TEXAS ISN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US

 

Originally, in a COVID free world (what was that like again?), the Longhorns would be welcoming the chance to slaughter the Big 12’s bottom feeder, the University of Kansas, but this year the game has been postponed until December 12, due to Kansas’ team being infected by COVID.  Postponement is the last thing that Tom Herman, the head football coach at the University of Texas at Austin, wanted to hear and he has heard a lot this week. With the postponement, Texas will have another off week and when they do play again, presumably on November 27 against Iowa State, it will have been three weeks since they last competed.

On Monday of this week, Herman was asked about the possibility that Urban Meyer will replace him at the end of this season. An awkward question to have to answer in any work setting, but even more so when asked in front of the media. Surprisingly, Herman did not give a Bill Belichick “grumble”.  Instead, he provided a litany of reasons how this sort of rumor hurts the Texas football program. After Herman first addressed how he believes “unnamed sources” cannot be factual (Deep Throat in Watergate takes offence), he then provided a more reasonable consequence in that the rumor hurts recruiting.

Herman has lost several top recruits this year and has been lagging behind his peers in gaining the top tier recruits from the football rich state of Texas. In late October Quinn Ewers, the number one recruit in the 2022 ESPN 300 and a Texas native, de-committed from the Longhorns (and just committed to The Ohio State University).  According to Rivals.com, a college football and basketball recruiting database, the Longhorns have received commitments from just ten of the top 100 Texas football recruits. Although many are undecided, the Longhorns have only received one commitment from any of the top ten Texas state recruits. Despite all of this, Herman’s 2021 recruiting class is ranked 17^th in the nation and his previous three recruiting classes (2020, 2019, and 2018) have all ranked in the top 15 in the nation, including two in the top 5 – 2018 and 2019.

Texas’ play on the field has been better than compared to years past, but at a university that expects to be in the national championship conversation each year, and with the hype that came with Herman’s hiring, Herman’s successful recruiting has not translated into credible wins. “Credible Wins” at a university that expects to be top tier are as follows: rivalries, top 25 wins, conference championship appearances/wins, team progression and The College Football Playoff appearances/wins. The latter category still alludes Herman and his Longhorns and so it will not be discussed in the analysis.

ANALYSIS

Rivalries

According to Wikipedia, the University of Texas has three active football rivalries (three are dormant as Nebraska, Arkansas, and Texas A&M no longer playing in the same conference as Texas), which are TCU, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma. Oklahoma, of course, has been ruling the Big 12 nearly every year for the past decade. Herman, with over four years of coaching at Texas, has a combined record of 5-8 against his rivals, having gone 1-3 and 1-4 against TCU and Oklahoma, respectively. If Baylor, another Big 12 Texas school, is included in this analysis then Herman would have a record of 8-9. Not awful, but for standards expected at a Blue Blood football school like Texas, this is not tolerable over four seasons.

Top 25 Victories

Texas has a 9-9 record against Top 25 teams, while Herman has been the head coach. Granted that Texas’ worst sustained losses against top 25 schools came in Herman’s first year at the helm – going 1-4. In order to make it to the Big 12 Championship Game and to be considered for the College Football Playoffs a team must regularly win against top 25 teams.

Conference Championship Appearances

Herman has a lone Big 12 Conference Championship appearance, which occurred during the 2018 season, losing to their archrival – the Oklahoma Sooners. What adds some level of distain is that Oklahoma had lost to Texas in their regular season head-to-head matchup. Fans were left feeling disappointment at the loss but also hopeful towards the future. It had not been since 2009 that Texas had a ten-win season and made a Conference Championship appearance.

Herman and the Texas Longhorns had high hopes entering the 2019 football campaign. After coming off a spectacular Sugar Bowl victory over the University of Georgia, the AP Poll had them ranked tenth in the nation. The Longhorns had a brutal schedule, losing to LSU (ranked 6^th at the time) and Oklahoma (ranked 6^th at the time) by just a touchdown. However, the wheels fully came off when Texas lost to unranked TCU and Iowa State. Herman would roll to an 8-5 finish. Suffice to say expectations were not met.

In response to the disappointing 2019 campaign, Herman decided to overhaul his coaching staff by replacing both coordinators and several other assistant coaches. The team was ranked 14^th in the nation at the beginning of the year, Herman’s 2018 (top 4) recruiting class were nearly all starters, and the media had his team pegged to be in the College Football Playoff hunt. That would be all but washed away when Herman’s 9^th ranked squad was upset by unranked and their rival TCU.  

