Karon Cook Sports Page

Karon Cook Sports: Steelers *Draft, *Adams & Rainey and *Searcy

Okay, I realize it's been awhile since I posted (yes, it took me that long to recover from our loss to the Broncos in January).  But, that's History and we don't need a "history lesson" because we lived it. 

Can you believe our draft picks?  Insane!  David DeCastro...looks like he will start at left or right guard; we can say thank you very much to the Bengals (they passed on him at #21)...thank you. 

Interesting pick in Mike Adams...Steelers going outside their comfort zone with this one.  Someone who might not like that pick?  Willie Colon, he may lose his starting job (but not any $$$) and that's nice for Willie, isn't it?

I realize everyone in the free world is writing about our picks, so I'll stop there.  Looking forward to the OTAs.  Pssssst....I'm getting insider information ~ so, stay tuned and I'll give you the 411.

I wanted to share a few photos with you from last Season...

While on assignment (Credentialed by the Steelers) shot from the Press Box. Bengals v Steelers (Final: Steelers 35-7)

Antonio Brown (voted Steelers' Most Valuable Player).  This was taken at the Steelers Training Facility, where I tossed around the pigskin and ran a few routes with Antonio and Charlie Batch.  I also sharpened my punting skills with Jeremy Kapinos! 

I accepted the Assignment to cover the Steeler Nation via SportsBlog Video each week. The Vid's will be posted: www.hergamelife.com

Here we go....

 

Heartbreaking Loss But Still A Great Season

It was an ugly ending. In fairness, we did come back from a 20-6 deficit at the half. No excuses. I agree with Chris Mascaro, of Thursday Night Tailgate (BlogTalk Radio Show) "They made the worst passer in the NFL look like Tom Brady". We had a number of key players banged up prior to this match up; in addition to Hampton and Keisel injured early on last night. I also heard someone say they thought Ike Taylor threw the game. Really? I wouldn't go that far! Ike's tweets after the loss:

Ike_SwagginU Ike Taylor: First off congrats to Tebow and the Broncos

Ike_SwagginU Ike Taylor: Second I apologize for playing the worst game at the wrong time apologize to my teammates steelernation and family. Luv y'll to def

Obviously, we wanted to win last night. It was an interesting Season and we'll see what changes next year brings.

So it goes...Hmmmm, Spring training is right around the corner, isn't it?

When he was presented with the 1971 World Series MVP trophy. Roberto Clemente told the Crowd: "I just want everybody in the world to know that this is the way I play all the time. All season, every season".

Love that...

 

Sports & Life ~ The Two-Minute Warning

Sports & Life ~ The Two-Minute Warning

 

The two-minute warning in the 4^th Quarter is an important milestone; if it’s 1^st down, you’ve got the ball and you’re in the lead…you can run out the clock (if the opposing Team has no timeouts remaining).  If the football is in play when the clock reaches 2:00, the warning is called immediately after the play concludes, when the ball is called dead.  The two-minute warning stops the game clock in all cases.

 

It’s too bad we can’t “stop the clock” at certain points in our life.

 

There’s approximately 2 weeks left in 2011…could this be your 2-minute warning?

 

Maybe things have gotten off track with your Friends/Relationships and you might need more time to get organized, but then you don’t make the adjustments that are necessary and it’s over before you can look up.

 

When a decision needs to be made ~ starting a new business, planning a move; perhaps you wait too long to make it and the opportunity passes you  by… or someone passes you by.

 

How much time is left really?  Sometimes life feels too crowded ~ it’s too loud, there’s a lot to deal with...aging parents, kids, our health,  homework,  jobs, education, new babies, marriages and maybe a divorce.

 

Okay, I get it that some people need a deadline in order to be motivated to change.  In Football, they have a Series of Plays that they use when they’ve got two minutes or less on the clock, called the Two-Minute drill.  In my opinion, Ben Roethlisberger is King of the end of game final drive!  Some of the greatest events in Steelers History have occurred in the last two minutes of play.  Starting with Franco’s Immaculate Reception in 1972 (it was 4^th and hopeless, no time-outs with 22 seconds on the clock) and including the last Super Bowl win against the Cardinals.    

