The Darker Shade of Sports

Hebrews 12:1 Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

Well since I’m stranded this morning I can’t think of a better time to sit and write a new entry. It has been a while since my last posting so the timing is perfect. As I have traveled promoting the book with signings, radio and television appearances and delivering “Key Note” speeches in venues I never could imagine, there seems to be one common theme that keeps coming up as others ask that all too important question, what did it take to write and publish your book?  In other words how did you get past the FEAR to get it done?  And my personal favorite where did you find the time with your busy schedule?

The answer is quite simple, yet complex so I don’t want to trivialize it. My initial response to the question is this, I had to complete the book, and there was no other option.  An Unsung Coach is my story, my ministry and no one can tell my story better than me. I then lead the person along a journey of personal accountability on how each of us has a ministry and it’s our story. I inform the individuals who ask this question that people today are seeking answers to some of life’s challenges and your story may have the answers to their prayers, but they’ll never receive those wisdom keys or signs of encouragement and motivation that they can make it, if you selfishly keep your story within.

The next obstacle that you have to overcome is the feeling of doubt that what you have to say and share is of value, which can paralyze your dreams and cause you to invite the biggest Thief of Dreams, PROCRASTINATION into your realm.  I constantly heard that negative voice in my head asking “who wants to read your book”. Why would someone care about what Tony Price has to say, when they can purchase some well known celebrities autobiography.  I was able to quell that voice by reaffirming to myself and saying out loud that someone out there is in need of this information, the book may not be for everyone, but it is for someone.  Once I adopted this philosophy the next step was to just start, many dream and goals never materialize because people never take the first step, they think about it, talk about it but never do it, they want all of the answers first, it has been my experience that once you start the process the answers you seek will come, once I began to type the first words of what would later become a manuscript the words flowed like a raging river that had been bottled up by a beaver dam.  Lastly I encourage others to practice the discipline of finishing what you start; regardless of the outcomes this will separate you from over 90 plus % of the world and opportunities will arise. So as you can see the answer is simple, but the process is your greatest challenge and hurdle, on your mark, get set, Go!

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you may not be judged”

Well it seems that the Rick Pitino saga has taken some interesting twists, as we now know of a self confessed sexual tryst six years ago between he and Mrs. Karen Sypher at a restaurant on a table no less.  Slick Rick has even admitted to paying $3,000 in hush money for an alleged abortion  or insurance. Mrs. Sypher also accuses Pitino of orchestrating her marriage to Tim Sypher the equipment manager as part of his plan to keep her silenced, disturbing to say the least.  As this case continues to play out I couldn’t help but draw a comparison with the Steve McNair case and the similarities of both. I also find the media’s reporting of both cases a stark contrast. In McNair’s case he comes off as a good guy, but a person with a dark side a miscreant. He is portrayed as someone just short of a pervert for gallivanting around with some young thing he met at Dave & Buster’s and it cost him his life, while there is a sort of romance mystery novel destined for the Life time network being played out in the Pitino case. I’m sure I was not the only person duped into initially thinking that Mrs. Sypher was some kind of deranged lunatic who singled out Pitino because of his fame and wealth, but as more of the facts are presented, you get a different perspective of Slick Rick’s role in the matter. James Ramsey the President of the University of Louisville has already made a statement on where the college stands “Its time to move on, Coach is our guy” colleges and universities are quick to react with stiff penalties when an athlete gets in trouble, funny how the roles change when their “Golden Boy” the person who helps generate millions of dollars for the institution is in trouble.

 Here are a few additional comparisons for you to consider

1.       Both Men had extramarital affairs that have played out in the court of public opinion

2.       Both men garnered Fame & Fortune through Sports

3.       All Families involved have been damaged and left to pick up the pieces

4.       Lives have been lost or in Pitino’s case allegedly lost(abortion)

5.       Both men were revered as leaders in their respective fields and positions and had thousands of people who looked up to them

6.       Both men gave back to the community and were active in charitable causes

Both McNair and Pitino lived in a world that 95% of men admire or envy, they made millions for their proficiency in athletics, one as a gifted athlete, while the other for his brilliance as a motivator. They also lived in a world that is far from the norm for the lay person, especially when it came to female adulation. For the average guy, we have to work hard to impress the ladies and have them notice us and the success rate is in the range of 10-30%, while men of fame, power, wealth and prestige, often have their pick from a bevy of available beauties. In their world the success rate even if for one night is higher. I’m not justifying the decision these men made, but I do thinks it’s important to consider the varied angles. As a country we are no longer shocked when we learn of affairs of some of the most powerful men in the country, in fact it occurs with such common occurrence the public expects it to some degree and many men often fantasize about what it would be like to have the tables turned on women and be on the receiving end of their attention or affection and being in the position to say Yeah or Neah as that delicate flower approaches you for a telephone number and date.

