Personal – Page 9 – John J Langan

November 17, 2014

I Love Football, But…

Google-NFL-Field

“When I meet a European, the first thing I say is, ‘I’d much rather watch football than football.’ But I’m just teasing them, and they know I’d really rather watch football than football.” ~ Jarod Kintz

One may assume that because my Eagles got pounded yesterday that I am down on football and ripe for a rant. Au contraire! These issues have been eating at me for some time. But maybe the Packers have given me a push…

In case you didn’t know, I’m a big soccer fan… I’ll put it right out there! I live, sleep, eat and breathe it. But that love has only been around for less than twenty years, dating back to when my son started to play. Before that I preferred – in order – hockey, football, golf, baseball and basketball.

I still watch these sports, just not as religiously as before. There are only 24 hours in a day!! I do watch every Eagles game, a lot of Flyers games (all of the playoffs), and a lot of Phillies games, too. And I still love them all.

In any sport, there are things that could be better for the good of the game. I’m not a big fan of fighting in hockey, and I think there are just too many baseball games to make the season interesting beginning to end. But that’s just me, one opinion.

No other sport causes me as much consternation as football, especially the NFL. Don’t get me wrong… I’d love to love football. I just don’t have the patience for the rule inconsistencies, slow game play, and the prima donnas and thugs that populate the NFL rosters.

So… my opinion on what is wrong with NFL football, and some things I’d like to see changed. For what it’s worth…

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The Plane – The rule that a player is deemed in bounds on the sideline and back of the end zone according to the position of his feet – but deemed “in” the end zone based on the ball breaking the plane of the goal line – is strangely inconsistent and makes no sense. Everything else – touchdowns, first downs, field goals, touchbacks – are decided by the position of the ball relative to a line. Please change the sideline rule…
Moving The Kickoff – The league mandated that the kickoff spot would be moved forward to increase the amount of touchbacks, therefore decreasing the amount of violent hits that can cause concussions. The stats have confirmed that there has been a reduction of injuries on kickoffs. But if the NFL is serious about eliminating concussions, remove the kick off altogether. Each team starts at the 20 yard line.
Icing The Kicker – The practice of calling a timeout seconds before the ball is snapped on a field goal is bush league. It very rarely works, but I do laugh riotously when it backfires on a coach. Come on, guys… grow the hell up!
My Time Has Value – In 2013, NFL television broadcasts ran an average of 3 hours and 10 minutes. In that time, only 11 minutes consisted of actual football plays… kickoffs, punts and plays from scrimmage. To me, that is a stunning number. One hour of the time was used for commercials, but I can live with that – I go to the bathroom much more these days. But 17 minutes of the time was devoted to instant replays of those 11 minutes of play. Add as many as 75 minutes for shots of players huddling, standing at the line of scrimmage or just doing nothing between snaps. And that means I am watching people standing around doing nothing. Not the best use of my time…
Officials – There are seven officials on the field during an NFL game. SEVEN!!! It’s amazing to me how they aren’t tripping over some of the 22 players on the field!!! I do not think that officials are bad, but I do believe that instant replay has reduced their effectiveness. Nothing is sadder than watching the play end and the obvious uncertainty on the face of the officials, afraid to commit to a call. While I’m all for accuracy and getting the call right, the current system is a detriment to the flow of the game and needs a major overhaul to be a workable solution. And why does the ref have a microphone when a hand signal should explain everything (as in every sport on the planet)? And another thing… yellow flags are stupid.
Priorities – I won’t add much to the debate and outrage about the behavior of a small number of NFL players, other than my sadness that the chart on the right exists (click to enlarge). But for the good of the game for the long run, discipline needs to be taken out of the hands of people who can experience financial gain or loss as a result of such action. The furor over Ray Rice not being suspended immediately by the Ravens is a prime example. It was argued on one side that any team action was premature in that he was not charged or found guilty, while the other side called for immediate dismissal from the team.
Cutting the bullshit… it was purely a business decision. How would the team or league be affected financially by doing something, or nothing? Weigh all of the scenarios and make a conclusion. Forget what’s right and what’s wrong… the question is always about dollars. It has nothing to do with the rights of players, and certainly not their victims.

The reality is that most of the rule changes enacted by the NFL over the past twenty years have not improved the game, but have added significant time to the game day experience. But the good news is that profits are up in the stratosphere from licensing and advertising revenue, so these are wonderful days for the NFL. And clearly the league rolls on, impervious to bad press.

Their shortsightedness will be costly as the kids raised on technology enabling immediate returns will state, by their disinterest, that they don’t have hours or dollars to waste an entire Sunday afternoon.

But that’s not me because I’m no kid, and I like football. I would just like to love it again.

November 4, 2014

Vote, Or Not

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

I voted this morning… stopped in on my way to work. I got the sticker to prove it! I politely refused the candidate handouts on my way in, and I said my “hellos” the nice poll workers who are also my neighbors. I was in and out in three minutes.