There is still hope that Texas can make and win the Big 12 Championship game. Texas faces 17^th ranked Iowa State next week, followed by Kansas State and Kansas. All of these are winnable games for the Longhorns. Additionally, assuming Texas makes the Big 12 Championship Game, Texas has a credible chance of defeating whichever Oklahoma team they face.  Oklahoma State lost to Texas in the regular season (Oklahoma State’s only loss) and it took Oklahoma four overtimes to defeat Texas in the regular season. From there Texas needs to hope that either one of the other Power Five schools’ conference champions has two losses or more, the Playoff Committee looks down on conferences that play only eight or seven games (i.e. Big Ten, PAC-12), and/or the Playoff Committee ignores probable undefeated Cincinnati and BYU. The last reason seems most likely simply because the NCAA is greedy.

Progression

Herman’s recruiting woes certainly are not assisted by the unverified rumors that Urban Meyer is going to replace him at the end of the season, but it may be due to the lack of progression Herman has overseen at Texas. From 2017 to 2020, Herman’s defenses, in terms of points allowed per game, have worsened year to year. In 2017 Texas allowed 1.36 points per game on average, then 4.4 per game in 2018, 8.5 in 2019 and now 18.73 in 2020 (granted this season has not fully completed). Texas’ pass defense has been giving up on average five yards per pass over Herman’s tenure.

Lack of progression is Herman’s issue and is why rumors are swirling around him. At his only previous head coaching stop, two years at the University of Houston, Herman didn’t stay long enough to evaluate his first class of recruits. Herman went in his first year at Houston 13-1, while finishing his second and last year 9-3. Although 9-3 is not a bad record at all, but it is a drop off. Two years is not enough time to determine if a coach can develop his players and it probably would have served Texas to deliberate more judiciously before snatching up Herman.

CONCLUSION

Players want to play for a coach that will make them better. Until Herman does that, the rumors of his replacement will keep coming. Progression starts in the spring with conditioning, fundamentals, and practices, but is graded during rivalry games, top 25 victories, and conference championship games. Rumor clouds are formed when the latter three are unmet and will continue swirling until they are.

 

 

Ted Cruz Chooses Racism Over Facts. Pathetic.

Ted Cruz Still Bitter For Being Repeatedly Picked Last During Recess Basketball

Imagine a world in which a U.S. Senator deliberately goes out of his way to announce, with a stroke of glee, that because an organization chose to stand against racism, it drove away its American viewership. This synopsis is exactly what the Texas Republican Senator, Ted Cruz, blasted on Twitter when Cruz tweeted, “Not surprising. Personally speaking, this is the first time in years that I haven’t watched a single game in the NBA Finals. #GoWokeGoBroke”. Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, responded to Cruz’s tweet with, “A US Senator with 3 @NBA teams in his state, employing thousands of people and he is rooting for their business to do poorly. This is who you are @tedcruz. Every minute of your life, this is exactly who you are.”

In a year in which mass protests erupted across the U.S., primarily due to multiple innocent unarmed black people being killed by police, the NBA chose to be a guiding light. After Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man, was shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin police, the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their NBA playoff game which resulted in the rest of the NBA following as well as additional sports across the nation. The players did not choose to cancel the season, but rather worked with the owners to devise a three point plan to help bring an end to police brutality and a greater awareness to systemic racism, which included NBA arenas to be used as polling stations for the 2020 presidential election. The arenas would be utilized as a safe polling place for communities that were significantly hit by COVID-19. In addition, several players conducted their own initiatives to increase civic engagement, such as Lebron James who created the organization “More Than a Vote” that is ensuring there are enough poll workers.

Sad That the NBA Took A Larger Stand Against Racism Than the Federal Government

In light of these great initiatives that both the NBA and players are making to guarantee that people’s votes are able to be made and to be made safely, it’s bewildering that Cruz would find this sort of “wokeness”, a term used, according to dictionary.com, “to describe a person who is alert to injustice in society, especially racism”, to be the sole reason that the NBA Finals had low ratings.