The questions still remains with all of the cases that are being played out before the public why do men continue to have these affairs, hoping that no one will ever find out? Is it a moral or character issue? Do they think they are untouchable?  Is the temptation greater than mans will power that they are willing to risk everything? And what about the woman’s role in the matter, often times we like to think of her as some lowly, desperate tramp a home wrecker, however in many cases she is quite the opposite, she is bright, articulate, educated and very calculating. Why aren’t they held accountable?  They are aware that most of these men are married, do we justify their actions or their temporary lapse in judgment based on the intoxicating aroma of prestige and wealth of the men they are involved with.  The answers may not be as easy as you think or better yet, maybe we just have to view each case separately, as no one can say with 100% certainty why these types of scenarios continue to happen.

 I have never walked in the shoes of these powerful and rich men hence I can’t imagine the pressure they face or the discipline they have to exercise on a daily basis to avoid the snares that are set before their feet. Nor will I judge them for their indiscretions, which amongst us has that right; each of us has a vice or kryptonite we hope no one will ever discover from addiction to low self esteem. However I do know the importance of understanding that every action has a consequence good or bad and you have to live with that.  I discuss this in depth in chapter 9 of the book “An Unsung Coach” Change the game, don’t let it change you. It’s important for any of us to remember why we got involved in the professions of our choice, generally it was to make a difference while at the same time earn money to support our family. It is important for you to remember the core values of who you are and do your best to see through the illusions of the trappings of success, no one is perfect, but continue to hold yourself accountable or find someone you trust to hold you accountable this may lessen the risk of questionable behavior.    

The biblical story of David VS Goliath is often preached and used in sports circles the story is usually told from the perspective of the underdog overcoming impossible odds , but I often wonder how the story would differ  if told from Goliath’s experience.  Recently an old high school friend called to inform me that a former high school basketball legend had just passed, the young man was in his Forty’s.  As we reminisced about how talented this young man was back in the day and what it meant to play against him during our formative years. A thought that had been buried in my subconscious finally found its way to the surface. This young man was considered by many to be the best BIG man to come out of the area in a long time. It was during this reflection that I recalled a troubling phenomena that is taking place all across the country and has been for a decades.

The sports world is always in search of the next dominant force in the game, yes the NBA has been valiantly trying to find someone to replace the marketability of Jordan, with Lebron being the closest. However, there is still the quest to find the next “Shaq” This search is not limited to the men’s game as more and more coaches on the women’s side too are seeking that dominant force in the paint.  The thing that has always disturb me about the whole concept is the damage we do to our youth at a very early age in trying to make them live up to such lofty expectations. You have seen this occurrence take place on playgrounds and courts across the country. Whenever there is a young boy or girl who is taller and bigger than everyone else, coaches and fans alike expect them to take over a game even at the tender age of 11.  What people often miss when this occurrence happens are the feelings of the individual.  They fail to appreciate the beauty of their game if they are not breaking back boards, dunking on someone’s head or sending people flying as they make their move to the basket.  Nor do they consider for one moment the person’s damaged psyche when they fail to live up to the “Big Man” mystique. I have personally witness the harm this can do. In fact the friend who called to tell me about the passing of the high school all star, was expected by many to take the mantle of becoming the next great Big man, but instead his game was not one of brute force, despite being the tallest in his class. His game was more finesse think Ralph Sampson as oppose to a  younger Patrick Ewing, he had a beautiful jump hook, could run the floor like a gazelle, rebound and when he blocked shots he kept the ball inbounds much like Bill Russell instead of sending the ball to the 5^th row.

