BrockBlog

What I Hope to Learn this Summer, Part III

2009-07-07T20:45:00.009-05:00

The new Roger Federer - the one who makes mistakes, occasionally fails, and realizes his limitations - is much more interesting than the old one. Last year’s Wimbledon between Federer and Nadal featured superior tennis but this year’s match between Federer and Andy Roddick was equally as tense.

To complete the French Open-Wimbledon double, Federer needed to honestly re-evaluate his game in order to improve it. At Roland Garros, his improved ability to slide on the baseline was paired with a new drop shot; at the All England Club he was forced to serve impeccably and persevere as his best shots were foiled.

Federer defeated Roddick because he knows how to overcome adversity and change. On the bright side, Roddick is finally a threat to win Grand Slams again because he has evolved his game to become more versatile. Increased mental and physical fitness also helps his cause.

The development of Federer and Roddick over recent months signifies that no athlete should ever stop improving. When the opportunity to increase their level of physical skill passes, an athlete can work on the mental side of the game.

Self-actualization demands continuous learning and I endeavour to learn more from other sports over the summer. There are many excellent resources and it is simply a matter of locating them, reflecting, and adapting them to the appropriate sport.

Managing My Life by Alex Ferguson another example of a thoughtful and persistent triumph. The Manchester United manager experienced a mixed bag of success and failure as a player and rose through the coaching ranks steadily. He was almost sacked as manager at Old Traffold a couple of times but persisted and attained the level of elite achievement where he resides currently.

In his mind, one of the integral components of his philosophy is his tendency to deconstruct every failure and learn what could be done better. Another tenant is the belief that no player, manager, or club should be satisfied with less than their best. Ferguson’s coaching career is forty years of learning from masters, treating others how he would want to be treated (sometimes a professional, sometimes a person), and continually moving forwards. He is a role model for all sorts of coaches and managers. Even his offensive strategy for soccer, based on rhythm and ball possession, contains elements that could influence a basketball coach.

Ferguson’s work the most eloquent book about sport that I have read. It shatters the stereotype that jocks must be dumb and challenges other athletes and coaches to do better. There is never any reason not to communicate in a dignified and respectful fashion.

I am also scheduled to read Scotty Bowman: A Life in Hockey, Inner Skiing by W. Timothy Gallwey and Robert Kriegel, and Football Scouting Methods by Steve Belichick because they emphasize sound coaching, mental training, and game preparation respectively. In the month of August, when I work on Task 4: Nutrition and other units at the National Coaching Institute, I hope to base my work on a theme such as “What Basketball Can Learn from Other Sports.”

What I Hope to Learn this Summer, Part II

2009-07-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Teaching ex tempore, incorporating current events, finding stories of local interest, and attempting to follow student trends in order to make them part of the course enhance my teaching style but I feel that I can do better. I really want to create lessons that are significant for the class and meet their needs, hopefully engendering the same enthusiasm for marketing and finance that I have. I want to discuss major issues and make students stop to think.

During the spring, I read No Logo by Naomi Klein. I think that it can be a good resource for both high school and post-secondary marketing instructors. To me, the book is meaningful because it advances issues initially raised by legends of the field like Theodore Levitt but illustrates the argument with examples that students can relate to. The publication date on some articles sometimes causes students to tune out so for that reason alone, excerpts from Klein’s exposé are more accessible.

(Obviously, globalization is one of a litany of pertinent issues in the field of marketing.)

In 1972, Al Ries and Jack Trout authored a paper entitled “The Positioning Era Cometh”; in 2000 Klein published her book. Both works - and countless others - describe brand dominance, beginning with the advent of the television age and continuing until today’s age of increased communication and information, and its effects on consumers. Ries and Trout look forward several decades whereas Klein recounts recent marketing history and analyzes what consumers should do next. Levitt’s prescient article about Globalization discusses how global companies will overtake the neighbourhood store and what will happen to local economy, although he is not as austere as Klein.

Once brands overtake products - from shoes and clothes to phones and communication to schools and politicians - and image supersedes quality, modern life bursts at the seams with noise. The public space is imbued with logos, conversation littered with slogans. Sometimes I feel that we don

I don’t think that we ask enough questions. What is the point of education aside from providing a critical framework to analyze the reasoning behind actions? The actual fundamentals of globalization - importing, manufacturing, transporting, storing products - are soon forgotten but the trend affects the lives of students on a daily basis. I want to imbue the marketing course with significance, inspiring inquisitiveness.

It’s like asking a student why they bought a gold-coloured Cavaliers baseball hat: did they buy it because New Era makes the most durable and comfortable hats on the market or because they think LeBron James is cool? Or it may be merely because Chris Brown wore it in a photo posted on TMZ. I don’t care either way but I hope they understand why they made the decision.

If it’s possible to delve that deeply into an subject these days...

I have far fewer answers to my problem than I would like and I hope to gain some insight by reading, studying, and learning from others at an OISE/UT Additional Qualifications course during the month of July.

