Football & Living--A New Season Begins
I am experiencing a bit of an "emotional hangover", if you will. Even though I no longer drink. With September 11th occupying much of my heart and my attention yesterday, and the relatively calm interaction with my friends here at Daily Strength, I continued to experience "highs & lows" of epic proportions in my journey of grief, faith and rebirth. And I even resumed my Zoloft regimen, so I am not suffering the madness of my bipolar depression. At least I don't think I am.
I love football. And I love living, (although the past several months have challenged that love). And I love this journal, because it allows me to slow down, consider my situation in life on a daily basis, and transfer my thoughts to written words. It's my way of getting to know myself, and my God. There is no other way for me to do this.
Football, like life itself, is very competetive, ruthless, intense, fast paced, and emotionally gut-wrenching. It can also be rewarding, character building, challenging, frustrating and chock full of ups and downs. But rarely is it dull.
To me, I can envision my life like I can my favorite sport. Each year is a new season, one of hope, dreams, fears and anxieities. I take stock in myself and the "season" just completed, and I make my plans and adjustmants for how I am going to field my team in my effort to win the "championship" in my life for the coming year. A good year is when things go smoothly, and my life is steady and "normal". A not so good year is one in which I may have lost a job, or a good friend. Maybe there were years where financial issues that made the year a struggle. And then there are those times when I just have an awful, terrible "season". 1985 was one of those horrible seasons when I lost two of my most valuable team mates, my Mom & Dad. Let me tell you, the following season that was 1986 was a "Rebuilding Season", with my expectations being only to survive the year's tough schedule and try to fill the critical positions on my team that they vacated so abruptly. I have not won the "Super Bowl" in life yet, and I don't know that I ever will. I'm not sure that I even know what it is. But I suspect that God has much to do with it.
Now, please do not laugh, but I am a life long, avid San Diego Chargers Fan. I have been since 1966. I look back on the careers of many, many great players....Dan Fouts, John Jefferson, Louie Kelcher, Lance Alworth, Gary Garrison, Kellen Winslow, Fred Dean, LaDanian Thomlinson, the list goes on. Some great players, many of them in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. And the coaches? How about Sid Gillman. Don "Air" Coryell. Tommy Prothro. Bobby Ross. Marty Schottenheimer. And the current coach, Norv Turner. All very gifted talented men. All very successful men.
My Chargers almost always field a highly competetive team. Oh, there were a couple times when they lost so many key players and suffered coaching changes and philosophical transformations that they had to rebuild for a season, maybe two. But then they would be right back out there battling for the "Prize" of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and making the playoffs more often than not.
But the San Diego Chargers are one of the 14 teams in the NFL who have NEVER won the Super Bowl. In fact, they have played in only one Super Bowl and got pounded by the San Francisco 49ers. It was a very bitter pill to swallow as I recall. The memory of the defeat still stings when I think back on it. I am a fan. It could be worse for them; there are 4 teams who have never even played in the Super Bowl. Winning the Super Bowl is a very elusive goal, and there are many, many hall of famers who lack the "Ring" that a champion wears. No championship, yet their careers are viewed as successful.
Having watched for over 40 years, my precious Chargers embark on a new season of hope. With ALL of the talent necessary and the best coaching minds in the game, only to see them lose is painful. But when I examine why they lost, it usually comes down to them not listening to "The Coach". The players instead listen to their egos and emotions and either try to make the "big play" or they get so pissed at the opponent that they lose their composure and commit stupid penalties, allowing the opponent the advantage. Competition is so intense, and talent so balanced, that mistakes like these are usually fatal. My Chargers prove that every year. All the time. And I continue to love them and root for them anew, each season.
I have had a fairly good life, as I reflect back on it. I have celebrated the birth of my child, and the loss of my brother. I have been blessed with a wife, only to become divorced from her. I have witnessed my parents celebrate 40 years of marraige only to lose them to death three short "seasons" later. I have been blessed on three occasions with beautiful, healthy grand daughters and I have been ravaged by the effects of my alcolholism, I have married my "bride" at the age of 39, only to lose her 22 years later to the ravages of cancer. There have been peaks and valleys, ups and downs, tears of joy and tears of anguish. I have known hope and I have known desparation. I have witnessed the miracle of birth, and I have witnessed the sweet pain of death. But I've never won life's "Super Bowl", and think I know why. I wasn't listening to 'The Coach".
It occurs to me that for all of my life, I'm a pretty good player. I am honest, I am moral, I am loving, I am fair minded and I am faithful to my word. Essentially, I'm a pretty fair quarterback in the game we call life. I have built some pretty strong teams over the years, and lost many, too many, valuable players in my life. And I have allowed too many to leave for no good reason other than my failure to hold them close to me. There were seasons that my team was weak and seasons where they were strong. But I never have won the "Super Bowl". Why, you ask??
I can't be the "Head Coach" and "Quarterback" at the same time. I'm good, but not that good. It occurs to me that the best head coach in life has been waiting on the sidelines all the time, yelling at me to listen to Him; and all these years I have failed to do so. I was the coach and quarterback all of my life and I have never won the Super Bowl.
I probably don't have too many seasons left, and I want to win that trophy, and I want to bring it home to my heart before it's my time to retire to the heavenly 'Hall of Fame". Thanks to so many of my friends here at Daily Strength, I have signed God to a new contract to "coach" so I can just be the quarterback. And I think I am going to try to "listen to my coach". And I am grateful to you all for helping me sign the "Old Man" up.............
