Dabblin’ With the Cockspur: The Virgin, The Man and The Truth
posted by Roger Olivieri, 7/26/2009 08:18:00 AM
Let’s start here. So what if Tim Tebow is a virgin. What you or I would do in his “situation” warrants no merit – none.
After all, maybe the guy hasn’t been in that situation yet where he was with a woman who was willing. My buddy Dennis is probably still a virgin and he’s 39. Aside from the fact that Tebow is in great shape, a handsome kid, two-time national champion, possible two-time Heisman winner and sure-fire millionaire is simply a small list of details that probably doesn’t even matter to the female population in Gainesville, America or the world. (and if you believe that…)
In all honesty, I sat fifteen feet from that kid and my keen sense of calling bullshiznit never kicked in – not even once. He was honored to be sitting there but even more honored to use his popularity as a key for teaching children how to be good people.
I’ve given up on my quest to find a chink in the armor. He’s a special athlete who deserves everything that comes to him.
I did ask him something though dripping with ulterior motive… I know you’ve heard it. It was the question asked amid the now famous “virgin” question.
I may have well asked the question this way: Tim, could you please tell Stephen Garcia how to maximize everything he has in order to become everything Coach Spurrier thinks he can become?
Instead, I chose these words…
“Tim, as a senior, what advice would you give to younger quarterbacks in the league about emotion, commitment and what it takes to thrive in the SEC?”
His answer: “I think you need to have a lot of emotion – not “let it get to you emotion” but have enough emotion where you care so much that you are willing to do anything to win and your teammates see that. Whether it’s waking up at four (in the morning), going to bed at one (in the morning), studying all day, studying all night, training and preparing, because that’s what it takes. Every day you go in there to get better, not to get by. If that’s your focus every day you step in there – the weight room, the practice field and on the game field – if that’s your focus – you are going to be successful. People will see your heart, they will see your intensity and they will see your love for this game and your players, and then you’ll be successful.”
Read that a few times, show it to your children, your little league teams, anyone… wow.
The Man
Listening to Nick Saban was awesome. Here’s why:
Saban is a natural psychologist before he’s a football coach. He’s a life coach who has found a way to successfully morph his theories onto the gridiron.
While most coaches talked about players, schemes, size, speed and assistant coaching, Saban continuously talked about mindset, focus and team chemistry.
Some may believe Saban’s approach can only take you so far before athleticism becomes an integral piece of the puzzle. This may be true, but aren’t all these young men superior athletes? They didn’t make it to the SEC for any other reason, but Saban’s approach is necessary to realize and maximize their athletic potential.
My favorite quotes from him this week:
“When I worked for Belichick, there was a sign above the door that simply said, ‘Do your job.’ That sign was intended for everyone from the janitors, to the secretaries, the administrators, the coaches and the players. If we all did our job and only concerned ourselves with our single job, everything would fall into place.”
“It takes a bunch of shining lights to make a sign, but it takes only one blinking light to ruin everything.”
He focuses on a first step that is often grazed over rather than thoroughly ingested – a foundation before a skyscraper.
The Truth
For all of those wacky theorists out there, I have come to shoot you down.
For all of the non-South Carolina fans who mutter, “Please Ball Coach, you ‘spect us to believe that you din’t fill out yer all-SEC team? You ‘spect us to believe that you went and dun let some other guy fill it out fer ya?”
Yes, that is exactly what he expects you to believe, because it is the truth and the man has zero track record of lying. Why do I know it’s the truth? I know it’s the truth because Coach Spurrier has never made it a secret that Director of Football Operations, Jamie Speronis, fills out all of his all-SEC, Top 25, and what-ever-else ballots thrown in his direction.
Be assured, guys like SEC football coaches get asked to fill out these ballots every day. If you want them to be successful on the field then you must understand that they let other people handle the details (of which ballots rank way down on the list).
Speronis has been with Spurrier for 18 years. He was with him at Florida, the Washington Redskins and now Carolina. They spend more time together during the season then they do with their families. Yes, Jamie Speronis is trusted to handle these things.
After 18 years, Jamie finally made a mistake.
Spurrier told the truth, took the blame, took the embarrassment and repeated it several times over throughout the day. On a day when there were 1,000 credentialed media members in the building it would have been much easier to say, “I’m gonna’ move on from that.”
He practiced something Nick Saban and Tim Tebow probably preach from morning until night – accountability.
Leave it alone. It’s a non-story.
Peace.