To Ted Cruz’s misfortune the demographics between the 2020 NBA Playoffs and the 2019 NBA Playoffs hardly changed. According to SportsMedia Watch, in 2020 45% of viewers were white and 55% were nonwhite, while in 2019 the percentages were 46% and 54%, respectively. This is hardly an indicator that a certain population was turned off due to the NBA standing against racism (just writing that sentence seems so odd).

There is a much more obvious and substantiated reason for why the NBA playoffs had low ratings – COVID-19. The pandemic forced nearly all major sporting events, apart from the NFL, to alter their seasons. The NBA canceled their regular season in March after Rudy Gobert, a player for the Utah Jazz, tested positive for COVID.  Many other leagues followed suit or postponed the start of their seasons, like Major League Baseball.

The NBA Finals typically has the month of June to themselves, other than regular season baseball. However, with the NBA Finals being conducted four months later, the NBA faced off against Major League Baseball playoffs, NFL, and college football. Yet despite this added competition and despite the 2020 NBA Finals being the lowest rated Finals in NBA history, its first three games rank among the five most watched non-NFL live sporting events since the wave of cancellations took place due to COVID.  

Additionally, the NBA’s downturn was a symptom that all sporting events felt. While the NBA Finals had a 49% decrease in viewership compared to last year, the Stanley Cup Finals saw a 61% decrease and the final round of golf’s U.S. Open had a 56% drop off. MLB’s divisional round of their playoffs saw a decrease of 40% compared to the year prior. While the NFL has seen a decrease, it’s only 10%. College football finally had its first game that reached a 3.0 Nielsen Rating when Tennessee faced Georgia this past weekend.

The 2020 presidential election has also lent a hand in decreasing sports viewership.  MSNBC, CNN, and the fascist news network – Fox News – have all seen a rise in viewership.

Ted Cruz’s illogical fallacy that the NBA Finals’ lack of viewership was a direct consequence of the NBA’s stance against racism, is wholly disproved. The irony is that Ted Cruz’s racist dog whistling is a strategy that his entire Republican Party has been using in 2020 to maintain its slipping hold on power. Rather than face the obvious facts – such as climate change is real - they choose to use baseless premises as the sole reason for certain results. Donald Trump does this better than anyone, especially when he insists that should he lose the election it is because of ballot fraud, not the simple fact that the majority of Americans dislike him.

Ted Cruz represents a state that reelected him by only a few percentage points in 2018 and it is quickly becoming a minority-majority state.  It would be prudent of him to recognize the obvious fact that it is wrong to stand on the side of racism.

 

References

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/10/nba-playoff-ratings-decline-finals-record-low-sports-viewership/

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/10/mlb-postseason-ratings-alcs-record-lows-nlcs/

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/10/college-football-ratings-sec-season-high-viewership/

The O'Brien Tumor Was Removed, But Was It Too Late?

 

Billy O, Searching For His Draft Picks

Bill O’Brien lasted longer as the general manager of the Houston Texans than Kim Kardashian lasted married to Kris Humphries. That’s probably far from Bill O’Brien’s mind as this week he was terminated from his duties as both the Texans’ head coach and general manager. Bill O’Brien’s firing was a culmination of a man who gained so much power, he was unable to point the finger when the team started the season 0-4. The question really becomes which Bill O’Brien ended his tenure in the Lone Star state – Bill O’Brien The Head Coach, Bill O’Brien The General Manager, or Bill O’Brien The Man?

Part 1: Bill O’Brien: The Head Coach

The Texans hired Bill O’Brien in 2014 after he completed his second year as Penn State’s head coach. Although the Texans were a 2-14 team the year prior, they held the first overall pick and used that to pick up stellar defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney, who would then lineup with the already stellar, J.J. Watt.  The Bill O’Brien turnaround was on as his team went 9-7. O’Brien would go on to a 52-48 record as the leader of the Texans, win the AFC South title (a mostly dismal division) four out of his six full seasons, and only had one losing season when his 2017 team finished 4-12.