What I Hope to Learn this Summer, Part I

2009-07-01T23:29:00.007-05:00

I hope to improve my ability to deal with people and egos, to better motivate student-athletes and demonstrate more empathic leadership. I recently read Competitive Fire by Michael Clarkson and learnt many facts that I hope to apply in the coming year. We often discuss how it seems that teenagers have a “fight or flight” mentality but there is a scientific basis to the argument. Under pressure, the brain releases hormones, such as adrenaline or noradrenaline, that can cause aggressiveness, increase feelings of fear, and inspire the body to perform faster, higher, or stronger.

All people, including athletes, need to manage these feelings. Teenagers at school or on the court may be sensing this stress for the first time. It is up to coaches to transform aggressiveness into confidence and fear and tension into increased focus. Some players need to be reminded of a comfort zone, such as the gym where they had fun as a child. Others need a combination of assurance and encouragement so that they channel their urge to defend their ego in a positive direction. It may be necessary to put the sport or evaluation into perspective so fear of failure is not catastrophic. Mental sets at the beginning of class or practice can help a group of student-athletes develop their ability to focus or one-on-one discussions afterwards can give an individual the boost they need to get through the day. Or it may be necessary to simulate game conditions in practice and help players visualize a successful performance.

The ideal of Tachypsychia is very intriguing. During a competitive situation, the brain releases hormones which allow the person to perceive more information. This creates the impression that time has slowed down, a player can see gaps in the defence, or that the ball has entered the net a moment before it actually does. Inducing that feeling - and handling it in a calm manner - is a challenge for a coach.

Visualizing that a big game is just another pick-up game back home is similar to thinking that the audience for a big PowerPoint presentation is comprised of friends and family. Focusing intently on a foul shot and ignoring distractions is similar to excelling on a final exam. That is why I want to help others handle stress better.

There are so many different strategies to maximize the affects of arousal that a coach may need to treat every player differently or a teacher may need to attempt multiple techniques with different groups of students. Sensing what is appropriate for each occasional is an aptitude that I wish to improve over the next two months. In addition to my own personal reflection, I hope to read Red and Me and The Gold Standard. The former is an account of the unique relationship between a superstar and an elite coach (Bill Russell and Red Auerbach) and the latter is the story of a team comprised of multiple egos under extreme pressure (the 2008 United States “Redeem Team.”

Why We Make Mistakes

2009-06-18T08:17:00.004-05:00

Why We Make Mistakes provides anecdotal evidence about why humans repeatedly commit the same common errors. The books is written like a concise summary of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and Outliers books that imparts more information in less words.

The book outlines countless ways that someone can make a bad decision, from drivers to surgeons. There is no universal remedy to reduce blunders but overconfidence and a failure to understand and make use of feedback were consistent among multiple missteps. The old adage repeated by Winston Churchill seems to be appropriate: “Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.”

Building upon Gladwell’s books, author Joe Hallinan writes that it is not simply enough to complete 10,000 hours of an activity, one must intelligently analyze their performance and learn what could be improved. When acting quickly, humans should be aware that brains process information according to previously established paradigms: we see what we expect to see. Keeping an open mind and adjusting to the situation can reduce oversights.

Le Corbeau

2009-06-13T21:32:00.004-05:00

Black and white film seems to suit the Film Noir genre, from the moral ambiguity to the focus on acting and tension created by a well-written screenplay instead of meaningless explosions. Le Corbeau is no exception. Popular in Vichy France but banned after the liberation, it covers the disintegration of a small town when an anonymous letter writer begins accusing public figures.

Henri-Georges Clouzot uses a great deal of light and shadow to show the difference between right and wrong. Like Plato’s parable of The Cave, the viewer is left wondering about the true nature of each character: the real person or the shadow that they often cast. The Raven who observes the town and casts aspersions seeks to show that nobody is entirely good or evil; a shade of grey abound.

There are many clues as to who might be the letter writer and members of the town council each claim that they will solve the mystery. Like occupied France, the leadership has failed the citizens. Someone has betrayed the town but nobody can right the situation. When private citizens take the law into their own hands, mob rule ensues. A mother of a suicide victim swears vengeance, a nurse is falsely accused and expelled from the town, and a reputable doctor is accused of performing abortions. A Plague engulfs the town.

After a funeral, a furious mob pursues the nurse through the town. Church bells ring, a horde chants for blood, glass is shattered, and the nurse’s footsteps echo through the cobblestone streets. The din overwhelms her and the town, fervor overcomes logic and results in a miscarriage of justice. The writer may be correctly identified but the citizens cannot recover after falling from their perch.

French Open 2009

2009-06-09T14:13:00.003-05:00

The triumph of Roger Federer’s win is not in the compilation of fourteen Grand Slam titles but his recovery from adversity and the adjustments and evolutions that he has made to his game. Rafael Nadal has displayed phenomenal athleticism and power during his six Grand Slam wins but he has never exhibited the consistency shown by Federer in three areas:

Consistency: Federer has always played the entire year and wins during each season. Like Tiger Woods - another blue chip brand name athlete - he wins about half the time. Federer has made every Grand Slam semi-final for the past five years. The Swiss player has displayed both the regular success of Pete Sampras and the ability to win on all surfaces like Andre Agassi.

Adjustment: In the 1990s, Federer first realized that he needed to become more mature and ceased arguing petty line calls. Since then he has always been gracious and is often cited as an excellent example of sportsmanship. On the court, Federer continually enhances his game, most recently adding an effect forehand drop-shot to use against baseline players like Nadal. He is never satisfied with himself and pushes himself to get better.