The fans never truly appreciated his talents, despite helping our high school team win a state championship. He was often the target of crude remarks, jokes and taunts. I use to feel bad for him, especially being his best friend.   To his credit he never showed or let the naysayers have the pleasure of seeing how they got to him.  He developed a layer of skin so thick, you’d need a diamond tip drill just to break the surface. I use to wonder how he dealt with all of the negative comments. Years later it dawned on me how he dealt with the pain. My friend turned to alcohol to anesthetize the pain and rejection.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to coach a young woman who stood 6’4 the tallest player in the school’s history. Not only was she tall she was built like a wall. She had all of the physical appearances of “Shaq” but her skill level said otherwise. People quickly wrote her off, all of the big universities didn’t give her a second look. I recall while watching one of her high school games another college coach who was in attendance shared his opinion “ What a god given waste of talent and size, she is AWFUL” I was stunned that a person who is in charge of leading young people  and share values could make such a disparaging comment.  I recruited her anyway, because I saw and appreciated the potential she had, all she needed was someone to believe in her. In fact the line I used to get her to attend my institution was “I’m not recruiting you to be “Shaq” instead I want you to be the best player, you can be”. I’ll never forget the look on her face, finally there was someone who believed in her and appreciated her skills just the way they were. She was a beautiful person inside and out we had a great four year run together. During her four years I watched her go through some of the same antics my high school teammate went through, the comments she endured were brutal “she sucks, if I had that height I would” the fans taunted every facet of her game from physical appearance to her limited skills, and the referees were just as bad, they would allow her get beat up and manhandled on a regular basis, her arms were covered with bruises and scratches. I would give the refs an earful whenever I witnessed this unfair treatment by shouting ”Goliath has feelings too” or “there is nothing in the rule book that states if you are bigger or taller than everyone else  you should be allowed to take more punishment. Unfortunately this is all too common, for some reason just because an athlete is bigger or taller than their peer that somehow disqualifies them from being human or having the same rules apply. The late Wilt Chamberlain could attest to this fact.  My center also had an escape mechanism; she would immerse herself in drawing beautiful illustrations of scenery, places that brought her serenity. And we also had long reassuring pep talks affirming that I believed in her. It was because of our relationship that she worked extra hard and gave me everything she had and she played a pivotal role in our successful run during her career. 

As the world tunes in for the start of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic, There are 2 big men who will be on center stage Orlando’s Dwight Howard and the Lakers Andrew Bynum, one of them will play a pivotal role in the series and for the other hopefully he has people around him who truly appreciate and love him just because.

The spring season is finally upon us, time to put away the winter coat, stock up on the antihistamines, open the windows for some much needed fresh air, watch a few baseball and softball games and time to reflect on my progress toward those New Years’ resolutions.  Recently I attended an event that recognized individuals and corporations that gave of their time and resources to support a program that focuses on encouraging young people in the 5^th grade to reach for their full potential.  One of the speakers who addressed the gathering shared his personal testimony about how it was a teacher that was instrumental in his life as a child and helped him become the success story he represents today. His words inspired me to reflect on whom that “Unsung Hero” was that influenced me at a critical point of my childhood.

For me that person was a coach named T-Bone, he was a tall, slim, dark skin young man who spoke with a soft tone, a few decibels above a whisper, that my team mates and I thought was so cool. T-bone always came to the game clean, well dressed and he had a way of motivating us without yelling or using abusive language. He was the epitome of cool and I admired him as a role model.  I was a lanky 13 year old athlete who just started to pick up the game of basketball after segueing from my first love of baseball.  I decided to join a local league at the urging of a classmate who happened to be the best player in the league; he noticed my height and convinced me to sign up.  The details of my first game are still vivid, I was nervous to say the least, as I knew my skills were not up to the level of some of the players in the league. I didn’t possess an arsenal of ball handling wizardry such as a killer cross over, behind the back or between the leg dribble that would wow you and in the hood if you don’t have game everyone will let you know about it, but for some reason T-Bone saw something in me and started me for the game, I did not score a basket, but I did defend, rebound and made some great passes to help the team to victory.  As the season progressed I settled into my role, my stat’s were hardly anything to brag about, but I quietly came to the game, played within myself and left, we went undefeated that season and won the championship, it helped that we had the best player in the league on our team, who surprisingly was very unselfish. T-Bone was great at keeping the focus on the team and not just one player; he somehow convinced us all that we had an important role.

