Nick Saban – Roy Kessel

Roy’s Ramble (12-1-19)

rkessel — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 01:47:13 +0000

Thanksgiving—I was very appreciative of being able to spend the day with my parents, my sister Sharon and Kayla Bradham and her children. It was great to host them all and be able to share a full evening together. It was also great to have some time with my kids over the weekend and hear about my daughter’s first semester in college at Madison. We were also able to share in the celebration of the Badgers clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State and we will be looking for a much better performance than the game in Columbus in October.

Most importantly, I am thankful for all of the good things in my life. A place to live, plenty of food, plenty of clothes and many friends and family to share happy occasions with. I hope to continue to do a lot of work with the Sports Philanthropy Network to help many organizations make positive impact in their communities.

Dean Smith Letters—These are some amazing letters that I found online. They were written from legendary North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith to a young basketball player named Michael Jordan. You can see the attention to detail Smith has and the eye for the game. What I also found interesting in these letters is the fact that you can see how they impacted Michael’s game at the NBA level. It would be very interesting to see other letters from Dean Smith or other coaches in terms of how they want to see their players improving in the off-season (and then looking back on these letters after a player becomes a star).

Nick Saban—Alabama losing 2 regular season games is almost unheard of. The loss yesterday really had to sting because Alabama mostly controlled the game. The first pick-6 was relatively normal, but the second one was a horrendous throw and an enormous turning point in the game. Instead of an 8-point Alabama lead it turned into a 100 yard INT return for Auburn. But the lasting image of the game will Nick Saban’s tirade at the extra time added at the end of the first half. By all rights, Saban is 100% correct. There is no way that the clock should have been stopped or that Auburn should have been given time to kick that FG (which was ultimately the difference in the game). The second dispute at the end of the game seems different to me. Auburn pulled off a good trick play and Alabama got caught with too many players on the field allowing Auburn to run out the clock. As in any close game, there are so many individual plays that can make the difference. Besides the two big disputes, you have a relatively short missed FG and a defense that was clearly not up to Alabama’s recent standards. Still, it is hard to see how so many Tide fans are calling for Saban’s head. As I wrote recently, be careful what you wish for Alabama Fans. You might not make the playoff this year, but I would not bet against Saban next season (and if I were one of his assistant coaches, I would not plan on much sleep).

The Hedges—There were some very funny images of people trying to get through the hedges at Auburn after the win. It would seem that if you were a fan at Auburn you might have a better game plan of how to get on the field after a big win. Surprisingly, Alabama is 0-7 at Auburn when both teams are ranked.

Jim Harbaugh Press Conference—After becoming the first Michigan coach to be 0-5 against Ohio State, Harbaugh was obviously quite testy at his press conference. It might not have risen to the level of contentiousness as Mike Leach does at Washington State, Harbaugh was clearly irritated by questions of what Ohio State did better. It is going to be very interesting to see where Michigan is slotted for a bowl game and how the sentiment around Ann Arbor in the off-season will impact the Harbaugh era. Many Michigan alums were unhappy going in to the season and Michigan lost to the three best teams they played (Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State). They were not even close against Ohio State or Wisconsin and needed a huge comeback against Penn State to get within striking range, a comeback which appeared to be the turning point for Michigan to play well for the second half of the season. While Harbaugh has made Michigan more competitive than the last two coaches (Hoke, Rodriguez), he hasn’t been able to get over the hump in the way that many expected. This will be an interesting story to watch in the off-season.

8-Team Playoff—I recently wrote why I think the 8-team playoff will save college football. The enormous pressure on coaches is just another reason. With only 4 teams making that playoff, there is virtually no margin for error for any team not named Alabama, Clemson or Ohio State. You look at Championship Weekend and there are very few teams that can really improve their spot and only a couple (Georgia, Utah, Oklahoma and maybe Baylor) that can likely play their way in. By contrast, an 8-team playoff would still have a lot of room for movement not only into the field but also into the matchups and into the home-field advantage. What would be better than seeing and SEC team travel to the Midwest for a game in a snowstorm?

Coaching changes—One of the things that I hate most about this time of year (and also Black Monday after the NFL season), is seeing all of the coaches who lose their jobs. These guys gave their hearts and souls to the programs that they are working for. Clearly it is a business and they all understand that it is part of the profession, but too many of us fans fail to recognize the impact these decisions have on all of the family members, especially the children uprooted to new schools or faced with abusive attacks on their parent in the media and on social media. It was refreshing to see the positive press release Northwestern put out after the decision to move on from Mick McCall as offensive coordinator after a truly dreadful offensive season, one which ironically ended up with their best offensive performance of the year.