Adversity: The past year has been trying for Federer as he lost the Wimbledon crown to Nadal but recovered to win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open Crown. He lost the final of the Australian Open but won the French Open (also returning from a dismal showing in the final last year in Paris). A clown rushed on to the court but Federer never lost his focus. Nadal has been influenced by negative crowd reaction but Federer normally seems confident. During the 2009 season, Federer did show some emotion but his determination permitted him to overcome his weaknesses.

Both Federer and Nadal are highly skilled players and among the best of all time but I think that it is Federer’s mental ability that makes him stand out.

Pizzeria Libretto

2009-06-07T21:04:00.004-05:00

Pizzeria Libretto prides itself on creating premium Neapolitan pizza with authentic ingredients prepared by “pizza artisans.” The key is the ingredients. The restaurant may win the award for Toronto’s best pie but it is not a fair comparison. The quality ingredients are a cut above what is served at Cora’s, Massimo’s, or Papa Ceo’s that there should be two separate categories: one for walk-up stands that sell slices and another for sit-down restaurants which sell more expensive pizzas.

The service is very attentive which partially compensates for the lengthy waiting period but the attitude is a bit much. Although the pizza is prepared according to a detailed philosophy, it is merely a pie. It does not reinvent the wheel or usher in a new age in deliciousity. The décor is also a bit clichéd: stripped down light bulbs and exposed wood that have appeared on Restaurant Makeover for years.

The crust is thin and expertly cooked. I tried the House-Made Sausage (with Caramelized Onion, Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella , Chili Oil) pizza but found it to be a tad too sweet, a consequence of the onion and chili oil overwhelming the sausage. The sausage may have been flavourful on it’s own but the savoury taste does not come through when laid on the pie.

During another visit, I sampled the Duck Confit (with Bosc Pear, Panna, Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella) and found it to be a massive improvement. Sweet and savoury balance perfectly. The pear slices are not too big and they don’t dominate the pizza. I thought that the duck and the pear were an excellent match and would certainly order it again.

Toronto’s best pie? Perhaps on some nights but you better get there early…

Invisible City

2009-05-27T09:55:00.004-05:00

How does one find meaning growing up? How does one develop a sense of responsibility if there are no role models to watch? How does one create self-esteem if nobody seems to care?

Invisible City - a film which was honoured with the Best Canadian Feature Documentary award at this year’s Hot Docs festival - endeavours to answer these questions, intertwining the stories of two youths in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood with the massive redevelopment and gentrification of the area.

From a cinematic point of view, Invisible City is an excellent documentary and a very good film. A subtle soundtrack enhances pensive photography and elegant editing. Personally, I dislike excessive intertitles in documentaries because they replace explanations that could otherwise be provided by interview subjects, archival footage, or voice-overs. I think that these other options gradually augment the mood of the film compared to a three second burst of information and in my mind director Hubert Davis missed a chance to weave additional perspectives into the film’s tapestry of personalities.

Viewers need to step beyond the role of an audience member and think about the film as a citizen. How do we (personally and as a society) behave towards outsiders or the less fortunate? I have some idea based on experience but I can’t say that there is a definite solution.

On one hand, I want to say that everyone should treat others as individuals, giving respect and providing opportunities to succeed. Despite whatever happens at school or in the city, everyone needs to understand that they will be known by their actions. The police may patrol Regent Park frequently but residents shouldn’t place themselves in bad situations by breaking the law or hanging out with those who do. It may be bad luck to have been caught in the act but in the end, it was an act that was self-destructive or dangerous to others.

One scene that crops up as I reflect about the film is a discussion between Mikey and his mother after he got into a fight because somebody he didn’t know “talked to [him].” I despise logic like that. Hopefully, Mikey realizes the fallacies in his argument upon viewing the film and self-evaluating his actions.

The film was screened at Eastern Commerce C.I. for staff members and Hubert Davis and Kendell were present. Fortunately, although it may have taken a little longer, both of the film’s subjects seem to be moving forward at school and in the workplace.

The Brothers Bloom

2009-05-24T20:51:00.002-05:00

A tale of two films, The Brothers Bloom hits and misses. The caper, with a spirited soundtrack, clever twists, and absurd comedy at the right moments, is excellent. The love story, with an undue focus on Adrian Brody’s sad face, artificial dialogue, and poor performances, falls flat.

The viewer is always guessing what will come next as two brothers, Bloom and his older sibling Stephen, attempt to con a clueless heiress. I enjoyed how the film followed up on details from earlier in the film and the comic timing. There are some unnecessary twists which seem to be a way for writer and director Rian Johnson to say “Look how clever I am” rather than advance the plot. Despite this weakness, the whole package is entertaining and enjoyable.

To Catch a Thief offers a caper and a love story but it works because Cary Grant and Grace Kelly are able actors and people care about their characters. Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz are bad and Adrian Brody overdoes the woe is me act. The Brothers Bloom should have simply excised the romance and ended thirty two minutes earlier. This would have also permitted me to sneak into the next theatre and re-watch the climax of Star Trek.

