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BLAZER DIFFERENCE IN THE WEST? CHARACTER

Blazer fan or sports fan, this Portland Trail Blazer team has something for everyone. In the bigger world of NBA cities and stars, Portland is an after thought. Was anyone disappointed LeBron decided to go Laker instead of Blazer? Will anyone be shocked if Kevin Durant decides to go somewhere else besides Portland? Those two […]

CONFLICT RESOLUTION BASIC TRAINING

I’ll start with a common conflict that needs a few rounds of conflict resolution. Let’s say you have a pile of composed bark dust and six wheel barrows and six shovels and six Scouts doing community service. They signed up for three hours and know how to tell time. The early teens wanted to work, […]

If Winners Rule By Winning, Everyone Else Is A Loser?

The safe answer for winners is, “Maybe.” Don’t we all consider ourselves winners at some point? We might say we don’t keep score, but we know the score. Like rec soccer for toddlers, they knew the score of their games even if the parents pretended not to. So why not just say, “screw it,” and […]

REAL THIRD PLACE LIVING SPACE

For a brief time I was an athlete with potential. I’d learned how to not get pinned in wrestling, how to lose by decision, how to win by decision, and finally how to stall to victory. It’s the last one people like referees didn’t understand. They hated it, told me to stay on the mat, […]

THIRD PLACE RANKING BEHIND HOME, WORK

Third place in sports is hard to celebrate, while third place in what passes for normal life is something to cheer for. At least that’s the idea. I celebrate third place in sports, the bronze medal, because only two others took things further. A third place in public life needs gold certification if you decide […]

‘CANCER LOVE’ FROM DAN PATRICK ON TARGET?

Cancer love came the day after Dan Patrick explained his chemo brain and fielded calls from the sports world. One famous caller got this from Dan: “Yeah, I remember a few years back when you got all of the cancer love. I wanted some of that.” If it isn’t a perfect quote, call it a […]

DAN PATRICK REPORTS IN

Dan Patrick is the face of sports biggest awards. No one hands out the Vince Lombardi trophy like Dan; no one wants to take it from anyone else. Mr. Patrick gave us something else today. Part apology, part confession, part reassurance, Dan ran down what’s been bothering him for years, and it’s not Reggie Miller.

GYM RAT EXPLAINED PERSONAL MOTIVATION

I asked a gym rat man the only question that matters: “What keeps you going?” At least that’s what I meant to ask when I said, “What keeps you from folding, from locking your door, closing the curtains, having food delivered, give up your car, and just shut it the hell down?” This was a […]

WRITERS GRIND THEIR GUTS OVER THEIR WORK

The ads say, “Work from home. Set your own hours. Be your own boss. Writers have the best of all worlds.” Travel the world, soak up the sun, and write about it seems like the message sent. That’s the chair for those writers at the top. Clear sky, blue water, what else would you want? […]

FOREVER YOUNG LASTS FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS

A song like Forever Young is a nice thing until something sears it right into your brain instead of bouncing off your ear, turning the dial, and moving on. Forever Young is such a song for millions. It’s the song for every parent who has seen their kid move from stage to stage, from rolling […]