Easy to tell which team scored zero points

Despite his ability to turnaround a depleted team, it more or less felt that O’Brien’s coaching abilities plateaued, especially when his team’s entered the playoffs. In each of his four playoff appearances his teams were unable to get over the “hump.” In 2016, at home, Bill O’Brien’s team was the first team in a decade to be shutout in a playoff game – 30-0 against the wildcard Chiefs. 2016’s Divisional Round, against the AFC’s power team, the New England Patriots, O’Brien’s team failed to be competitive and lost 34-16. This game was to be the “great leap forward” as the Texans would overthrow the Patriots and assert their dominance across the AFC. Instead, the Houston Texans looked more like a paper tiger who were able to wallop on their weak AFC South opponents but could not muster the right stuff against the Patriots. The 2019 AFC Wild Card game was another no show for O’Brien’s team as his, on paper, favored team was trampled at home by their division rival, and less superior, Indianapolis Colts – 21-7. Finally, and where the train really got derailed, was in the 2020 Divisional Round when Bill O’Brien’s team gave up a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs.

For all the greatness that made up O’Brien’s Houston Texans – DeShaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt – he was never able to overcome mediocrity. In many respects, Coach O’Brien most resembled the former Cincinnati Bengal’s head coach, Marvin Lewis. Both Lewis and O’Brien excelled at maintaining winning records, but never brought their respective franchises any lasting glory.

Part 2: Bill O’Brien: The General Manager

Technically, Bill O’Brien wasn’t the Texans’ “official” general manager until they bestowed him the title in January of 2020. However, his fingerprints and demands for certain players were in every transaction.

The Brock Osweiller signing should have been exactly the point in which the Texans fired O’Brien. Osweiller played only eight games for the Denver Broncos before signing a four-year $72 million contract in 2016, with O’Brien’s club. Even O’Brien discussed how the two, paired together, would lead to great success for the organization. Osweiller was quickly traded when his play did not add up to his worth, but O’Brien’s spending left a damaging hole in the Texan’s cap space. This hole only grew stronger as O’Brien was allowed to make further front office decisions.

In 2019 O’Brien let his once lauded over defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney, walk and then immediately sent two first round draft picks to Miami. The Texans received offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil and then decided to pay him $22 million per year. Tunsil was supposed to give DeShaun Watson, the all-pro quarterback for the Texans, extra protection. This failed. Watson remains one of the most pressured quarterbacks in the NFL. In addition it’s no surprise that after Clowney left, the Texans are ranked last against the run and 26^th for most points allowed.

In his first move as the “official” general manager of the Texans, O’Brien traded his future Hall of Fame receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, to the Arizona Cardinals for a beat up running back, David Johnson, and a second-round pick. It was obvious which team won this trade. Johnson currently ranks 35^th for yards per carry, but then again Johnson’s offensive line is atrocious (remember Watson is the most pressured quarterback in the NFL). Despite all these earth-shattering signings and trades, O’Brien wasn’t finished making his mark. He traded a second and fourth round pick to the Rams in order to acquire the nearly always banged up wide receiver, Brandin Cooks.

The general manager left to clean up Bill O’Brien’s mess will have an arduous time just to rebuild. The Texans have absolutely no cap space to sign players. Thanks to O’Brien’s dealings, his team spends the most per year on player salaries ($255million). The new GM will also be hindered trying to build through the draft as Miami holds the Texans’ first round draft picks and the Texans won’t pick until the third round.

Part Three: Bill O’Brien: The Man

Bill O’Brien advanced to the top of an organization through a strategy known as “failing up.” O’Brien successfully blamed Rick Smith, the general manager who was able to get Brock Osweiller off Houston’s books, for not providing him with adequate talent. It was reported the relationship between Rick Smith and Bill O’Brien was “toxic.” Smith would be shown the door at the end of the 2017 season.

Even the most ardent romances result in the most acrimonious divorces

Brian Gaine would then be the next general manager to run afoul of Czar O’Brien. This time it was reported that Gaine and O’Brien’s relationship had “eroded”. Gaine would be let go at the end of the 2019 season which is where O’Brien successfully “failed up” to become the Texans’ “official general manager.”

Brian Gaine was Billy O's guy, until he wasn't

Not only did O’Brien fail to get along with front office personnel but he also failed to have good relations with his players. In his “negotiations” with DeAndre Hopkins, which led to Hopkins’ trade, O’Brien thought it best to compare Hopkins to murderer Aaron Hernandez and then later made a joke about Hopkins’ “baby mamas [all] being around.” It’s not clear if ever insulting the other party personally is an intelligent negotiation strategy. In light of this information, it should come as no surprise that rumors are coming out that many Houston players have a “feeling of relief” after O’Brien’s departure.

