End of the Line

Time to get off the the train.  I've been on it since 2003.

Eleven years is a long time in a world that gets it's information in 10 second sound bites, some of which are longer than some marriages.  However, my days as a coach are over.

My son is finished with baseball.  He got tired of the politics and decided he can design video games better since he plays them so well.  Not sure I see the logic, but I appreciate commitment.  As long as he commits to it and goes all out, hopefully lessons learned playing baseball, I'm behind him.

My daughter says she will miss softball, especially her little,well, superstition of watchting Krypto the Superdog before every practice and game.  She loves the theater, and it lights her up to perform.  A lot of similarities between sports and acting, and I hope the lessons sink in.  She'll do very well.

For me, it is over.  No more practice planning.  No more quietly fussing over why I can't get the best out this player.  No more putting together play matrices, so I know which player plays where in each inning.  No more wondering if the parents are secretly plotting a revenge assassination.

Also, no more getting to know young men and women and trying to coach them for the game that starts at age 18.  No more helping with a problem.  No more giving a player the understanding that maybe they aren't getting at home.  No more laughing at something someone said, especially at my expense.

I love the game, no matter what it is.  It was sports that drew me into itself when I was a boy, and it's so deep, it is part of me that will never go away.  Golf was what I did best, racing my first love, baseball something I will cherish.  Adding the high school, college, and youth teams, I have had a part in over 500 athletes.  The oldest are approaching their 49th birthday.  One was even elected as Representative in Indiana.  Must have overcome my effect on him.

It is the kids I will miss.  Each year, I tried to remember to thank the parents for sharing the one thing they value most, their children.  They became my kids, too.  I saw one signed a letter of intent to play college football at Marian University.  Another is headed to St. Joseph's to join their football program.  I have young men in a lot of walks of life, even one in prison for cheating the elderly.

I might still umpire a little.  My weekends are mine again.  My bride of 23 summers and a lot more winters isn't sure what she will do without the ballpark.  I do know we are planning a vacation as soon as school ends.  Nothing else to work around, my weekends are mine, as long as the theater schedule isn't too bad.  I might actually have some cash.  My lawn might actually start to look good again.

I will be taking a couple of weeks sabbatical from A Bit Off Base.  Gotta ponder what to do with this blog.

It's over.  I just hope I did something well and something worthwhile.

I have always been a bit off base.  Thanks for sharing the ride.

A Great Game

It was a great game.

Each team looked down and out, with their offense going doing little.  Each team made their share of great plays, and their share of mistakes.  The unsung hero reared it heaad on each side, Julian Edelman and Chris Matthews.  Too bad there was a poor display at the end of the game.

The Patriots found a way to win the game.  The Seahawks made a poor choice at the goal line.

Malcolm Butler is an unlikely Super Bowl hero.  An undrafted free agent makes the big play.  The kind of guy the Patriots find.

The organization won from the top down.

The only question I have: Why didn't Marshawn Lynch get the ball on second and one at the one yard line?  He hadn't been stopped in that part of the field.  He has been highly dependable holding on to the ball.  The line had just blown a huge hole that ended one yard from the goal line.  Like the call before halftime to go for the touchdown: if it works, it's great.

Tom Brady did a yeoman's job of rallying the forces in the fourth quarter.  He played his best when it counted the most.  A tremendous game play by Bill Belichik and his staff: Attack the defense by not attacking the defense.  Play to it's weakest spot continually and keep working it.  Create the mismatch of Rob Grontkowski on any linebacker.  Threw to Richard Sherman's side once, and it made a hero out of Julian Edelman.

Seattle will be back again.  I will see my team play in this game one more time, at least.  Russell Wilson can flat out lead and get his teammates to go with him.  The defense will continue to be strong.

The bottom line: use your funadmentals, work exceptionally hard, and do it better than everyone else.

Can't help but admire that.

So...am I off base?