What do Vince Lombardi, Tony Dungy, Duke Ellington and Wynton Marsalis have in common? The answer is that to achieve the level of success they have all had to be great leaders. Say what? Football coaches and jazz musicians are leaders of equal effectiveness and influence? Absolutely. In fact, given that April is Jazz Appreciation […]
Jazz as a Leadership Development Tool Read More »
Every year while the college athletic world is obsessing over the NCAA basketball tournament, otherwise known as March Madness, I can’t help but recall my own little March Madness moment with basketball legend Bill Walton. This year’s trigger for that memory occurred well after midnight, when, still wound up after playing a gig in town,
My Bill Walton Moment Read More »
What exactly does having a higher percentage of black athletes on campus and an increased willingness for them to speak out on matters of race, social justice and athlete rights mean for college coaches and administrators of the future? While that future impact may be unclear at this point, colleges and university leaders might be well served to pay more attention to…
Concussions, Colin Kaepernick and the 21st Century Football Player Read More »
Music is the universal language.
That being the case it has long been used as a tool to expose social injustice and to spur community activism. From Sam Cooke’s, “A Change is Gonna Come” to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin On” to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”, the power of music and song as tool to protest injustice and spur change is enormous. Music provides a framework and platform through which to package and present an idea or point of view. As a result, music can serve to open up conversations and spur reflection and action relating to the issues of the day.
Music as a Tool for Activism Read More »
Clearly, major college football players, who have been short changed and exploited for years, have been studying the system all along. They have paid attention and learned quite well, the business lessons the system has taught them. They are simply applying those lessons to improve their future personal and economic well-being.
Good for them.
Skipping Bowl Games: Athletes Apply Their Business Lessons Read More »
Football as a Minority Recruitment Tool: Is There a More Effective Method? A first glance would suggest that, from an economic standpoint, college athletics is booming. The NCAA is currently in the middle of a 14-year television deal that will pay $10.8 billion for the rights to telecast the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. ESPN is
Football As A Minor Recruitment Tool Read More »
Baylor’s Epic Failure on a Fundamental Responsibility An educational institution’s most fundamental responsibility to every student who enrolls is two-fold. First, to provide an opportunity to earn a quality academic experience that will prepare them to succeed long after they leave campus. And second, to keep students safe and healthy while on campus by
Baylor’s Epic Failure Read More »
This is the second of three essays I wrote in response to a question posed on August 8, 2015 by the Lancaster (PA) Editorial Board. What is the Purpose of High School Sports? School sponsored, elite athletics have evolved to a point where a solid argument can be made that their overall impact on our
What is the Purpose of High School Sports? Read More »
Hip Cat playing Piano I’d never given any thought to whether pianos, like humans, are living, breathing beings with souls. That changed the morning I stopped by the Music For Everyone Keys for the City piano located in front of Lancaster’s Main Public Library early one May morning in 2010. Since 2010 MFE has been
Do Pianos Have Souls? Read More »
teddy-roosevelt-1040cs022312 In the early 1900’s football was an exceedingly brutal sport. With little protective gear, players suffered horrible injuries, from wrenched spinal cords to crushed skulls and even death. The Chicago Tribune reported that in 1904 alone, there were 18 football related deaths. Amid growing calls for its abolition, President Teddy Roosevelt entered the fray
What Would Teddy (Roosevelt) Do? Read More »