Part Four: Conclusion

In every mob movie there is some cheesy line that suggests that business really is personal. Bill O’Brien makes that notion entirely true. Each of his moves – Osweiller, Hopkins, Clowney – was made through his own personal instincts. The football logic is hard to see because the football logic wasn’t there. The more alarming factor is how this rampage and malfeasance was able to get out of hand. Each person who attempted to rail O’Brien in (Smith and Gaine) were shown the door.

The Texans’ ownership, the last safeguard of a promising franchise, allowed O’Brien to turn a once promising franchise into a broke, cashless, dumpster fire of a team.

Shame on Bill O’Brien but even greater shame on Cal McNair for allowing this gross negligence to continue for far too long.

Sources

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2020/10/6/21503681/bill-obrien-texans-coach-fired

https://www.battleredblog.com/2017/12/30/16833736/aaron-wilson-obrien-smith-relationship-toxic

https://africa.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30048456/the-texans-fired-bill-obrien-now-barnwell-strange-timing-rocky-tenure-houston-future

 

Houston Cougars: Number 2020

Jackson Pollock, the Cougar interpreter

Jean Hellon, a French abstract painter, admired the American abstract expressionist painter, Jackson Pollock’s, work because, “[i]t filled out space going on and on because it did not have a start or an end to it.” Then again the art critic, Robert Coates, politely described Pollock’s work, “as mere unorganized explosions of random energy, and therefore meaningless.” Assume for a second that these critics aren’t  analyzing Jackson Pollock’s work but rather the 2020 College Football Season.  Both quotes would be accurate.  Actually, Pollock’s paintings may be best at depicting the saga that is the 2020 University of Houston football season.

I think I see North Texas scheduled?

Autumn River: Number 30, painted in 1950, does not necessarily expressly illustrate the Houston Cougars, but the way in which Pollock went about painting, it does. The Cougars were technically supposed to have played three games by now, but instead have played none. In fact, the Cougars have had more cancellations, five, then there have been weeks in the 2020 College Football Season. Originally the Cougars were to play Washington State on September 12, but that was cancelled when the PAC-12 cancelled their season (which is now back on because supposedly the virus is gone??). Houston rebounded and was able to schedule their opener with Rice University on September 3. That would be cancelled in August due to COVID on the Rice sideline. So, it looked as though Houston would be opening the season against in conference foe – Memphis. However, that would be cancelled after Memphis’ football team experienced a COVID outbreak due to its players deciding to party on a “party bus” (who would have guessed?). In an effort to salvage the weekend, the Cougars quickly scheduled with Baylor University (who had an open week that week) but it wasn’t until the day before the game that Baylor announced it could not field a team due to too many of its players being effected by the virus or under supsension. Houston’s head coach, Dana Holgorsen, expressed his frustration on a local radio show the Monday after the Baylor game was to be played by stating, “Unfortunately, those games weren’t played but it’s 2020, and we’re used to that crap. So, we’re gonna get ready to go play North Texas.” Dana spoke too soon as North Texas would succumb to the virus and have to postpone the game.

So what does this have to do with a painting? Although difficult to tell, Autumn River: Number 30, started out with linear framework, similar to Houston starting out with a set football schedule. The painting, like the Houston football schedule, would be strewn with colors, thick and thin lines until the framework is hardly visible. Some say Pollock was trying to show the clash between control and chance, which, just like on the field, seems to indicate chance wins.

D'Eriq King, "to stay or not to stay?"

Guardians of the Secret, painted in 1943, in and of itself does not mean anything to the Houston Cougars, but its message may spark up some buried resentment. Although Houston fans once again were unable to watch their team embark on their 2020 crusade, they still had the ability to watch one of their former players – D’Eriq King. King, now the starting quarterback of the University of Miami Hurricanes, began his college career as a Houston Cougar. Houston believed that King was their “chosen one” and, in fact, several pundits had King picked as a Heisman contender. That all came to a crashing halt when D’Eriq King unexpectedly decided to redshirt his junior year (2019) after starting four games for the Cougars. The reason it was important for King to play no more than four games in 2019 was due to a relatively new NCAA rule in which a player can maintain that year of eligibility if they play in no more than four games that season. In other words, by King “redshirting” his junior year, he had two years left of eligibility. Many fans initially thought that King had quit on their beloved Cougars, but King assured Houstonians that, “[He] came . . . to play football for the University of Houston and that is not changing.” However, it did in fact change, which is why, this past Saturday, Houston fans had the chance to watch their past quarterback dismantle Florida State, as Miami went on to win 52-10.