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The Virgin
Let’s start here. So what if Tim Tebow is a virgin. What you or I would do in his “situation” warrants no merit – none.
After all, maybe the guy hasn’t been in that situation yet where he was with a woman who was willing. My buddy Dennis is probably still a virgin and he’s 39. Aside from the fact that Tebow is in great shape, a handsome kid, two-time national champion, possible two-time Heisman winner and sure-fire millionaire is simply a small list of details that probably doesn’t even matter to the female population in Gainesville, America or the world. (and if you believe that…)
In all honesty, I sat fifteen feet from that kid and my keen sense of calling bullshiznit never kicked in – not even once. He was honored to be sitting there but even more honored to use his popularity as a key for teaching children how to be good people.
I’ve given up on my quest to find a chink in the armor. He’s a special athlete who deserves everything that comes to him.
I did ask him something though dripping with ulterior motive… I know you’ve heard it. It was the question asked amid the now famous “virgin” question.
I may have well asked the question this way: Tim, could you please tell Stephen Garcia how to maximize everything he has in order to become everything Coach Spurrier thinks he can become?
Instead, I chose these words…
“Tim, as a senior, what advice would you give to younger quarterbacks in the league about emotion, commitment and what it takes to thrive in the SEC?”
His answer: “I think you need to have a lot of emotion – not “let it get to you emotion” but have enough emotion where you care so much that you are willing to do anything to win and your teammates see that. Whether it’s waking up at four (in the morning), going to bed at one (in the morning), studying all day, studying all night, training and preparing, because that’s what it takes. Every day you go in there to get better, not to get by. If that’s your focus every day you step in there – the weight room, the practice field and on the game field – if that’s your focus – you are going to be successful. People will see your heart, they will see your intensity and they will see your love for this game and your players, and then you’ll be successful.”
Read that a few times, show it to your children, your little league teams, anyone… wow.
The Man
Listening to Nick Saban was awesome. Here’s why:
Saban is a natural psychologist before he’s a football coach. He’s a life coach who has found a way to successfully morph his theories onto the gridiron.
While most coaches talked about players, schemes, size, speed and assistant coaching, Saban continuously talked about mindset, focus and team chemistry.
Some may believe Saban’s approach can only take you so far before athleticism becomes an integral piece of the puzzle. This may be true, but aren’t all these young men superior athletes? They didn’t make it to the SEC for any other reason, but Saban’s approach is necessary to realize and maximize their athletic potential.
My favorite quotes from him this week:
“When I worked for Belichick, there was a sign above the door that simply said, ‘Do your job.’ That sign was intended for everyone from the janitors, to the secretaries, the administrators, the coaches and the players. If we all did our job and only concerned ourselves with our single job, everything would fall into place.”
“It takes a bunch of shining lights to make a sign, but it takes only one blinking light to ruin everything.”
He focuses on a first step that is often grazed over rather than thoroughly ingested – a foundation before a skyscraper.
The Truth
For all of those wacky theorists out there, I have come to shoot you down.
For all of the non-South Carolina fans who mutter, “Please Ball Coach, you ‘spect us to believe that you din’t fill out yer all-SEC team? You ‘spect us to believe that you went and dun let some other guy fill it out fer ya?”
Yes, that is exactly what he expects you to believe, because it is the truth and the man has zero track record of lying. Why do I know it’s the truth? I know it’s the truth because Coach Spurrier has never made it a secret that Director of Football Operations, Jamie Speronis, fills out all of his all-SEC, Top 25, and what-ever-else ballots thrown in his direction.
Be assured, guys like SEC football coaches get asked to fill out these ballots every day. If you want them to be successful on the field then you must understand that they let other people handle the details (of which ballots rank way down on the list).
Speronis has been with Spurrier for 18 years. He was with him at Florida, the Washington Redskins and now Carolina. They spend more time together during the season then they do with their families. Yes, Jamie Speronis is trusted to handle these things.
After 18 years, Jamie finally made a mistake.
Spurrier told the truth, took the blame, took the embarrassment and repeated it several times over throughout the day. On a day when there were 1,000 credentialed media members in the building it would have been much easier to say, “I’m gonna’ move on from that.”
He practiced something Nick Saban and Tim Tebow probably preach from morning until night – accountability.
Leave it alone. It’s a non-story.
Peace.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
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Roger Olivieri. Roger began working with GamecockCentral in December of 2007. He currently serves as the site's chief videographer. He may be reached by email at roger(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.