University of Pittsburgh Football Coach, Michael Haywood, hired just 2 weeks ago, was released New Years weekend after posting bond. A dispute escalated to physical confrontation in the presence of their child prompting his domestic partner to file assault charges. ESPN reporting on New Years' Day, challenged the Panthers' fans and Alumni with a "Walk the Talk" moment.
For Panther Alumni, spending the Holiday in the company of familly members, the firing of Haywood was a no-brainer. Women, and the Men who love, cherish and respect them, rejected another "athlete" who missed the focal point of controlling one's self. For her part in the dispute, the child's mother chose to go to the police rather than be pushed around. As the result of her choice, the income, status and future in the rare air of privilege vanished. Blink! He's gone. Pitt Women wield a rare veto power over violent football and basketball players. The message, over years of "communicating their displeasure" with jock violence, is getting across: "Not Here!" On College Football's biggest day, announcement of the arrest caught everybody in a "tight spot."
The headline flashed over the presence of our own kids running around, playing with new toys as Families gathered for New Years Day dinners. Uhh,... "Ouch." That won't play.
Nothing is left to say: Steeler Fans having already sorted out the responsible choice. It is with delicious irony that the coach in question was hired away from the very football program that produced Big Ben; Miami of Ohio. For the NFL, feeder programs that complicate the relationship with their audience and fan base are an issue. The League also fined James Harrison hundreds of thousands of dollars for excessive roughness. The message from the "Kingdom" NFL seems to be one of self control, restraint and legitimacy of strength. Know The Rules!!!
For me, this is the "Black Hand on the Wall" meets the "Writing on the Wall" for the crowd that has been making their own rules as they need them. For all the half-wit, dominance-driven "not-there-yets" the message remains a nebulous, indecipherable mystery. Still "mad for the power," they must first be removed from the posts they abuse.
Like the Income-Driven NFL, the incoming Republicans have a handle on making money vs. deficit spending that strangles development. Instead of sweeping it under the rug, blowing smoke up our skirts and laughing all the way to the bank, the Pitt Alumnae just said, "No."
Sure, there's pain for the jocks, bowl game promoters, recruits and those who make a living in the program. We hope they will find the support and needed counseling to get through this none the worse for wear. For the Democrats, the Legitimately Strong participants in governing; the same fate looms.
This is utterly personal for me. While Mike Kelly represents Notre Dame Football and men getting ahead on the strength of their football reputations, I know that Mike Walks the Talk. His own Republican Party is a joke next to the treatment everybody receives at Kelly's Dealership. I can attest to that fact in my own experience. Is it more about the almighty "program?" Or is it, perhaps, the values, friendships and loyalties acquired via membership in any of the myriad "feeder programs" that make us adults, caring providers and role models for our children? (in other words, Good Business Practices.)
Once we know better, it falls to us to do the right thing. My money's on this rural, small town but big league player who has sold cars to Republicans, Democrats, Independents and even those who don't vote. I have never met Mike Kelly, I only know him from the people who have dealt with him. I know him from the people who have worked for him. I know him from his advertising, his customer-centered service and the people who greeted me, treated me with respect and friendliness when I visited his dealership to sell them something. Courtesy and Consideration were what I experienced. They gave me their time and showed me - without ever having to try - WHY their boss is a gentleman. His 70 year old Office Manager and one of his salesmen were generous and upbeat, energetic and healthy. Even during times of economic downturn elsewhere, the dealership is jumping, people are getting the deals they need to go on with their work/lives and nobody is shunned.
I visited his campaign headquarters and received, likewise, a respectful greeting, a prompt and pleasant follow-up and an invitation to come back. I get NONE OF THIS from the democrats. From the Democrats, I get rude, insufferable abuse. I get unrelenting criticism, corrected by people who clearly don't know what they're doing, treated like a child brushed aside by hackers unqualified to judge me so. I get unbelievable stretched-to-the-limit assertions of all the things Obama has accomplished. I get nothing I can verify, document or confirm anywhere but in the minds of those pitching the illusion that Obama is competent. My journalistic training tells me that not only is the Country on the wrong track, the Fourth Estate is - like the Sugar Loaf Ski Lift, off the pulleys, about to fall and drop our trusting butts 30 feet. Watching the "Face The Nation" clip, I am stricken by how routinely Harry dismisses Michelle Bachmann. I am also losing patience with Wasserman-Schultz who allowed the Voters of Florida to be cheated out of their votes to obtain a leadership position - as a progressive - in the party.
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT MIKE KELLY: No I’m not. I’m not. I-- I’ve always paid for my own
health care, I mean, you know, I-- I come from a private-- private sector, okay. I’ve been-- in my
whole life I’ve been responsible for everything that I do. And I think we’ve these conversations
and I think this absolutely goes back to the Middle Ages, we’re worrying about how many angels we can fit in the head of a pin. We got to start look at these things. There is a cost with
everything involved. My early time here in this-- in this city is so different than where I come
from, because I live in a real world where people actually have to use their own money to pay
for things. So this idea that you can keep doing this or doing that and I love this fact that we are
going to pay for it, we are not paying for anything. Not we in Washington, the people-- the
American taxpayer pays for everything and that’s bothers me, there’s such a disconnect
between this town--
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