The Pool

2009-05-22T12:24:00.004-05:00

The Pool is a problematic film, typical of recent cinema. The plot moves slowly and this patient pace enables director Charles Smith to successfully set a mood and engages the audience in the lives of the characters. You want the protagonist - a Hindi-speaking hotel boy named Venkatesh - to succeed but the film never tells you if he makes it. It is pleasant to watch but the fact that it is considered to be one of the most outstanding films of 2008 illustrates how much North American cinema has fallen.

The screenplay contains little tension and no denouement. It seems to stop thirty minutes too soon. Relative to recent films that I have seen, it is very similar to Tulpan. Both are foreign language films with interesting non-typical characters but prove to be only half-movies. More and more films have been distributed that follow this model, erasing the unique quality of foreign films in order to make them generic.

Venkatesh gains solace by climbing a tree to observe a swimming pool behind a vacant house. He wants to swim in the pool but does not want to do so dishonestly: he wants to be invited to take a dip. He gets to know the home owner, who seeks to help him out. Finally, when the owner moves back to Mumbai for monsoon season and Venkatesh is alone in the yard but chooses instead to merely sit down instead in a lawn chair. In two hours, Venkatesh has travelled only two metres closer to his goal.

Likewise, I am disappointed to see how The Limits of Control has been panned by critics because the plot did not cover enough ground. It also demonstrates how many new movies are also generic. The trailers show potentially iconic characters in strange situations, there are many jump cuts between unrelated scenes as an announcer reads clichés such as “when you can only trust yourself” and “in a time when everything is changing”, and the tempo of the music speeds up to suggest an intriguing climax. Unfortunately, those who purchased tickets later discover that the trailer contains more drama than the entire film, which is less than the sum of its parts.

In this case, generic is not good.

Sin Nombre

2009-05-19T14:00:00.004-05:00

What separates Sin Nombre from other films is the same quality that prevents the film from becoming great: the use of symbolism. The film is replete with metaphors. Twin storylines which become intertwined when Hondurans attempting to illegally immigrate to the United States become entangled with members of a Mexican crime family.

The refugees travel by train through Mexico, surreptiously dodging deportation by the border police as they move northwards. Some Mexicans welcome them and provide assistance, tossing fruits to the migrants; others curse them and throw stones. A family - a father, his brother, and his daughter - strive to reunite with family in New Jersey and as it is with real life, not everyone reaches their goal.

Religious icons illustrate the story of the two members of the Mara Salvatrucha as they follow parallel paths to Heaven and Hell. Casper has become disillusioned with his illegal lifestyle and chooses to leave the gang and leave the county. Smiley is a youth who wishes to become initiated into the gang and is willing to kill Casper to prove it.

Although they may be involved in regular gun fights and seek to kill their rivals, the Mara adorn themselves with tattoos of crosses and rosary beads. Likewise, the passengers on the train pray that they will reach their destination.

Smiley begins the film living with his grandmother who curses Casper and the rest of the gang and can only receive his M.S. tattoo by catching his former “homie” and killing him. Casper has recorded images from his life on a digital camera, which he has kept to himself and reviews occasionally. He must give it up to pay for his river crossing into Texas.

After killing the boss and leaving the gang, Casper catches a train with the Honduran family. He meets Sayra and tells her about an airplane plant he saw when he once organized a human smuggling expedition and how he wanted to climb the giant globe in front of the factory. When she survives and crosses the border, I thought that she should have tried to find the globe and climb it for Casper, since the film is largely based on symbolism. She calls her family instead, recalling an earlier scene where her father forces her to memorize the telephone number. But in a sense, Casper didn’t complete his journey to reconciliation because literally falls a few feet short of his goal.

Tension is successfully by putting the characters in jeopardy via a variety of situations throughout the film. The actors do their job but none of the portrayals are spectacular. Like Gomorrah, Sin Nombre shows how crime has become insidious across the globe and how many indigent people see felonies as the escape from poverty.

Hot Docs '09

2009-05-15T13:05:00.002-05:00

Rush lines thwarted attempts to view Rembrandt’s J’accuse and Invisble City. The former may never be screened again in Toronto but the popularity, critical acclaim, and local content of the latter bodes favourably for future screenings. Nevertheless, I was able to screen a trifecta of films during this year’s festival.

Act of God is a subjective look at the effect of lightning.
- Why him and not me?
- Since not everyone was killed, God must know what he is doing
- How do I go forward?
The answer - uncovered differently by different people - is that you just do it. Lightning is a symptom of a universe as chaotic as our own minds and there is no real logic (that we understand) behind its actions.

69 recounts the demolition of the Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen and the concurrent battle between the city and a tribe of outsiders who had been operating the house as a hostel since 1982 Viewers watch the year-long dispute from the perspective of the youth who protest for a new home and search for belonging in society. Some confrontations are violent as the Danish police prove far more aggressive than their Toronto counterparts; others evolve in populist demonstrations.

The outcasts outmaneuver the mayor and the issue is spun into a debate about youth and low-income housing. The original house is demolished but a new one is founded a year later. At the conclusion of the film, the exact details are unclear but there is a sense the Ungdomshuset residents proved their point although further research would suggest that the film ignored the eleven protesters sentenced to a year in prison. Nobody is innocent and perspective is entirely relative.

