I heard a great statement on ESPN radio when Mike & Mike were interviewing Ron Jaworski, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, and now a well-known football commentator.
Jaworski was asked about the new Penn State football coach Bill O’Brien and some of the controversy this choice is causing within the ‘Penn State family’. The controversy has to do with the fact that O’Brien has no connections to Penn State or Joe Paterno.
Given the allegations against Jerry Sandusky, a former coach, and some University officials this appointment makes sense. Someone from outside the ‘family’ was the best choice
Jaworski’s comment was something to the effect that there are enough historians and not enough pioneers at Penn State regarding this issue. Pioneers see the future.
Pioneers take paths that no one else has taken, discover new things and forge ahead regardless of conditions. Many times their discoveries exceed what they set out to accomplish. Historians review and study the past to see what occurred.
It’s good to learn from the past but not to dwell there. We in America are where we are now more due to pioneers than to historians. But there seems to be a change that is occurring that is causing us to be more concerned with our comfort and not having to struggle and work hard and not take risks.
The pioneers are those we admire for their courage and willingness to take risks. I think we will be better off if we encourage people to be pioneers.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Second Chances
Watching a piece on ESPN about Chris Herren titled ‘Unguarded’.
Chris was a star high school basketball player from Massachusetts who played at Boston College and Fresno State. He had drug problems and left BC.
Jerry Tarkanian had just become the new coach at FS and called Chris to come and play for the Bull Dogs. Tarkanian, former coach of UNLV, said he was getting a second chance and he wanted to give Chris a second chance.
Herren went on to play for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics in the NBA and for teams in other countries – Italy, China, Turkey and a few others. He used cocaine, Oxy and heroin while he was playing. He was ultimately arrested for using drugs and was in and out of rehab several times.
The piece showed Chris, now clean for several years, talking with students in middle school or high school, a high school sports team, military personnel and prison inmates about his journey through life and his fall from the pinnacle of professional basketball to a junkie.
It seems like everyone likes to see stories about others getting second chances.
But I think what happens more frequently is that people aren’t willing to givesecond chances to others who have done something to them. Those of us who are Christians are directed not to be judgmental. When we don’t forgive, when we don’t give others second chances we are being judgmental. Jesus died so we could be forgivenand we would have more than second chances. He expects us to forgive others to give them second chances.
Who do you need to give a second chance? What are you waiting for?
Chris was a star high school basketball player from Massachusetts who played at Boston College and Fresno State. He had drug problems and left BC.
Jerry Tarkanian had just become the new coach at FS and called Chris to come and play for the Bull Dogs. Tarkanian, former coach of UNLV, said he was getting a second chance and he wanted to give Chris a second chance.
Herren went on to play for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics in the NBA and for teams in other countries – Italy, China, Turkey and a few others. He used cocaine, Oxy and heroin while he was playing. He was ultimately arrested for using drugs and was in and out of rehab several times.
The piece showed Chris, now clean for several years, talking with students in middle school or high school, a high school sports team, military personnel and prison inmates about his journey through life and his fall from the pinnacle of professional basketball to a junkie.
It seems like everyone likes to see stories about others getting second chances.
But I think what happens more frequently is that people aren’t willing to givesecond chances to others who have done something to them. Those of us who are Christians are directed not to be judgmental. When we don’t forgive, when we don’t give others second chances we are being judgmental. Jesus died so we could be forgivenand we would have more than second chances. He expects us to forgive others to give them second chances.
Who do you need to give a second chance? What are you waiting for?
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