He chose "not to stay"

So, what does this have to do with a painting? Guardians of the Secret, “is often interpreted as a metaphor for the emergence of unconscious impulses into conscious thought.” Here, King probably envisioned himself as playing for the Cougars, but somewhere along the line he began to think of leaving the program. There most likely was moral ambiguity as he subconsciously wrestled with deciding on how to act. Eventually those subconscious arguments erupted into action – redshirting and subsequently leaving Houston for Miami.

Time will tell, if the West is best

Going West, painted in 1934/35, is one of the few Jackson paintings in which its image actually expressly illustrates the Houston Cougar story. At the end of the 2018 College Football Season, Dana Holgorsen left as the head coach of West Virginia to take the helm as the head coach of Houston. Like Pollock’s painting, Holgorsen was seeking better lands, a brighter future, by going west. In his first season the Houston Cougars finished a disappointing 4-8. This year was looking to be more promising, but and as the blog has already mentioned, the Houston 2020 campaign has yet to launch. To make matters worse, Holgorsen has not been able to completely leave his West Virginia era behind. Holgorsen was found to be responsible “for over $22,000 worth of damage, unpaid rent, and late fees” regarding certain rental property in Cheat Lake, West Virginia”. To make matters worse the “damage was reported. . . to have been by Holgorsen’s ex-wife . . ..” Holgorsen’s rental property fiasco is depicted in Going West with detached wagons in the East.

Thinking about Cheat Lake or the game?

The good news is that Houston’s quandary can be cured by playing and winning games. With several conferences not even starting their seasons until late in October ,and even some in November, Houston doesn’t have the immense amount of pressure to “catch up” or be “left behind.” Once Houston gets their season going, they must win. This will remove the heartbroken feelings their fan base remembers as ESPN continues to air D’Eriq King and the Hurricanes. Finally, Holgorsen’s legal issues will only be used against him if the fan base needs a reason to turn on him and the university is looking to fire him for more reasons then just “losing games.” Pollock enjoyed expressionism because it allowed the medium to speak for itself.  Houston should do the same when they (eventually) take the field.

Should Humans Run With Their Dogs?

 CornerCube Goes Animal Rights 

Wonder if the dog had time to down a protein shake?

The canine has been called, “man’s best friend” for centuries. It appears that dogs have been attributed this title for the very fact that they are willing to do anything to please their masters in return for, well, life. Dogs derived from wolves who over time learned to gain food from humans, not by being violent, but by begging, and over time these wolves became “domesticated” and the dog was born. In modern times, dogs are willing to do anything for their masters. They take pictures with Santa at Christmas, wear “hot dog” costumes at Halloween, allow the toddler to ride it like a “horse” all to please its owner in hopes to receive its next meal. The CornerCube would like to investigate another phenomenon that has been going on for decades but is hardly discussed – dogs going on runs with their owners.

It’s well versed that dog walking is good for the dog and owner, yet can the same be true about dogs going on runs with their owners? At first appearance, the answer seems to be a raucous “no!” Before going for a run, the human knows how far they plan to run. That poor dog, as the leash is latched to its collar, only knows it’s going somewhere beyond the door that opens to another world. The human knows it is going on a run so it preps by hydrating, eating, stretching, and dressing appropriately. On the other hand, Fido in the corner may not have eaten since the morning, probably forgot to drink twenty-four ounces of water prior to its unplanned mile run and has no way of dressing appropriately for the elements without the help of its owner. In other words, just like so much in its life, a dog going for a run with its owner is at the mercy of its owner. In reality, the CornerCube believes that a bystander can gauge the overall level of one’s compassion just by observing if they run with their dogs. What are the factors to look for?