Shadow Billionaire proved to be the most interesting of the three films. After the mysterious death of enigmatic businessman Larry Hillblom, a number of illegitimate children step forward to claim their inheritance. Apparently, Hillblom had been sleeping around -- everywhere. A legal tug of war ensues over the estate between the executors and the potential heirs. Scores of lawyers become involved, including the State Attorney General for California, each seeking a piece of the half-billion dollar pie.

The film gradually reveals more twists and turns as the legal web becomes increasingly tangled. The diligence and logic of a Filipino attorney in the face of large blue chip law firms finds a resolution in the details of the case. The most thoughtful argument wins, not the loudest one.

Star Trek

2009-05-13T15:18:00.006-05:00

Star Trek not only successful reboots the franchise but is the first film to feature a Beastie Boys song in the 23rd century. The film is visually spectacular thanks to the direction of J.J. Abrams, which features innovative camera angles and a brisk pace. The film also re-introduces the primary characters, combining familiar traits with new wrinkles well enough to satisfy most fans. (I had heard that Christopher Pine based his portrayal of James T. Kirk on Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones and Han Solo and was disappointed when he did not take advantage when Spock perfectly set him up for a “Never tell me the odds” line’; “You’ll succeed” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.)

24th century Spock may say that “I am -- and always will be your friend” but the characters have yet to develop the rapport seen in the original series. The relationships between the characters are not fully developed and tension lingers, especially between Kirk, Spock, and Uhura.

There are some flaws, such as a protagonist who is occasionally too superficial and an antagonist - Nero - who channels too much Shinzon and not enough Soran or Khan. At times, the space battles are too murky.

Like Batman Begins, Star Trek makes the audience intrigued and excited to see further sequels, unlike Nemesis which made the audience angry and unruly. However, if the timeline is irrevocably altered and the characters that fans enjoyed in four series and ten films - like Picard or Data - no longer exist, why patronize this film? Audiences undertake a willing suspension of disbelief and create emotional bonds with the characters on screen. Films are popular because of these relationships; otherwise viewers would walk out at any time and catch the rest on of the film on YouTube. Why watch Star Trek if Paramount Pictures is willing to destroy these bonds like the planet of Vulcan was shattered in the film?

Malcolm Gladwell and Full-Court Pressure

2009-05-05T21:56:00.003-05:00

A friend asked me to comment on this article, which was published by Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker.

First of all, Vivek Ranadivé is incredibly self-centered and should reevaluate why he wants to coach twelve-year-old girls. This statement does not absolve his counterparts of their boorish, loutish, and short-tempered behaviour but he is coaching at the wrong level. Usually, that particular age group restricts full-court pressure because of the destructive effects on skill development. If he had limited practice time, Randivé should have focused on fundamental skills.
Obviously full-court pressure would work; most teenagers make horrendous decisions under any type of pressure. It’s entirely different when rick Pitino does likewise at the University of Louisville because of the difference in skill level and age.

T.E. Lawrence did what any intelligent person facing long odds would do: he changed the paradigm under which he was operating. It’s what the Viet Cong did to the U.S. Army, what David did to Goliath, and what Digger Phelps and Fordham did to Doctor J. and the University of Massachusetts. One of Gladwell’s arbitrary set of examples that is appropriate is Tibco software because that company understood that they needed real-time information and accurate analysis to surpass larger competitors.

If a “skilled” youth team executes at an acceptable level, full-court pressure will bedevil their players. If a team executes at an elite level, they will pick full-court pressure apart. There is a reason that the favourite in war wins 71.5%. The underdogs don’t win because they are better at war but because they change the particular type of war that is being fought (which is exactly what anyone who is short-stacked should do).

Gladwell acknowledges this fact in effect on page two of the article but continues with another seven pages of dilatory, pedantic, and superficial logic. He is right about one statement: need fuels innovation and dire need accelerates the creative process.

The article discusses two possible outcomes for a mismatch: the underdog changes the game and prevails or favourite crushes them. It’s incredibly rare that the underdog does not alter the conditions of the battle and prevails (prevailing only due to luck, perhaps). Princeton didn’t try to beat Georgetown in the paint in 1989, they tried to cut and pass around them.

If a Major League pitcher has a great fastball but poor control, the batter should make him throw strikes or wait for his pitch. If the pitcher has a great fastball and precise control, their talent will overcome the batter (except for the element of chance, such as when Kirk Gibson took Dennis Eckersley long).

Pressure has its place, at the right time, in the right situation, and against the right opponent. Against the tremendous talent of the superior talent of teams such as the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics, Rick Pitino won only one playoff series during his Association coaching career. Michael Jordan (1989) and Larry Bird (1988) picked his team - the New York Knicks - apart.

Beat the Opponent, Not the Fans

2009-04-29T13:21:00.001-05:00

It’s hard to say that John Tortorella cost the Rangers their season - up to and including Game 4 of the first round he seemed to be the spark that ignited their late season run – but he made several errors during the last three games of the series. It was still up to the Capitals to claim the thin sliver of opportunity that they had been presented, which they did.

Early in the series, Tortorella seemed to focus on the officials and Sean Avery instead of New York’s outstanding play and Washington’s insecure goaltending situation. Whilst attempting to inspire his team late in Game 5, he pulled Henrik Lundqvist and it seemed to take the goalie another four periods to regain his form. Lastly, he lost his composure and chose to shine the spotlight on himself when he threw a water bottle into the stands and lunged at a spectator with a hockey stick. Consequently, he was not present to lead the team during the Game 7 (actually Game 6 which was held at Madison Square Gardens) because he was suspended.