 

If  you need a deadline here it is ~ 2011 is winding down.  Take the last two weeks of  December to reflect…on its highs and lows, disappointments and successes…use all of that to propel you into 2012.

What a game!

A great view from the press box....Touch Down Steelers! 9 plays, 87 yards in just 5 minutes. 27th Touch Down for Mendenhall !! 12:47 left in 2nd Quarter.  Here we go.....

Anderson Cooper Picks on the Bullies

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.  In July of this year, I wrote an article on Bullying: “Bullies, Lipstick & Team USA’s Loss to Japan”.  I think it’s a topic that warrants returning to now.

 

There are all types of bullies in the world: Playground, Social, Workplace and Traffic.  They are everywhere.  I recently had dinner with a beautiful, successful CEO and the subject of bullying came up.  She told me about being diagnosed with an impulse control disorder (Trichotillomania) that caused her to pull out her eyelashes.  This made her an easy target at School; she was only 12 (the same age I was, when I was picked on for the size of my lips).  She came from a small town and due to the mental injury she suffered, her parents sent her to a Therapist to deal with the fall out.  We both agreed that it’s often difficult to see the possibility of a bright future, when you’re in the middle of this type of storm.  Can you reach out and assist someone who might benefit from your Story? 

 

*18 million kids will be bullied in the U.S. this year

 

*3 million students are absent each month because they feel unsafe at School

 

*By 24 years of age, 60% of Bullies have criminal records

 

*In comparison to other children, bullies grow up to have more arrests for: drunk driving, domestic violence and child abuse

 

Are you surprised?  I’m not.

 

I am very interested in what Anderson Cooper is doing in this area.  On his Show, “Bullying Stops Here” town hall (which aired 10/14/11), he spoke with Lee Hirsch the Director of “The Bully Project”.  A feature-length Documentary that follows “a year in the life” of America’s bullying crisis and offers an intimate look at how bullying has touched the lives of five kids and their families.  I watched the Trailer for this Project and it is powerful indeed.  The film is set for National Release in the spring of 2012.  As an Actress and Indie Film Producer, this is an excellent example of …”fighting bullying through film”!

 

The subject is complex, much has been written about it as it continues to be an issue; in our Schools, Highways, Socially, On-line and in the Workplace.   That’s why I’ve always been an advocate of organized sports.  Playing sports gives you the opportunity to test your strength, endurance and your desire to excel.  Even more, it allows you the chance to test your heart.  Not your physical heart…I’m talking about the character aspect of who you really are.

 

As October comes to an end, let’s not allow our focus on this Subject to do the same.  Continue to speak up, stand up and look for an opening…a place where you can get involved.  Even in small ways, it can make so much of a difference to someone who is being hurt and may be suffering in silence.

Sports & Life ~ You Can Take It To The Bank “Moneyball”

Sports & Life ~ You Can Take It To The Bank “Moneyball” 

  

This quote by Bob Feller might sum up what the newly released movie Moneyball is about: “Every day is a new opportunity.  You can build on yesterday’s success or put  its failures behind and start again.  That’s the way life is, it’s a new game everyday and that’s the way baseball is”. 

 

In Moneyball Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland A’s (1998 to present) and his attempt to put together a ball club (while under a ridiculous salary constraint from the Team Owners) based on computer-generated analysis to draft his players.  As I watched it, I thought of underdogs; I sensed it was making the statement that people are valuable even when they don’t appear to be on the surface.   

 

I should say upfront that Sports is in my DNA…I loved this Movie!  I’ve heard the comments that it was boring, too many stats, too slow.  Really?  Perhaps people have gotten used to seeing things blown up, fights or cars crashing?    

 

The scene where Billy attempts to get his new approach across to the Old School Scouts…was hysterical…they scouted new guys for years based on their body type (even how their girlfriends looked~if they had an “ugly” gal pal, it meant the Player had no confidence).  Beane was telling them instead, that he would now be using statistical data supplied by Whiz Kid, Peter Brand to make the choices. 