T-Bone was the perfect coach for me at that time, as I was just coming from an abusive relationship with a former baseball league coach who kicked me off the all-star team in my last season of little league. This coach was the antithesis of T-Bone, and took my confidence.  At the conclusion of the championship game Bone took us to a local pizzeria to celebrate, it was here that he made his biggest deposit into my life, as he dole out the accolades MVP, defensive player and so on, he announced that he had a special award to issue the “Unsung Hero” . To paraphrase T-Bone it was like the MVP, and he began to describe the characteristics, played hard, sacrificed personal stats, efforts often over looked, etc he concluded by saying the award goes to Tony Price, I was both dumbfounded and elated as my teammates and I didn’t really know what the award meant, but I do remember catching the words it was like the MVP and that’s all I needed to feel 10 feet tall.  I raced back home to the housing projects to share the good news with my mom.  From that day on there was no stopping me, T-bone made me a believer. Fortunately I had the chance years later to thank him. Who was that unsung person in your life?  Are they still alive?  Have you ever thanked them?  Now is the perfect time for some spring cleaning

Like many of you I receive my fair share  of those chain emails that flood my inbox, you know the ones, if you pray this and that you will experience days of blessing, however if you don’t forward the email to all of the special people in your life, you will be cursed. Or the emails with the unabridged versions of how people have overcome personal tragedies or the time consuming power point presentations with so many pictures your eyes start to cross by the 8^th picture. Often times I just delete these annoyances, unless I come across one that is straight to the point and inspirational. Such was the case this past week, I received an email and the message line simply read “Beautiful” so I decided to click and open. Wouldn’t you know it, it was one of those everlasting power point presentations, I’m not in the mood for this was my initial reaction but for some reason I decided to half heartedly watch the entire slide show, maybe it was because I was feeling down, the night before my team lost in the playoffs which meant our remarkable season suddenly came to an end. As the images scrolled through there were a few images and quotes that caught my eye.

One image along with the accompanying text  hit me with the sensation you experience when getting splashed with cold water; it read like this  “ Don’t take yourself so seriously, No one else does”  I paused the image and just stared at the screen. I am one of those ultra competitive people you hear about that hates to lose at anything. I was this way as an athlete and now as a coach when my team wins, the joy is usually temporary and short lived, yet when the team loses the pain, anguish and lack of confidence as a teacher and motivator is long lasting, so you can imagine how I felt the next day after suffering defeat in the first round of the playoffs. Reading the words on that image, produced and aha moment; I came to the following hypothesis that yes it hurts to fall short of reaching a specified goal  in this case a Championship; however the sting of failure should not eclipse the wonderful journey the team experienced along the way. I soon realized that beating myself up over the loss, mentally replaying scenarios from the game in which I could do nothing about at this point, resenting certain players I felt didn’t play up to expectations and  spending lots of valuable time and energy worrying about what others thought of me as a coach was unproductive.  Like so many people when things don’t go their way, I was dwelling on a bad past experience, to the point it was ruining my present day. I had to make a choice to either let the negative experience spoil the next few days, something I have been prone to do or I could take a step back to reflect on what the team accomplished during the season that put us in the position to challenge for a championship. There are a lot of teams who would’ve given anything to be in our position, and yet I couldn’t appreciate this perspective because of wallowing in the mud of disappointment. The one thing I have come to realize over the years is that no matter how tough things look today the sun will still rise the next day and no one really cares how you feel. There is a biblical passage that speaks to this fact Psalm 30:5 reads weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning.   In life we all face disappointment, some of which we have no control, however you do have the power to control your response to the situation and how long you will let that darkened cloud impair your sunny day.  In other words get over it, life is still waiting on you to get back in the game.

A forgotten Sports Pioneer or simply ignored

Quick by a show of hands how many of you ever heard of Dick Leftridge before today? I have to confess I too never heard of Mr. Leftridge until recently, when I was contacted by his son Jack Richard Leftridge Jr. The younger namesake is on a quest to have his father’s name and accomplishments remembered and properly acknowledged in the history books. The timing of this movement could not have come at a better time in lieu of the highly anticipated release of the  Disney movie ”The Express” due to open in theaters. The Express is based on the life of the late Syracuse great Ernie Davis who was the first African-American football player to win the Heisman (1961).