Tortorella will always be a coach with negative characteristics that correspond to his positive traits. This year, his fiery personality proved to be a stark contrast to the cool and calculated demeanor of previous coach Tom Renney, inspiring the Blueshirts. Objectively, the encouragement of Bruce Boudreau better motivated the Caps, who won the final three games of the series and moved on to the next round.

16? Not Like That

2009-04-22T12:31:00.006-05:00

In 2008-09, both the Toronto Raptors and the Montreal Canadiens experienced disappointment. Both teams began their seasons with high hopes, both fired head coaches during the campaign, and neither achieved playoff success. In addition to those superficial parallels, there are several significant similarities between the two. Each organization believed that they were a step away from championship contention when they actually had a much longer path to travel.

General Managers Bob Gainey and Bryan Colangelo both traded key players (goalie and point guard respectively) for younger and cheaper replacements. The new starters were not able to perform at the same level as their predecessors and the teams suffered. Gainey and Colanagelo felt that they had enough depth at those positions but they were wrong in their analysis.

Instead of acquiring top-shelf talent, the G.M.s settled for bit players (Alex Tanguay instead of Mats Sundin or Vincent Lecavalier; Will Solomon and Roko Ukic instead of an elite wing player). Neither sought the leadership that would improve the defensive intensity of each team.

After Sunday’s Game 1 win over the Utah, Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson wrote on the dressing room whiteboard: “15? Not Like That.” Jackson was referring to performance that was required to win fifteen more games and claim the Association title. A talented team - comprised of veteran players and respected leaders - knows enough to raise their games to the next level. Firstly, Gainey and Colangelo were carried away by previous success and didn’t create that type of team; secondly, their teams didn’t raise their games during the year.

The Green Bay Packers

2009-04-21T12:00:00.004-05:00

Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer and Run to Daylight by Vince Lombardi helped popularize the sport novel - a famous author partnering with an athlete or coach to bring fans into the locker room - whereas Vince by Michael O’Brien is a regular biography that benefited from popularity of those other works. Lombardi’s report of a week during the regular season is the most succinct and provides the best coaching advise and Kramer’s account presents the viewpoint of a thoughtful player throughout a championship season. On the other hand, O’Brien’s cursory biography does not introduce any new information or anecdotes that are not available elsewhere. Three ideas stand out after reading these three books about the Packers’ dynasty in the 1960s.

Building Relationships: Vince Lomardi is much more sympathetic than his grizzled and hardened public image would suggest. After Paul Hornung was placed on waivers and claimed by the expansion New Orleans Saints, Lombardi showed immense regret, balancing his desire to make the right move for the team by exposing the aging running back with his feelings for the man. The coach led the toughest training camp in the N.F.L. but also insisted upon daily team building activities, some as basic as singing during team dinners.

Flexibility: One of Lombardi’s favourite expressions was “Run to Daylight,” signifying that the backs and receivers did not run set routes but took advantage of the opportunities presented by the defence. “Run to Daylight” could also serve as one of the integral tenet’s of basketball’s motion offence.

Perspective: Jerry Kramer, the Hall of Fame guard, spoke about how the team peaked for critical games and took minor setbacks in stride. Although the season was not divided into macrocycles, peak and taper periods were included. The team members shared a very balanced outlook and common goals. The veteran team employed chemistry, communication, intelligence, and teamwork to defeat younger, more athletic, and bolder teams.

Curling Faux-Pas

2009-04-17T11:28:00.001-05:00

On Sunday evening, during the tenth end of the World Championship Final, Kevin Martin threw his first rock away. The match was tied 6-6 and Canada was lying one after David Murdoch’s first shot. Martin was worried about hitting the mess of rocks on the out-turn side of the house and wanted to maintain an in-turn draw for his last shot. Everyone knew Scotland was going to raise one of their rocks with their last shot. They did and Martin missed a double-takeout with his final stone.

Never hand the opponent anything; that’s what friendlies and pick-up games are for. In basketball, a point guard should never make an excessively risky play, such as a cross-court pass over three defenders, but they wouldn’t deliberately commit a shot-clock violation just to avoid taking a chance.

Martin should have guarded Scotland’s angle raise. Under pressure, he chose to through the game, and the championship away.

Tulpan

2009-04-15T11:37:00.004-05:00

On Saturday evening, I screened the Kazak film Tulpan, which had received a favourable review in the Friday edition of The Globe and Mail. The compliments proved merited and the film was enjoyable, albeit occasionally tedious. That tedium is part of the routine of nomadic sheep herders which comprises the rhythm of the film. Tulpan, the title character, is the only young woman in a three yurt village. She is not shown on-screen, except for a brief moment as she peers through curtains in the yurt. Asa, the protagonist, is the young man snubbed because of his big ears. After his reverse dowry of ten sheep and a chandelier is refused, he struggles to move forward.