Go CHARGERS, Go.................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtY8x9PoTXc
I love football. And I love living, (although the past several months have challenged that love). And I love this journal, because it allows me to slow down, consider my situation in life on a daily basis, and transfer my thoughts to written words. It's my way of getting to know myself, and my God. There is no other way for me to do this.
Football, like life itself, is very competetive, ruthless, intense, fast paced, and emotionally gut-wrenching. It can also be rewarding, character building, challenging, frustrating and chock full of ups and downs. But rarely is it dull.
To me, I can envision my life like I can my favorite sport. Each year is a new season, one of hope, dreams, fears and anxieities. I take stock in myself and the "season" just completed, and I make my plans and adjustmants for how I am going to field my team in my effort to win the "championship" in my life for the coming year. A good year is when things go smoothly, and my life is steady and "normal". A not so good year is one in which I may have lost a job, or a good friend. Maybe there were years where financial issues that made the year a struggle. And then there are those times when I just have an awful, terrible "season". 1985 was one of those horrible seasons when I lost two of my most valuable team mates, my Mom & Dad. Let me tell you, the following season that was 1986 was a "Rebuilding Season", with my expectations being only to survive the year's tough schedule and try to fill the critical positions on my team that they vacated so abruptly. I have not won the "Super Bowl" in life yet, and I don't know that I ever will. I'm not sure that I even know what it is. But I suspect that God has much to do with it.
Now, please do not laugh, but I am a life long, avid San Diego Chargers Fan. I have been since 1966. I look back on the careers of many, many great players....Dan Fouts, John Jefferson, Louie Kelcher, Lance Alworth, Gary Garrison, Kellen Winslow, Fred Dean, LaDanian Thomlinson, the list goes on. Some great players, many of them in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. And the coaches? How about Sid Gillman. Don "Air" Coryell. Tommy Prothro. Bobby Ross. Marty Schottenheimer. And the current coach, Norv Turner. All very gifted talented men. All very successful men.
My Chargers almost always field a highly competetive team. Oh, there were a couple times when they lost so many key players and suffered coaching changes and philosophical transformations that they had to rebuild for a season, maybe two. But then they would be right back out there battling for the "Prize" of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and making the playoffs more often than not.
But the San Diego Chargers are one of the 14 teams in the NFL who have NEVER won the Super Bowl. In fact, they have played in only one Super Bowl and got pounded by the San Francisco 49ers. It was a very bitter pill to swallow as I recall. The memory of the defeat still stings when I think back on it. I am a fan. It could be worse for them; there are 4 teams who have never even played in the Super Bowl. Winning the Super Bowl is a very elusive goal, and there are many, many hall of famers who lack the "Ring" that a champion wears. No championship, yet their careers are viewed as successful.
Having watched for over 40 years, my precious Chargers embark on a new season of hope. With ALL of the talent necessary and the best coaching minds in the game, only to see them lose is painful. But when I examine why they lost, it usually comes down to them not listening to "The Coach". The players instead listen to their egos and emotions and either try to make the "big play" or they get so pissed at the opponent that they lose their composure and commit stupid penalties, allowing the opponent the advantage. Competition is so intense, and talent so balanced, that mistakes like these are usually fatal. My Chargers prove that every year. All the time. And I continue to love them and root for them anew, each season.
I have had a fairly good life, as I reflect back on it. I have celebrated the birth of my child, and the loss of my brother. I have been blessed with a wife, only to become divorced from her. I have witnessed my parents celebrate 40 years of marraige only to lose them to death three short "seasons" later. I have been blessed on three occasions with beautiful, healthy grand daughters and I have been ravaged by the effects of my alcolholism, I have married my "bride" at the age of 39, only to lose her 22 years later to the ravages of cancer. There have been peaks and valleys, ups and downs, tears of joy and tears of anguish. I have known hope and I have known desparation. I have witnessed the miracle of birth, and I have witnessed the sweet pain of death. But I've never won life's "Super Bowl", and think I know why. I wasn't listening to 'The Coach".
It occurs to me that for all of my life, I'm a pretty good player. I am honest, I am moral, I am loving, I am fair minded and I am faithful to my word. Essentially, I'm a pretty fair quarterback in the game we call life. I have built some pretty strong teams over the years, and lost many, too many, valuable players in my life. And I have allowed too many to leave for no good reason other than my failure to hold them close to me. There were seasons that my team was weak and seasons where they were strong. But I never have won the "Super Bowl". Why, you ask??
I can't be the "Head Coach" and "Quarterback" at the same time. I'm good, but not that good. It occurs to me that the best head coach in life has been waiting on the sidelines all the time, yelling at me to listen to Him; and all these years I have failed to do so. I was the coach and quarterback all of my life and I have never won the Super Bowl.
I probably don't have too many seasons left, and I want to win that trophy, and I want to bring it home to my heart before it's my time to retire to the heavenly 'Hall of Fame". Thanks to so many of my friends here at Daily Strength, I have signed God to a new contract to "coach" so I can just be the quarterback. And I think I am going to try to "listen to my coach". And I am grateful to you all for helping me sign the "Old Man" up.............
Go CHARGERS, Go.................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtY8x9PoTXc
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