1.       Breed

      Some dogs are meant to run for long distances, some are meant to run in short sprints and some are not meant to run at all. Large breeds, with long legs are better at running long distances. So, if you see an owner running with the likes of Golden Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, Poodles or Border Collies, judge them kindly as these dogs are most likely enjoying this long steady run. Now other dogs are simply built for short bursts of vigorous activity (i.e. fetch). Think of these dogs as your sprinters, not your marathon runners. These types of dogs are the Greyhounds, Pit Bulls, and English Setters. If you see a jogger with one of these dogs, judge them moderately, as they may be jogging in short bursts and then walking. Finally, there are some dogs that under no circumstances should be running. If you see an owner running with this dog, call animal control, tackle them, or somehow separate them from their canine before they run it to death. Assume these owners have absolutely no heart and are the son of Satan themselves. Pugs, French Bulldogs, or any other brachycephalic (dogs with short noses) are not to run at all. These dogs have compressed respiratory tracks and so by running they could easily overheat themselves.

      General Rule: The larger and longer the legs of the dog, the more suited they are to run for long distances. The smaller and shorter the legs of the dog, the less the dog is to run for long distances or at all.

Not a good running mate

2.       Age

      A dog shouldn’t run before it reaches eight months old and should not run after the dog reaches old age. The former is because a puppy’s joints are still forming and running could disrupt this development.  The latter is because, cue the common sense, older dogs have lower stamina compared to their younger years.

      General Rule: You wouldn’t make a five-year-old child run a mile nor would you expect your eighty-year-old grandma to run one either, so don’t expect your puppy or senior dog to rune one either.

3.   Health

 

Well, duh. This section may seem obvious but ever since Donald Trump was elected President the CornerCube has realized to never to assume everyone else sees the obvious.

 

Dogs, like humans, cannot simply start running long distances just because, from appearance, they look healthy. It is important to “warm up” the dog by going on a short walk prior to diving into the full-blown death march. Also, just like the owners ensure they hydrate; it is important to ensure that their dogs are hydrated too. A dog needs a half an ounce to an ounce of water per pound to be successfully hydrated on a run. Secondly, don’t run your dog right after they eat. This can cause future gastrointestinal problems Lastly, if your dog has underlying health conditions, be smart and caring - don’t run your dog.

 

General Rule: Would you like to run on a full stomach, lack of hydration, and right after being diagnosed with hip arthritis? No, and your dog wouldn’t either, so don’t do it.

 

4.       Weather

 

Dogs constantly wear a winter coat (it’s called fur) and don’t wear shoes. So, if it is hot outside for you (say 90 degrees) while wearing athletic shorts and a tank top, just imagine how it feels for your dog. More importantly if the pavement feels hot to the touch, just imagine how it feels on your dog who has four paws touching that hot ground. Likewise, if it is cold to you outside while wearing long underwear, three layers of sweatshirts, a hat and gloves, just imagine how it feels for your dog and its paws. Sure, you can put a sweater on your dog, but remember when you start running that air resistance becomes like little daggers nipping at your skin, and that nipping is also pecking at your dog.

 

General Rule: If you think it’s fairly hot or you think it’s fairly cold, best to assume it is worse for your dog.

 

Overall

Running with your dog, as these factors have shown, is a matter of common sense. That’s good and bad. It’s good because common sense takes no extra skill, education, or learning in order to grasp. The bad news is that because common sense requires no skill, education or learning in order to grasp, it is entirely naturally acquired. Therefore, there is no guarantee that everyone will have the same level of common sense or have any level of common sense. So, the next time you are out and about, and you see a person running with their dog, stop yourself and think, “that poor dog”. There is a reason your subconscious said that. That is common sense speaking to you.  Unfortunately, that same common sense is either never reaching the dog’s owner or, and even worse, is being deliberately ignored by the dog’s owner for some unknown reason to you.

Think of deciding whether to run a dog like the 2020 Presidential Election. If common sense tells you that running your particular dog is entirely irresponsible, unhealthy and life threatening, like voting for Donald Trump, then use that common sense and don’t do it. Ignoring this common sense displays your lack of compassion for others and highlights your own short-sighted self-centeredness.   Like your dog, your fellow Americans are depending on you to look out for both theirs and the country’s well-being.  Just as your decision could contribute to the death of your dog, your vote for Donald Trump could contribute to the death of more Americans or even its institutions.  

The Face of America? We can do better.

                                         

Be smart America. Vote Joe in November.

Can Steve Nash Resist the Curse?

 

Steve Nash, Will He Beat the Odds?

The phrase “those who can, do; those that can’t, teach” is often used to point fun at teachers. With some minor word twisting, it can be applicable to some coaches, too, in that “those who can do, often can’t teach.”