The film alternates between comedy and drama. It’s not a film like Borat which makes fun of the Kazak culture but one that portrays the absurdity of living an agrarian existence on the steppe while receiving European culture via the radio. Asa must decide whether to relocate to the city and marry a woman that he has never met or remain with the family that his supported him. He also endeavours to earn the respect of his brother-in-law so that he may be entrusted with additional responsibilities and privileges.

The film is thoughtful and sentimental. The audience begins to appreciate Asa, his aspirations, and the simple pleasures of his life. It’s a good - but not excellent - film which and makes for a pleasant - although not memorable - evening. Mild recommendation.

Hungry for More

2009-04-14T15:16:00.005-05:00

Hunger - a film recreation of the hunger strike by I.R.A. leader, British M.P., and inmate of the Maze Prison in Belfast Bobby Sands - is mostly very good. It is a gritty recreation of the “Troubles” between the United Kingdom and Irish Republicans. The cast successfully portrays the intense emotions of Irish prisoners on a “blanket and no-wash” protest because they are seeking political status. When Sands and other inmates seek to up the ante with a hunger strike, the actors give the audience a real sense of the determination required to sacrifice oneself for a cause.

However, major flaws abound.

Firstly, the lead character is not sympathetic at all. As the audience watches Sands deteriorate and suffer extraordinarily painful symptoms, he merits no compassion. He is reprehensible and completely disregards the lives of others and their families. There is no reason that anyone but one of his compatriots would wish for him to survive or hope that he proves his point.

The protagonist orders the murder of prison guards and encourages other inmates to end their lives by joining his strike. Sands is not a tragic hero who recognizes his mistakes and regrets the path he has chosen. He is simply a callous and self-centered ideologue who is so consumed by the righteousness of his cause that he is hyperopic to those around him, like Pádraic Delaney in The Wind that Shakes the Barley as he executes his own brother for the sake of the new Irish Free State.

Secondly, the symbolism of the film is inconsistent. Early in the film, the director Steve McQueen focuses on the hands: the bloodied and bruised hands of a guard, the feces encrusted hands of a protesting prisoner, and the gloved hands of the cleaning staff. This is meaningful because the hands are the tools of the characters, like the characters are the tools of the British and Irish sides. That is, until the idea is abandoned midway through the film.

The film begins by profiling the daily minutiae of a guard’s life. I’m not sure what to make of him; he doesn’t seem to enjoy his job and has become desensitized by all the violence required. Sands is shown with his family members and discussing his ideals with the prison pastor and this helps clarify his character. There is a half-hearted attempt to show parallels between the good and the evil (although this is from an entirely relative point of view) but it is not coherent throughout the film.

I’m not sure what the message is of the film. Considering the mindless violence of the Troubles and the two thousand civilians killed, nobody is sympathetic. Perhaps, as Andy Dufresne said in another prison drama, The Shawshank Redemption, it’s “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

Last Sunday

2009-04-02T07:40:00.002-05:00

When a Michigan State upsets a Louisville or a Tiger Woods tracks down a Sean O’Hair on Sunday, it often comes about because of one criteria: who forced the other to play their game? The Trojans made the Mid-West Regional Final a defensive halfcourt battle and Tiger Woods started erasing the five-stroke margin as soon as he took the course.

The winner of the battle of wills was decided during the months before. Who has the discipline to stick to their gameplan? Who has the desire to do the little things which are part of the program? Who has the pride to develop positive habits? Who has the motivation to set a tone as soon as the ball is tipped? Who has the determination to head into the corner for the puck?

Those answers determine whether Wildcats can shut down Blue Devils and whether Tigers from Missouri can outrun those from Memphis. Tom Izzo may be a master coach but a great deal rests inside each athlete, like Tiger Woods showed on the back nine Sunday.

Gomorrah

2009-03-26T12:00:00.001-05:00

This Italian film with English subtitles relies on the contrast between innocent youth and the guilty actions of the members of the Camorra crime syndicate in the region of Campania to make its dramatic point. The insidious organization, supposedly larger than the Cosa Nostra, recruits young people to fill its ranks, which deplete rapidly due to an enormous number of homicides. Two teenaged friends realize that they must become mortal enemies because one of them joined a separatist faction. Two dim-witted young men go from playing Scarface to stealing weapons. A grocery delivery boy uses his position to trick a woman to open her door so she can be killed.

Symbolism is frequent throughout the film. After gunfire erupts on the highway, a car of a rival organization crashes into a cemetery filled with angelic sculptures. The film in a microcosm is symbolized by a wide-angle shot from an apartment complex where children play in a kiddie pool on one level while Camorra members search for someone on the roof.

The film follows different storylines that illustrate different aspects of the Camorra: a designer of counterfeit clothing, the elderly paymaster, a developer dumping toxic waste in a quarry, and more. To a degree, the film lacks both a beginning and an ending but it illustrates tragically how the group constantly pervades life (and death) in Campania.

Why Not?

2009-03-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

One can record a maximum break in snooker in less than five and a half minutes. So why not make 147 every time? Since the balls are always arranged identically, how did the first player in this clip botch the break so badly, without potting any balls, so that Ronnie O’Sullivan was able to easily run the table, averaging one shot every nine seconds?

Why does a curler slip pushing off the hack at the Brier and therefore compromise their release? How does a collegiate wrestler lose their first match against an unranked opponent when expected to win the national championship?