 

This reminds me of:  “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”   Anthony Robbins

 

Billy Beane changed the way baseball is managed and played because he wasn’t afraid to try something new~even when people were saying it couldn’t be done and thought he was crazy.  He said “I’m not in it for the record.  I’m not in it for the ring.  I want it to mean something.”

 

Aside from the perceived slow start and statistical staging, I believe that Moneyball was quite inspirational. Here is what I gleaned:

 

Don’t judge a first baseman by his ability to catch.

Build a team not a player.

Sometimes, you’ve got to shake things up to get the results you want.

It’s quite powerful having someone in your corner who really believes in you.

 

 “Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do to succeed is utterly; keep hitting, keep the rally alive, and you have defeated time, you remain forever young”. Roger Angell

 

In your own Life ~ Keep the Rally Alive…Keep Hitting.  Oh, and go see Moneyball

Sports & Life: Beware the Trick Play

My Brother and I were raised the same way by our Single, U.S.M.C. (DI) Dad.  He taught us both how to throw a perfect spiral and the right way to scoop up a grounder. Because of my background, I actually anticipate the Gadget play; it usually doesn’t surprise me

 

The Trick Play (or Gadget) is a play that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team.  It’s often risky, although if successful ~ could result in a large gain or a touchdown.  Sometimes you look up in life and see one coming straight for you! 

 

For instance: You receive a text from your Son, that he’s quitting Georgia Tech to become a Ski Instructor;

or

You get a call in the middle of the night, saying your Dad is in the ER. Perhaps a friendship that was really tight, blows up out of nowhere;

or a once solid marriage, suddenly ~ isn’t.

 

A Trick or Gadget Play in Life is when something happens to us that we didn’t see coming and didn’t expect. 

 

In Football, nearly all plays are either a pass from the quarterback or a run by the halfback.  That’s why defenses will think Pass, when the QB has the ball and Run when the HB has it.  A Trick Play messes all of that up, confuses the defense ~ it’s unanticipated.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers love the Gadget.  In Super Bowl XL ~   Antwaan Randle El, a wide receiver who played quarterback in college and is known for his passing abilities, threw a 43-yard TD pass to Hines Ward (another wide receiver who played QB in college) ~ Epic!

 

Okay, let’s say that the gadget works…so they gain 20 or 30 yards?  They haven’t scored yet.  The game’s not over.   It’s the same in life.  How do we react to these Trick Plays?  Do we remain steady, stick to our game plan?   Freak out?  Give up?  We choose. 

 

Read- Recover-Run

 

I’m thinking about Venus Williams and her diagnosis (Trick Play) last week.  Read: She said she struggled with fatigue for years.  “Some mornings I feel really sick, like when you don’t get a lot of sleep or you have a flu or cold. I always have some level of tiredness.  And the more I tried to push through it, the tougher it got.”  Recover: Venus made the decision to consider her health first and bail on the U.S. Open (Champion there in 2000 and 2001).  “I’ve been told it’s going to take three to six months for all the medication to sink in.”  Run: She can use this time to get herself organized and ready to run the next Play.   Go Venus!  ;D

 

Since our life isn’t made up of Games, Sets or Matches and hopefully we are fortunate enough to live for many years, we will have the opportunity to regroup and be better prepared for the Trick Plays that are sure to come.

Focus On Your Dream And Ignore The Hecklers

Focus On Your Dream And Ignore The Hecklers

 

 

When you think of the word “Heckler”…what comes to mind?  I see Jerry Seinfeld doing his stand-up routine and having to contend with some drunk yelling at him from the dark. 

 

Did you realize that we all have “Heckler’s” in our lives?  Some of these people may even be our friends and family.  Their contribution is sitting on the sidelines, trying to distract you and willing to do anything so that you will miss your shot.  Often times their words of criticism come easily and it ends up getting in your way which can lead one to believe that they don’t want you to succeed.  Hecklers tend to support the opposing team.     