Josh Shaw betting—The NFL doesn’t play games when it finds out that one of its players has been gambling on NFL games. Josh Shaw was a backup player on injured reserve who laid some action at a Vegas casino, supposedly due to his misinterpretation of the rules. Though he did cooperate fully, he is suspended through 2020. According to the NFL’s own language it would appear to prohibit fantasy football but you frequently hear players referencing their fantasy teams. Maybe they are all just playing for fun. Here are six other things you might not know about Shaw, including the fact that he fabricated a story while at USC about leaping off a balcony to save his drowning nephew.

Medical Independence—One disturbing story this past week was about the lack of medical independence on many college campuses. According to NCAA regulations, the sport coaches are not supposed to be in charge of the hiring and firing of medical personnel for their programs. Unfortunately, it has become apparent that there are still way too many coaches who control this aspect of their programs leading to enormous conflicts of interest and unreasonable pressure on the athletic trainers and other medical personnel. The NCAA itself has provisions for dealing with this situation but it appears that they are rarely enforced or even investigated.

Arena Football Bankruptcy—The Arena Football League filed for bankruptcy this week. The league has had many lives and there is no reason to believe that it is gone for good. There is always a huge appetite for football, but one important element of the league may be replaced by the XFL. The development aspect of arena football is limited because too many NFL positions really do not have equivalent positions in arena. The XFL will be a better developmental mode but the desire to see football is likely to create another desire to resurrect this league. Its biggest obstacle is likely to be the concussion crisis since players are going to be increasingly reluctant to sacrifice their brains and bodies for the meager financial rewards of arena football, especially if it is not a true developmental option for the NFL.

If you didn’t have a chance to see some of the other things I have been involved with or written recently, take a look here:

HUMOR FOR THE WEEK

MOTIVATION FOR THE WEEK

Roy’s Ramble (11-22-19)

rkessel — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 05:55:47 +0000

It has been an interesting week. Last weekend I was out in Buffalo for Project Play Western New York. This week I have been out in California for meetings with more sports youth organizations, promoting Sports Philanthropy WORLD 2020 and meeting with speakers and sponsors for that event coming up June 25-26, 2020. If you would like to register, you can get our SUPER EARLY BIRD rate through December 31, 2019.

For much of the week I have been attending MEGASUCCESS, a conference run by JT Foxx. It has been an amazing experience. I have also had an opportunity to reconnect with some good friends and have a chance to sit down for meaningful conversations with people who are trying to change the world.

Amidst all of the travel and activity, I am feeling very thankful for the people that I have in my life and recognize how fortunate I am to have many supportive people in my life. While I am involved with sports philanthropy all year round, especially at this holiday time, I encourage people to think about their good fortune and donate to causes that help with food insecurity. Blessing in a Backpack is great organization my daughter Julia is raising money for through her sorority. Blessings helps feed children in need and is something that runs across all races and geographic locations.

What I was following this week:

Colin Kaepernick—This situation got out of control quick. You can see what I wrote about “Plenty of Blame to Go Around in NFL/Kaepernick Fiasco.” Ultimately, even many of those who have spoken out in support of Kaepernick’s right to protest, like Stephen A. Smith, have come down harshly on him agreeing with what I wrote about him trying to dictate terms of a job interview. Stephen A’s comments this morning focused on the fact that the NFL was even allowing him an opportunity after he sued them, took a huge settlement and more. I will be surprised if he ends up on an NFL roster this season.

Tua Tagovailoa injury—People heaped blame on Saban, but the injury occurred in the first half so that is clearly absurd. No team sits starters in the first half, regardless of the score. The bigger concern might be the issue raised when it became apparent that Tua did not have the proper insurance to protect him in the event of an injury. That is a place where they are rightfully angry at the school because he should have had coverage to protect a drop in value, not just the total permanent disability. This is why athletes need representation to help them negotiate and ensure the proper steps are taken.

Athlete violence—In the wake of the Myles Garrett fiasco, there were many calls for the NFL to take a stronger stance against domestic violence or other violence against women. Some expressed disappointment that there was more outrage from Garrett’s conduct than some of the recent examples of violence directed to women. It becomes interesting to watch some of the double standards that exist where players and many members of the media seem to be more willing to give players a second chance or benefit of the doubt for a domestic violence incident than they do for Myles Garrett’s helmet swing, with some calling for a permanent ban.