Like Mr. Davis all accounts point to the fact that Dick Leftridge was a pioneer in his own right, according to my research and a synopsis received from his son, Dick Leftridge was the first African-American to receive a football scholarship to play for a major college in the south, after he signed with West Virginia University in 1962, which at the time played in the Southern conference, below the Mason Dixon line. The recruitment and signing of Dick Leftridge accompanied by the subsequent signing of another black player Roger Alford represented a shift in the culture at the university.  According to Richard Leftridge Jr., WVU was not his father’s first choice despite being a hometown product (Hinton, WV), he wanted to attend Ohio State to play for the legendary Woody Hayes; however the elder Leftridge bowed to the pressure he received from boosters to local politicians all of whom wanted him to stay home and play at WVU. According to the document even the local chapter of the NAACP encouraged Leftridge to attend the local university and be the one who broke the color barrier at WVU.  Dick Leftridge played for WVU from 1963-1965 during that time he put up some impressive stats he was the leading ground gainer and scorer each of his three years at WVU, in 1965 he was named Amateur Athlete of the year by the West Virginia Sports writer Association. Dick Leftridge was the first African-American to play for the south team in the North-South Shrine game in 1965, he was also the first African-American named to the University of Pittsburgh All-Opponent team, and Dick Leftridge was also the first African-American voted to the second teams all south conference.  

 A few of you older Pittsburgh Steelers fans may remember Dick Leftridge as the team’s first round pick in 1966 he was chosen third overall that year, he was also a fourth round selection of the AFL’s Miami Dolphins that same year. Unfortunately Dick Leftridge only played one unspectacular season for the Steelers and many fans and media personnel labeled him a bust. This is where the story gets interesting; there are varied accounts as to why an athlete with so much promise lasted only one season in the NFL? Depending on whose version you believe some say Dick Leftridge, simply didn’t have the desire and discipline to make it, there are stories that say he simply “ate” his way out of the league by putting on too much weight to be effective as an elite running back,  according to one article on Mr. Leftridge written in the Hinton Daily News (7/19/66), the Steelers had a weight clause put in his contract, the fine print read that every pound over 230 he brought to camp would carry a $50 fine, however in an interview with a reporter of the Charleston Daily News (9/26/85) Mr.Leftridge gave a different account of the events, he is quoted as saying the “Steelers put in the  papers that I weighed 300 pounds when I reported. Everybody believed that and they still do. I admit I was lazy sometimes, but I wasn’t fat. I weighed 242 pounds when I reported; Hell all I know is how to play football. That’s all I’ve ever done. I was just a poor boy from Hinton (WV). How could people think I’d throw away a chance to make a million dollars? I’d never turn my back on that”.

Controversy seemed to follow Leftridge from WVU through his short pro career he was dismissed from school in the middle of the semester of his senior year a few days after he played his last collegiate game and his eligibility was done, in 1976 he would return to school to complete his degree.  The younger Leftridge is also quick to point out that his dad was no saint; he wrestled with his own demons once his football career finally ended. He shared details of his father’s checkered past this included time spent in Detroit working in the automotive industry, and making questionable decisions to get involved in the drug game as a dealer both in Detroit and upon his return to his hometown, as a result of being on the wrong side of the law, Mr. Leftridge was sentenced to a five year stint in federal prison (1987). According to his son while the elder Leftridge sat in prison there were a number of alleged verbal, mental and physical harassment of the family on the streets and places of employment.   

He also shared stories of his frustration in getting his dad’s story told and published. “I’ve contacted a lot of people, especially the African-American celebrities I see and hear in the media and received little to no interest, I’m not sure if the story is too controversial or what? He’s also faced an uphill battle in getting WVU to properly acknowledge his father’s achievements and historic significance for the Mountaineers. According to Richard JR. the school didn’t really acknowledge his accomplishments until his death and even then the school just published a short blurb, to this day he still has not been inducted into their Hall of Fame. Now the critics will argue that being inducted should not be based on race as a criteria for selection, and you should be judged strictly on athletic achievements , on the flip side supporters can point out his stats and some of his awards (mentioned earlier) and in this case his being the first African-American player at WVU, during a time of tumultuous unrest (Civil Rights Era) in this country’s history, should be taken into consideration alongside his on field performance, he was and still is the schools highest ever NFL draft pick. Does Dick Leftridge deserve to be inducted in the WVU Hall of fame? I’ll let you decide. In my humble opinion I think the story of Dick Leftridge is one of intrigue, mystique and historical importance and one that needs further exploration, if any of you would like to assist the younger Leftridge on his journey to promote his dads story (he can be reached at jrljr63@yahoo.com), he would be very gracious, he is not seeking fame and fortune from this story, just a chance to share the legacy of a forgotten Pioneer.