 

You’ve seen Basketball Players lining up to shoot a Technical Foul shot and all the people in the stands, frantically waving those foam worms so that they will miss.  Most of the time, a trained athlete will make the shot.  But, for us…in the office or at home; a Co-worker or Friend will make an unkind statement that will affect our performance.  We may lose concentration and become distracted. 

 

So, what do you do?  How do you handle these Hecklers?  Ignore them and they’ll go away?  Fight back?  Cry? Buckle under their pressure?

 

No ~ Remain focused on your goals.

                                     

What about the Cheerleaders?  No, I’m NOT talking about the women on the sidelines of certain Sporting Events. 

 

The Cheerleaders I’m referring to, are the people in your life who are encouraging, are on your side ~ especially when you are trying to reach out for something new.  They are excited for you, saying things like: “Yes, it’s going to be a challenge, but you’re up for it” and “You’ve studied, you’ve got the knowledge to pull this off”.  They roll up their sleeves to work with you and when you’re not listening … brag about you to others.

 

This past week, I went to see the WNBA Atlanta Dream vs Seattle.   I’ve heard some people say that Women’s Basketball is not exciting to watch.  They are so wrong!  It was loud, the shots they were going for ~ and making; unbelievable!  I loved every minute of it.  After the Dream won, Bob Rathbun, Play by Play Announcer, introduced me to Kathy Betty (Owner and Managing Partner of the Dream).  He told Kathy “We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Karon’s Sports Show,” (I pitched to Turner Sports in June).  She smiled and said “Just don’t give up!”   

A Cheerleader? Naturally.

 

Come on, let’s decide today to be better Cheerleaders for the people in our lives!

The Naked Truth About Girls in Sports

Yesterday while I was in Starbucks, I overheard two young 20-something’s talking about Women’s Basketball.  The short guy said “I’d watch it, yeah…if they wore skirts and tank tops”!  The Tall guy agreed, “Oh, I’d pay to see that.” 

 

For Women in the Workplace ~ they face the Glass Ceiling: An invisible barrier that determines the level to which a woman or other member of a demographic minority can rise in an organization.

 

For Women in Sports ~ I suggest that there is a “Satin Ceiling”.  I define this as: “An unspoken expectation that determines the level of validity attributed to a Female Athlete based not on her skills, but rather on her attractiveness or perceived sexual appeal”.               

 

Is it enough for a Girl/Woman to be a great player in her sport or does she have to look “Hot” as well?

 

Quite a few female athletes have posed for Playboy: Swimmer, Amanda Beard (7 times Olympic Medalist).   

According to TopTenz.net, she posed in an effort to change clichés of what it means to be a powerful athlete and

a woman.  What?

 

 What is the message this is sending to our young girls?

 

There are some Olympians, such as Softball sensation Jennie Finch, who turned down Playboy offers saying that she would “rather be a role model for young girls”.  She looked up at that Satin Ceiling and sliced right through it!  Love that Jennie…;D

 

But in 2001, Lisa Harrison (Phoenix Mercury forward) turned down Playboy for a different reason.  “Basically it came down to the money issue”, said Harrison.  “It was going to be exciting if I did do it,” Lisa said. “I was really going to have to get in great shape.  The travel and the attention that I was going to get was interesting and intriguing to think about.”

 

Are male athletes held to this same standard?  Please!  The answer is no!  No one cares what David Ortiz’s  measurements are, or if Dirk Nowitzki is handsome or not.  What matters is that they have talent and bring in the fans and dollars!  Old School Pitcher, Sandy Koufax said …”If you do a good job, the numbers say so, you don’t have to ask anyone or play politics.  You don’t have to wait for the reviews.”  Well, it seems Women and Girls do have to wait for the reviews…not only of HOW they play, but how they LOOK while playing.

 

I know there are many young women playing sports who ARE doing it right, representing and being an excellent example.  These are True Female Athletes who are tearing apart the Satin Ceiling by the way they are conducting their lives, they are showing respect for themselves, the Sport and the young girls who are watching them! 

