:
Leader is an earned title that great leaders keep earning - moment by moment.
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03.09.09 | Beyond Reason
Last week it was reported that four young men, two of which were NFL players, were out on a boat when a wave hit them causing the boat to capsize. One man survived. It has been reported that...
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02.09.09 | Restoration
The newspapers have been littered lately with stories about cheating. In fact, it has become my expectation that, on a regular basis, I will read about somebody on a team somewhere who cheated, somehow.
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01.19.09 | Indivisible
I never expected that I would get all caught up in the excitement of a Presidential Inauguration the way that I have gotten caught up in the Inauguration of Barack Obama, I guess because, until now, I never really...
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11.03.08 | We Request The Honor of Your Presence
What would you choose to do differently if you had a chance to do it all over again? Is there something for you today that you regret not doing yesterday?
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08.04.08 | ?
A hero has never been someone who is defined solely by the sum of their personal accomplishments; a true hero is someone who...
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06.16.08 | MISSING
I've always had an interest in politics and like a fan of any game, I look forward to sifting through all endless bits of subjective information and partisan opinion in a subconscious attempt to validate the "team" that I'm backing.
Politics, however, is ultimately very...
03.24.08 | Premature
Is it just me or is the notion of the "inevitable winner" losing these days, putting our sense of certainty at great risk?
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01.28.08 | Fuzzy Math
Is winning still winning if you choose to play ugly?
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01.14.08 | In The Long Run
There is something to be said for going through the paces; for keeping your eye on the prize.
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12.17.07 | Lowering The Bar
This week, while already wincing from the dirty tactics being employed by presidential candidates, we all collectively cringed as it was announced that all thirty teams in major league baseball, had players linked to steroid abuse....
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10.29.07 | Time Out
The words seemed confusing, when we stopped to consider the source...
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10.15.07 | 101
"His job is on the line..."
That is what Yankee owner George Steinbrenner said to Joe Torre, the team manager...
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08.27.07 | Homecoming
If you've ever wondered if it was to late to...
When the subject was brought up, 59 year old Mike Flynt expressed to a group of friends that his biggest regret in life was...
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08.06.07 | Reality Check
"I've got to mentally prepare" was my response.
Dana had asked me if I would be joining her in taking a class at the gym the next morning and I knew that I had to get myself ready - mentally - to take this thing on.
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07.02.07 | Do You See What I See
"It's just two guys beating each other to a pulp, if you don't consider the details."
This was the observation of a friend, shared over dinner the other night.
"To understand and appreciate boxing you really need to get up close."
More...
06.25.07 | An Admission
"You don't want to be just a fan. You want to be a player."
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06.11.07 | Everyone's Got One
"Remember the time that we thought 'Big Cliff' was going to beat your butt," my friend said.
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05.21.07 | Basic Training
"Ya gotta believe," is a phrase which, for a long time, has been part of The New York Mets tradition.
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05.07.07 | Mind Control
The first round of the best-of-7 games NBA 2006-2007 playoff series had just begun and, as usual, I knew that
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04.30.07 | Are You Hearing Footsteps?
You brace yourself for that lethal hit. You shut your eyes and cringe for the death blow, but -- the vicious collision never comes. More...
04.16.07 | Original Intent
"When I got here, people would do the monkey noises and chants and stuff like that, and I just kind of laughed it off."
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03.26.07 | Self-Evident
Grunting?
"I didn't hear you grunting or groaning." That is what Rob, both a friend and personal trainer, said to me when he saw me last week at the gym. I shared with him the workout that I had just rigorously taken myself through.
"But, I didn't hear you," he said.
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03.19.07 | WHO IS?
The annual NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament got kicked-off last week, and, as in every year, you can expect an unexpected determined "David" or two to step up and take down a confident Goliath.
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02.19.07 | Hear No Evil
Have you ever come up with a great idea that you felt good about, yet, you didn't want to move ahead with it because of what you thought, other people might think?
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02.05.07 | Don't Get It Confused
Have you ever reached a point where you've just got to "go there"? Do you know what I mean?
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01.29.07 | The Substance Of Things Hoped For
It's that time of year again.
Super Bowl XLI is here.
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01.22.07 | Fear Not
Last week Muhammad Ali celebrated his 65th birthday.
I've been following Ali since I was a kid and one of my most treasured childhood memories was the first time that I got to see him fight on television.
He was flawless.
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01.01.07 | Coffee Talk
"Where is it all coming from?"
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12.18.06 | Extra Ordinariness
The challenge:
Can you deal with your circumstances and yet, still keep your eye on the victory?
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11.27.06 | Go With It
"What do you think, Dad?"
Gussie was asking me to help her to decide whether she should attend an event which she was recently invited to that was in direct conflict with another activity that she loves to do.
"You have to trust your instincts," I responded.
Gussie was torn between the two...
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11.20.06 | Step One
"We're just going to have to trust this plan and each other if we are going to make this thing work" -
is what he said at the close of a meeting that I attended not too long ago. More...
11.06.06 | BELIEVE
"He wants to play, but he's just too small."
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10.23.06 | Are you hearing footsteps?
You brace yourself for that lethal hit. You shut your eyes and cringe for the death blow, but -- the vicious collision never comes. More...