The NCPA (National College Players Association) held an event at UCLA which was primarily focused on two issues: 1) health and safety of college athletes; 2) whether players should be paid or allowed to capitalize on their name image and likeness. The stories from the women on the first panel were heartbreaking. Listening to the abuse they suffered and hearing about the number of failures in the administration, you have to wonder how so many people could turn a blind eye to their pleas. Yet it has happened frequently. (You can read my more detailed summary of each panel coming soon if you check back on this site). The second panel focused on the issue of payments to players, either in the form of direct payments from the schools or allowing athletes to capitalize on their name image and likeness. Here are a few articles that I have previously written about the topic.
- NCAA Statement on Name, Image, Likeness Leaves Gaping Holes
- Only Two Choices Left for College Sports: Level Playing Field or Free Market

MEGASUCCESS by JT Foxx—Each year JT Foxx puts together an incredible lineup of celebrities for his MegaSuccess event. So far, the event has featured: Hugh Hilton, Steadman Graham, Gabriel Macht (Harvey Spector from Suits), Omarosa, Dr. Phil, Vince Vaughn, Dolph Lundgren, Jillian Michaels and many others. The celebrity aspect is truly just one part of the environment because the event draws over 2500 entrepreneurs from over 80 countries around the world. It is an incredible opportunity to engage with business leaders from around the world, learn about different cultures and network with successful business people trying to help each other improve their businesses.

California Organizations—Great trip out to California to have the chance to meet with several organizations. Met with LA Scores (Spotlight), AVP First (Spotlight) and GOALS (Spotlight coming soon). Each of them perform incredible work in their community and I especially enjoy the opportunity to take a site visit and see the way each group works. If you want to support our efforts to help organization’s like these, you can become a member of the Sports Philanthropy Network by joining here!

Project Play Western New York— Last weekend I had the honor to present to Project Play of Western New York in Buffalo. There were over 75 people leading youth sports organizations about how to improve their organizations and build their capacity. There was amazing energy in the room and people that are very passionate about helping kids in their community remain active, learn through sports and develop needed life skills and relationship building through their sports activities. A special treat to end the trip was the hospitality of the Buffalo Sabres who gave me my peek into the Key Bank Center as they hosted “Hockey Fights Cancer” night. I managed to be a good luck charm to help the Sabres end their 7-game losing streak (with a 4-goal game from Jack Eichel).

If you didn’t have a chance to see some of the other things I have been involved with or written recently, take a look here:

Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

“FIRE SABAN!” Bama fans, be careful what you wish for!

rkessel — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 15:27:59 +0000

The critique of college football coaches (really, all football coaches) has become worse in recent years. Alabama fans have apparently become even more unreasonable given Nick Saban’s historic success. But if you look more closely, are they really different from any other group of fans.

Listening to a sport talk radio show after a college or NFL loses can be highly entertaining. The entire program is falling apart, the head coach needs to go, the backup QB is better than the starter, both coordinators are atrocious and the recruiting has dropped off.

It seems that the Twitter age has made fans even more unreasonable and has given them an easy and widely distributed platform to voice their anger/frustration/knowledge.

The intensity of every game and the importance in the standings has made each week a do-or-die mentality for the fans. Patience is not an option. Contentment with mediocre results is not an option. Lose a game and the “Coach must go” tweets start, regardless of how well the team has done in the past. You might expect to see that in schools that are struggling to breakthrough to the next level and feel that they just lost their opportunity due to a “bad” or “disappointing” loss.

The quick trigger finger has not served many organizations well. Look at how frequently Nebraska has changed coaches since it ran off Bo Pelini wih a winning record. 9-3 was not good enough. You would think that winning 5 Nationals Championships would buy you a little bit of leeway, but as soon as Alabama lost a tight home game to LSU, the calls for his replacement started. Sentiments like “too old”, “the game has passed him by” or “he is not interested” littered the Twitterverse.

Be careful what you wish you Bama fans. You might not remember the lean years (i.e. Pre-Saban) where the Tide were little more than an afterthought to college football’s elite. Historically, the most successful programs have had a lot of stability at the top. Once you starting changing, it takes a new coach 2 to 3 years to truly get everything the way that they want it. Most schools don’t have that patience.