 

I get it…I realize that we are in America and we can choose to do whatever we like.  But, Women Athletes are in a unique position, one where young girls look up to them.  What type of responsibility do the ones at the top have, to those coming up behind them?  How can we…all of us…Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Sons, Daughters and Friends effect change in what we say, how we choose to react and how we validate our girls and young women.  I’m looking forward to the day when they can all turn cartwheels, jump and run with the wind in their faces and not give a flip about the way they look! 

Bullies, Lipstick & Team USA’s Loss to Japan

Turning channels last week, Dr. Phil was showcasing Girl’s fighting and then putting the Videos on YouTube.  Okay…I thought; no…I’m not watching this.   Compare that image with what we saw…what everyone watched around the World, our Young Women putting on a great Match against Japan. 

 

They showed true grace: “If any other country was to win this, then I’m really happy and proud for Japan,” Carli Lloyd said.  “Deep down inside I really thought it was our destiny to win it.  But maybe it was Japan’s.”  Carli, you go Girl!   Dr. Phil pointed out that, the Bullies often glorify their attacks by posting them on YouTube.  The young Teen on his Program, said that she didn’t want people messing with her and the Video would show she was tough.

 

Two questions come to mind: What would happen if the Confident young women of Team USA mentored the YouTube Mean girls?  What if they had an opportunity to spend some time with them? 

 

As I mentor young girls, the subject of Bullies comes up and I tell them a Story.  I’ll tell it to you now. 

 

Imagine…

 

                “Can you see her?  Maybe you’re sitting behind her and everyday she gets on at same Bus Stop.  At 12 years old, she’s already 5’ 7 inches tall, she has a Blonde Ponytail and big Green eyes.  Everyday she is teased by two boys, a year older than her.   What for you ask?  For the size of her lips, they are full and round (she’d grow into them later); but for now…they are a target for immature boys.   I’m sure you can fill in the names they called her, the gestures they made?  She just stares straight ahead.  She never told anyone.  She was being raised by a Single Father, a Military Man and didn’t feel she could go home and complain about her issues that seemed so small.  At the end of the year, the boys moved and she wasn’t bullied again.  But she never forgot…she couldn’t; it was if her body wouldn’t let her.  Years would pass; she studied and became an Actress for Film, TV and Print Campaigns.  Before you go on Set, you go to Hair & Make Up.  She said whenever she sat in the make up chair…the moment they began to line her lips and apply the Lipstick…it all came back.  She said it was too bad that somehow she couldn’t have whispered to that little girl on the bus: “Hang in there…20 years from now they’ll be paying lots of money for lips that look like yours”.   

 

Have you guessed who the girl on the bus is?  Yes, it was me.

 

There’s too much out there that is negative in Magazines, T.V., Body Image Issues, Friends, Mean Girls, YouTube, Boys, Face Book, Family, School, lots of pressures to deal with.  I’m involved with Girl Talk, a nationally recognized student-to-student mentoring program.  Also, I believe playing Sports is extremely important for girls and young women (all women really).  It will benefit them now and in the future.  I continue to experience the rewards of being an athlete everyday.

 

Congratulations Team USA!  What a beautiful example of Team Work, Endurance, Heart and Love we all witnessed.  Thank you.  I know you wanted to win; we wanted it for you.  But, what a journey: a playoff to qualify, a loss in group play to Sweden, and the epic comeback against Brazil.  You are all extraordinary Young Women!

 

Ladies, you will be bringing back important lessons.  Look at what you’ve lived.  Share it.  Share it with the young girls who are coming up behind you!  Even though you didn’t bring home the Cup, show them your joy in being there.  In being in the Mix, in the middle of the Action on the Field and in Life! Perhaps you will even get the opportunity to share your experiences with the Mean Girls from YouTube. I’m sure you’ll make a difference.

A little touch of Lipstick?  Okay.  But that by itself won’t make you beautiful,  if you’re really a bully.