The key characteristic is the formation of good habits. Whether the situation occurs during the General Preparation phase or a Peak during the Main Season, an athlete’s mentality should be the same.

The Carleton Ravens never overwhelm a team with skill. Winners of six of the past seven Canadian National Championships, it seems logical that they would have a much higher talent level than their opposition but they rarely win in a rout and often put forth poor shooting performances. However, the Ravens’ defence is always consistent and carries them through tough games.

It is evident throughout the game - from warm-up to post-game, during all of the huddles - that they don’t find the circumstances out of the ordinary. Even after they won a tough National Semi-Final against Western on a buzzer beating shot, stars Aaron Doornekamp and Stu Turnbull still took the time to clean up their bench area, showing respect and responsibility.

Coaches should continuously promote Intensity and Quality in practice in order to simulate games. Athletes must always display this work ethic during workouts (individual or team). Coaches should instruct effective emotional and attentional control in addition to sport-specific physical performance factors. Athletes should spend time finding their Ideal Performance State before all competitions, from the N.C.A.A. Tournament to Intramural Playoff Games.

Coaches could call timeout and tell athletes to “calm down” but both groups have responsibility. Mike Krzyzewski, in his cursory work Beyond Basketball, talks of the importance of visualization for himself as a youth growing up in Chicago and for players at Duke. Some of the advice in that particular book may be incredibly obvious to anybody with a quantum of common sense but the anecdotes may inspire fans with higher aspirations.

For example, Krzyzewski relates how diligent Michael Jordan was regarding his individual workouts during the preparation for the 1992 Olympics. Although Jordan was the best player in the world, he was still respectful and allowed the college coach to work him out at game-like Intensity and Quality. Even the best must invest time to maintain their physical and mental levels so that they do not slip or stumble during a critical moment.

The Watchmen

2009-03-08T10:57:00.003-05:00

There is a fine line between satire and parody and various reviews of The Watchmen that I have read disagree on where to place the movie. I thought that scenes from a war room that mimicked Dr. Strangelove and a helicopter sequence from Vietnam set to the Ride of the Valkyries enhanced the movie. One theme of the Watchmen is how pop culture and sensationalism have replaced meaningful discourse and although the film is set in an alternate universe, it seemed appropriate to include elements from the pop culture in this timeline.

The film is visually spectacular and most of the soundtrack is appropriate. Some of the sequences set to a seminal song like Unforgettable and The Times They Are A-Changin’ are very memorable but other scenes are horrendous. The screenplay includes some good lines but many of the lines which worked well in a limited space like a comic book bubble do not succeed in live action.

The protagonist, Rosarch symbolizes the entire plot. Citizens tolerate his sociopathic behaviour because all things considered, he does more good than harm. For a moral absolutist, the superhero is blind to his own faults as his own conduct - and the actions of the other Watchmen - fall into a grey area. In the end, Rosarch’s determination to stick to his principles leads to his demise as a perverse and pragmatic genre of moral relativism triumphs.

The film highlights how relativism rules the world. Nobody is truly good or bad but people are willing to compromise anyways. The citizens, fearing their own demise from Soviet missiles or gang violence, are directionless and willing to lash out at any convenient target. It’s only at the end when they believe that armageddon is upon them that everyone comes together.

The film is entertaining enough but not excellent. The political themes make the Watchmen a more intelligent picture than The Dark Knight but the latter is probably a better overall picture because it is a total package. Some storylines are unnecessary and not given any meaning by the director. If we don’t care about the Comedian, what is the significance of his death (or any of his actions)? The Watchmen is not boring but the storyline becomes convoluted midway through, choosing action and special effects over substance, and the conclusion, like this blog entry, is less than satisfying.

On Snooker

2009-03-01T22:00:00.002-05:00

I was positively uncertain about the content of this tiny tome when I purchased it at the used book store. Reading the synopsis on the reverse, I gathered that Mordecair Richler was an avid fan of the game who would include anecdotes from throughout his life. Perhaps the author would delve into the kinship between the literati and elite athletes or outline the importance of competition in a young man’s life. Perhaps he admired a professional athlete from afar or found similarities between creativity on paper and canvas and creativity on felt (and by extension grass or hardwood since certain skills permeate all sports). I bought On Snooker anyways because I knew only one fact about the volume: that it would be well-written.

Accomplished author Richler weaves a myriad of player profiles together to describe the typical snooker athlete. Despite the formal nature of the sport, the black-tie attire, and the complex rules, snooker players face as much pressure as any other athlete. The sport possesses such a fine margin of error that minute miscues can trigger a run by the opponent and the end of match. Each frame begins with the same setup and players aim to make a similar sequence of shots. However, matches are always unique, a characteristic attributable to the mental not the physical aspect of snooker. Complete concentration during competition and practice is required for success.

Snooker players seem to have problems with gambling and substance abuse. Irrespective of the nature of the match, players must be able to leave the outcome on the table and move on. The skill level has risen so dramatically that the life of a champion snooker player is almost as short as an N.F.L. running back.

Lastly, Richler ruminates about the role sport plays in life. Even the most erudite character can take pleasure by supporting the Montreal Canadiens or boxing from Madison Square Garden. For many, it’s necessary to enter the playing field and prove their abilities to themselves, more than anyone else.