My Sports Mt Rushmore

Recently I had a discussion around my personal favorite sports stars. The question on sports radio was, who would be on your personal sports Mt Rushmore?

I have a scrap book I kept on Andre Dawson when I was in the 9th grade. I loved the Montreal Expos and he was their best player. When he left for the Cubs I finally got to watch him regularly on TV. He is now in the Hall of Fame.



 
Cal Ripken was on my other favorite baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles. I had VHS of the game where he broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. I converted to DVD a few years back. Occasionally when I need to wax nostalgic, I break it out. He is in the Hall of Fame.

Pete Maravich was my first sports hero. I had a poster of him on my wall as a kid. The day he died, my brother called and told me to sit down and close my office door, because he knew I would be upset. I have the USA Today news articles in a box.

I am one of the few Detroit Lions fans (story for another day) Barry Sanders is their greatest all time player. He had some Thanksgiving games that were unbelievable.

Who is on your sports Mt Rushmore?

 

Ten Pieces of Advice to High School Graduates

Adapted from a sermon I heard from David Chadwick several years ago:

1.     I pray that you find that spiritual connectedness to God that becomes your core!

2.     We are bombarded with the notion about looks and beauty. The reality is that we should look for the content of a person’s heart and character

3.       Don’t chase the dollar

4.       Your job does not define you

5.       Be a GIVER (Note how close the word miserable is to miser)

6.       Give value to the oldest generation.

7.       It is that awesome connection to faith and scripture that gives us strength 

8.       If it is too good to be true, then it is too good to be true

9.       Read the bible!

10.   Remember those less fortunate!

Sports Teams Need an HR Department

Can you name the BUST?

I think Professional Sports teams need strong HR (Human Resource) presence in their front office. Some NFL teams pick a player based on how fast he runs or how many times he can bench press a Buick. The NBA has become a draft based on potential. The NBA would rather pay $5 million over a 3 year period to evaluate whether a 19 year old can run and jump like a deer, eat McDonald's 3 times a day and spend every frickin last dime he makes versus paying that amount to a player who can help them win immediately. Major League Baseball is just as bad by looking at how fast they can throw a ball or how fast they run to first base.

Whatever happened to the premise of “Past Performance is the indicator of Future Performance?” For the sports teams that make these judgments based off of a combine or a Pro Day Workout is the equivalent of an employer making a hiring decision based solely on the interview.

I can see the YMCA combine:

Child watch- How fast can you change a diaper

Welcome Center – How fast can you answer the phone

Lifeguards- How quick are you off the stand and into the water

Maintenance- How quick are you running down the hallway with 100 keys dangling 

(Disney does this and they call it AUDITION)

More sports teams need to follow the San Antonio Spurs, the New England Patriots and the Washington Nationals.

Combines (and interviews) are for show and make for great theater. But selecting a player or a candidate just off the performance of that one day is for suckers!

GREAT CHURCH

I asked the question on Facebook, “If your church amazes and inspires you on Sunday, where do you go? And I got great comments. Here are a few thoughts about GREAT CHURCH

1.       I had a few pastors say their church. That’s like Barak Obama saying he’s the best president! Also why you should never play golf with a pastor. Fill in your own analogy.

2.       It has a lot to do about the leader. Great in the pulpit. Able to relate to the congregation and knows how to stuff the ballot box!

3.       The Church body must be about Love – Love thy neighbor as thyself

4.       The Church body must be about discipleship and service

5.       You have to be willing to invite people to church

6.       Young families and kids create a lot of energy in a church

7.       The church must pray

8.       When it comes to being amazing and inspiring there also must be some entertainment value involved.

This is not exactly George Barna, but to all of my Pastor friends, what do you think?