10.16.06 | Deliver
"Give me the ball!"
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10.02.06 | But, I Get Up Again
"We've even hired a coach to focus on preventing fumbles and turnovers."
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09.25.06 | Brief
"She said she came to play the game. But did she come to win?"
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09.18.06 | Un-Naturally Selective
"That is a word that is not in my vocabulary!"
This is the personal mantra of someone I used to know.
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09.11.06 | Pending
"Can you always find a point of reference for a life experience through sports?" asks a friend.
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09.04.06 | Extra Ordinariness
The challenge:
Can you deal with your circumstances and yet, still keep your eye on the victory?
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08.21.06 | Coffee Talk
"Where is it all coming from?"
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07.31.06 | We
When a team works together, there is nothing that's impossible.
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07.17.06 | What A Man's Gotta Do
"If you want to fuck with me, you've got to be either one of two things -
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07.10.06 | Elements
"Act like a champion and you will be a winner!"
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07.03.06 | Geography Lesson
"If you want to win, you've got to take what's yours!" I didn't get the full meaning of this, the first time that I heard coach say it.
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06.19.06 | A Father's Day Gift
"Remember, be a leader."
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06.12.06 | An Admission
"You don't want to be just a fan. You want to be a player."
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06.05.06 | Carpe Diem
"This was his opportunity to step up, but he didn't."
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05.29.06 | Everyone's Got One
"Remember the time that we thought 'Big Cliff' was going to beat your butt," my friend said.
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05.22.06 | Rise
"We won't know how good we are until we give them a chance to perform under pressure."
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05.15.06 | BELIEVE
"He wants to play, but he's just too small."
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05.08.06 | Original Intent
"When I got here, people would do the monkey noises and chants and stuff like that, and I just kind of laughed it off."
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04.24.06 | What If
"Why didn't he take a swing?"
My same sentiments, but I didn't have an immediate answer for her.
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04.03.06 | Relish!
"What a hot dog?!"
What do you mean --
"What a hot dog"?
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03.27.06 | March Madness - Go Out Like A Lion
"You just have to tune into the last five minutes of each game."
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03.20.06 | What A Man's Gotta Do
"If you want to fuck with me, you've got to be either one of two things...
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03.13.06 | Self-Evident
Grunting?
"I didn't hear you grunting or groaning." That is what Rob, both a friend and personal trainer, said to me when he saw me last week at the gym. I shared with him the workout that I had just rigorously taken myself through.
"But, I didn't hear you," he said.
More...
03.06.06 | Coffee Talk
Mediocrity --
Where is it all coming from?
This question came up as we sat around the table with friends sipping coffee after dinner. We started talking about how tired we are of all of the mediocrity being shoved down our throats all of the time and considering how and why we put up with it.
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02.27.06 | Playing Beyond (Yourself)
"Hey Gene, did you make a difference today?",
I yelled out to my co-worker as he was leaving the office at the end of the day.
He thought that was a good question.
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02.20.06 | Eager Beaver
You've got to understand the rules if your going to play the game!
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02.13.06 | The Natural
I watched her step up to the plate and knock a home run right over the wall!
Gussie, my eleven year old daughter, plays the violin. She has been playing for almost three years.
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02.06.06 | Extra Ordinariness
The challenge:
Can you deal with your circumstances and yet, still keep your eye on the victory?
More...
01.30.06 | Don't Wait To Warm Up
Once the bell rings, the fight is on.
Once the bell rings, the fight is on. It's time to get it on or end up knocked out and lying on your back.
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01.23.06 | We
When a team works together, there is nothing that's impossible.
That's just the way that it is.
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01.16.06 | See It, Then Just Believe
"The man that will not be denied."
That's what my coach used to call me.
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01.09.06 | Every Move You Make
I got into a conversation the other day about how to effectively execute -
anything.
More...
12.19.05 | WORK
"Whatever you do, stay on your feet! Whatever the obstacle - Do not allow yourself to be taken down!"
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11.21.05 | Chairman of the Boards
"Rebounding is not an activity for the meek or timid," I thought as I watched a game on T.V. the other night. More...
11.14.05 | Pay Your Respects
There is a particular reverence that is expressed by those that have committed to a lifestyle of health and fitness; a reverence that acknowledges and respects the sacrifice, focus and discipline that it takes to be true to the commitment. More...
11.07.05 | Show Time
There are no dress rehearsals for the game of life! That's one big difference between The Game of Life and every other game. More...
10.31.05 | X Factor
"Imagine if, for just one second, everyone in the world, was cheering you on" -- I thought this thought out loud. More...
10.24.05 | Wax On, Wax Off
"If you want to win, you've got to take what's yours!" I didn't get the full meaning of this, the first time that I heard coach say it.More...
10.17.05 | Put Up
"I can hear the drums banging, but I never see the troops coming over the wall," I think out loud as I recall a childhood story.More...
10.03.05 | We
When a team works together, there is nothing that's impossible. More...
09.26.05 | Are you hearing footsteps?
You brace yourself for that lethal hit. You shut your eyes and cringe for the death blow, but -- the vicious collision never comes. More...
09.19.05 | Once the bell rings
Once the bell rings, the fight is on. More...
09.12.05 | Give me the ball!
"The man that will not be denied." That's what my coach used to call me. More...
