When it comes down to comparing the great players in the NBA today, Kobe Bryant is someone that
i've always kept as the gold standard because of his ability to compete, desire to win, and proven
track record.
Boston Celtics great Larry Bird saw the Los Angeles Lakers as the enemy during his playing days,
but sees Bryant as the one current player he'd like on his side if he were playing today.
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America writes of the legacy of US soccer pioneer Harry Keough, who passed
away yesterday.
The first time I talked with Harry Keough about the 1950 World Cup defeat of England, three and
a half decades had passed, yet the details still swirled in his mind. Sights and sounds and smells
of the stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil; the numbing boredom of a long boat trip from New York to
Brazil that took the team to the competition; the joking rivalry between the St.
Bob Bradley has always been a tremendous example for his players and leader as a soccer coach. Now,
in the wake of a terrible tragedy, he is asked to do the same for a nation.
Bradley insisted Monday that he is "totally committed" to coaching Egypt's national soccer team
despite the turmoil in the country following the riot at a game last week that left more than 70
dead.
The New York Giants' Super Bowl victory can serve as a tremendous reference point for what a team
has to be focused on to win a championship.
The Bleacher Report created a list of what teams (and specifically, the New York Knicks) can learn
from the New York Giants:
*
Defense wins Championships -
Contrary to what everyone expected, Super Bowl
XLVI was a low-scoring game.
Tom Thibodeau has transitioned from being an outstanding assistant coach in the NBA to the 2010-11
NBA Coach of the Year as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun Times writes of what makes Thibodeau such a special coach.
‘‘Before we made the decision to hire him, we did an incredible amount of background work
on all the candidates,'' says Bulls general manager Gar Forman, who with executive vice president
for basketball operations John Paxson signed Thibodeau as the 18th head coach in franchise history
on June 23, 2010.
Eli Manning's star has never shined brighter as he leads his New York Giants into their 2nd Super
Bowl in the past 4 years.
As accomplished and appreciated as Manning is now, he was not always held in that regard. Playing
professional sports in the largest fishbowl of a media market like New York is not easy, as there
are very high expectations to manage and distractions to avoid.
Video analysis is an important piece of the evaluation process for a coaching staff, and is also an
invaluable teaching tool.
In relation to the use of video, I always tell our players that 'you have what I thought, what you
thought, and the truth...because video NEVER lies.'
The ability to show critical analysis of what went wrong in the previous match or training session,
as well as areas of improvement from the previous week, is an invaluable way to help your players
grow and develop.
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour—his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear is
that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of
battle — victorious." - Vince Lombardi
Nothing feels better than taking on a challenge by working to the full extent of your physical
abilities, and lying there exhausted after you've defeated it.
Greg Schiano has been taking on challenges his whole life, and where his recent task of rebuilding
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL is daunting, the former Rutgers University coach is up for the
task.
Stephen F. Holder of the Tampa Bay Times writes of the man who continues to rise to the occasion.
Sir Alex Ferguson on 21-year old phenom Danny Welbeck, and how his attitude, effort and enthusiasm
has led to his key role in one of the best teams in the world -
"He has a good attitude but then he should - he's a young player with an opportunity at
Manchester United.
The first live telecast of an English Premier League game on a United States over-the-air network
was seen by 1.3 million viewers last weekend, more than double the high for previous broadcasts on
cable television.
Fox says Thursday that Manchester United's 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday received a 0.
The way we do business is changing fast and in order to keep up, your entire mentality about work
has to change just as quickly.
Unfortunately, most people aren't adapting fast enough to this change in the workplace, says
marketing guru Seth Godin in an interview with the Canadian talk show "George Stroumboulopoulos
Tonight" (via Pragmatic Capitalism).
Ian Barker has been a star in soccer coaching education here in the United States, and yesterday
was offered the ultimate opportunity in that arena when he was selected as the Director of Coaching
Education for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
"Ian is the perfect choice to lead the NSCAA's coaching education program to new heights," said
Cummings.
Richie Williams has been a winner at every level he's competed at as a player - winning national
championships as a youth player and collegian; winning MLS Cups with DC United; capped by the full
US National team. He's coached at all levels in our country - as a youth coach with the US Under-18
national team; as a collegiate coach at the University of Virginia; as an MLS assistant and interim
head coach.
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" is the famous Ralph Waldo Emerson
quote, but it also could be the life credo for 'the Head Ball Coach', Steve Spurrier.
Spurrier's success on the college football field speaks for itself, and is second only to Bear
Bryant in SEC victories.