Three out of the four NBA teams that have reached this year’s respective Conference Finals (LA Lakers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat) and possibly all four teams (if the Denver Nuggets are able to win their series against the LA Clippers) are governed by head coaches who had zero NBA playing experience. Yet, the Brooklyn Nets, a team that is looking to have an inspiring 2021 campaign with the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, decided to hire Steve Nash, an NBA Hall of Fame point guard.

Nash is a highly intelligent and skilled player. He created the “run and gun” Phoenix Suns which helped them reach the Western Conference Finals, named a seven-time NBA All-Star, and even led the Canadian National Team to earning silver and bronze medals in several international tournaments. Nash also was hired by the Golden State Warriors as a part-time consultant during two of their NBA Championship runs. Despite all these accolades, Nash has yet to serve in any meaningful coaching capacity.  So, placing him as the promising Brooklyn Nets’ head coach is analogous to throwing a child in the twelve-foot end of a swimming pool before teaching him how to swim in the three foot end.

History is not on Nash’s side either. Sixteen people have become NBA head coaches without any prior coaching experience.

Year	Team	Coach	Seasons	W	L	PCT	Playoff appearances	Series won
2020	BRK	Steve Nash	?	?	?	?	?	?
2014	NYK	Derek Fisher	2	40	96	29%	0	0
2014	GSW	Steve Kerr	6	337	138	71%	5	18
2013	BRK	Jason Kidd	1	44	38	54%	1	1
2011	GSW	Mark Jackson	3	121	109	53%	2	1
2008	CHI	Vinny Del Negro	2	82	82	50%	2	0
2005	MIN	Kevin McHale	1	19	12	61%	0	0
2000	IND	Isiah Thomas	3	131	115	53%	3	0
1999	ORL	Doc Rivers	5	171	168	50%	3	0
1997	IND	Larry Bird	3	147	67	69%	3	7
1995	BOS	M.L. Carr	2	48	116	29%	0	0
1994	LAL	Magic Johnson	1	5	11	31%	0	0
1993	DAL	Quinn Buckner	1	13	69	16%	0	0
1992	DEN	Dan Issel	3	96	102	48%	1	1
1987	PHO	Dick Van Arsdale	1	14	12	54%	0	0
1980	SDC	Paul Silas	3	78	168	32%	0	0

 

The average winning percentage for these sixteen coaches is a subpar 43.75%. And though it is hard to fathom that Nash will have the paltry coaching records that his  colleagues Fisher and Buckner experienced, it’s even harder to suppress the expectations, especially in a city like New York who irrationally considers all their teams to be championship contenders, that Nash will reach heights similar to Bird or Kerr. The CornerCube believes that Nash will reach Bird’s average, but not reach the winning percentage of Steve Kerr.

Derek Fisher, Possibly Puzzled on Why He Took The Knicks Job

The reason for this is because of the psychological theory called, “the curse of expertise.” In L. Jon Wertheim’s and Sam Sommers’ book called, This is Your Brain on Sports, they summarize this psychological theory (in sports terms) as, “the better we get at a task, the worse we often become at articulating what we’re doing. So it is that the Great Ones often . . . struggle to communicate what has always come naturally to them.” People forget that “being an expert at doing something doesn’t always translate into being an expert at explaining how to do it.” Experts, in this case great players, see and mentally organize the world differently than others – they have greater visual skills/anticipatory skills/motor skills – but have difficulty realizing that they are actually experiencing these skills. In other words, experts can’t share with others these skills because the expert themselves don’t realize fully these skills.

The Nets have several positives on their side. The first is that they have two all-stars, in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, to help alleviate any of Nash’s growing pains. Luke Walton, an interim head coach for the Golden State Warriors, could directly credit Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson with making him look like a Hall of Fame NBA coach (it wouldn’t be until Walton was hired the subsequent season by the Lakers to realize his true coaching value). The second positive is that Nash is a willing participant and willing to overcome the curse of expertise. First, Nash can use data to help determine which coaching concepts provide the best results and, second, is that Nash has had time to reflect and (possibly) take notes on what he struggled with in basketball prior to becoming great. This way of thinking forces the expert to have to think about what they did to overcome their past difficulties. Unfortunately, the best method for an expert to overcome the curse is to shadow a coach or in laymen’s terms – have prior coaching experience.