Voting always makes me feel good about myself, and my country. I firmly believe that my vote counts, and in some small way I am involved in shaping our laws and policies. It’s interesting there is nothing explicitly stated in the constitution about our “right to vote”, only amendments that guard against discrimination – age, race, sex, etc. But the language of our constitution fills us with the pride and sense of duty that many have. We often talk of the battles fought to ensure this pride, and of those that “have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”*

True patriots have made those sacrifices, not me. But I am patriotic. I feel that pride very strongly, and voting is how I express it best.

The news is reporting about expected low voter participation, and which candidates will be adversely or positively affected. Reporters are at the various polling places talking about turnout or issues with machines. The pundits are having their day… their fifteen minutes of fame.

My social media feed is full of people talking about how they got out and voted this morning… Awesome! I’m glad. There are also statements saying that “if you don’t vote today, you have no right to complain in the future”. This notion that participating in the election gives you more rights than others makes me uneasy.

Rights… such an interesting word. Technically, most of us are “allowed” to vote without restriction. But like anything else, there are rules we have to follow… registrations, residency, frequency, etc. When we talk about rights, we should make sure that we fully understand them.

My feeling is that if you don’t vote today, you have your reasons. Maybe a last-minute business trip or perhaps you are sick or unable to get out of your house. Or maybe the candidates or issues didn’t inspire you – a sadly increasing situation.

If the spirit of our constitution inspires us to have the freedom to vote, then part of that freedom must be the choice not to vote. I’m not a constitutional law scholar, but this is the sense I make of it. So, while I revel in the opportunity to vote, I won’t look down on those who don’t think as I do.

Vote, or don’t vote. And complain all you want… enjoy that freedom of speech!

LET’S NOT GET INTO THAT MESS!

* Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Mrs. Bixby, 1864

September 11, 2014

Remember, Reflect and Rejoice

Atlanta-Journal-Constitution-9-11-front-page-jpg I was up very early this morning. I typically don’t set an alarm, being fortunate to have a pretty accurate internal clock on regular work days. But for some reason I woke up at 5:00, tossed for a while then started scrolling through my phone at 6:00.

The anniversary of September 11th never sneaks up on me. It’s always in my mind, even without the torrent of news stories and social media posts. Maybe that’s why I woke up so early today.

Thirteen years ago, I wasn’t relying on that internal clock. I was probably up and out the door by 6:00 because I was flying to Atlanta that morning on business. It was a beautiful day… I remember that well. Not a cloud in the sky. Exactly like today…

Everything about that early morning was uneventful except that I ran into a co-worker at the airport who was flying to Los Angeles. My flight left as scheduled, and I’m sure I dozed off during the two hour ride. I exited the D Gate at Hartsfield International Airport at precisely 8:45 – I remember looking at the clock. I had no idea that the first plane hit the World Trade Center North Tower one minute later. By the time I made my way throughout the airport to meet my friend Tom, the second plane had hit. And our phones were ringing.

What followed was the most surreal day of my life. We had a long drive to Montgomery, AL, with a couple of appointments along the way. After a few phone calls home, we stopped to watch the news at a Holiday Inn. But the lobby television was in use for a presentation, so the hotel manager ushered us into a nearby guest room where we sat on an unmade bed and watched the news with several other people. It was eerie… A bunch of travelers, far from home, trying to make sense of the horrific images on the screen.

The rest of the day was a collection of anecdotes… too numerous to list but a few. Driving by an U.S Army base in complete lockdown, the constant radio news with the latest developments and the realization that all of the planes involved were heading to the west coast and full of fuel – immediately thinking about my co-workers heading to LA. Were they okay? Our company had eleven people travelling that morning, and all were safe.

hand I woke up in Montgomery the next morning. I slept some, but CNN was on my television all night. A local merchant was standing on the street outside his business that morning, handing out small plastic American Flags. I still have it. Somewhere.

Oddly, I had the best meeting of my business career that morning, winning a huge account. I spent the next two days back in Atlanta, and left on my scheduled flight early on Friday morning. The security that day was incredible, which made everyone feel more nervous than safe. When I got back to Philly I stopped in the office for a few minutes, then went home to my family. I was assured by my youngest son that we were all okay… “Don’t worry, Dad. It was New York, not Phillydelphia.”

But we did worry… A lot. So many things have changed since that day. So many things will never be the same.

I had an interesting conversation with a friend yesterday, who was feeling uneasy about the anniversary and the general state of the world today. As we chatted, I came to some realizations.

Sadly… We are not completely safe. Everything changed thirteen years ago. But while we should never forget the events of 9/11, it is a part of our past that we should consider over. It remains in our heads and that is more of a danger than anything offered by current terrorist groups. A prime example is the worry about safety on anniversary today. The 9/11 terrorists still winning…

flags raindrops My friend said that this is the first anniversary that she has felt such uncertainty. Like any good parent, she was worried about her kids. The 9/11 terrorist winning again. I told her to ask yourself why… because of the constant news and information about it? (Here is when directed her to my previous blog about news sources.)

We are inundated with all of the bad news, and doomsday scenarios about what might happen. We never hear about the positives, about all of the things that happen every minute to assure our safety. About the thousands of people working here and abroad to make our country safe. We end up scaring ourselves. We think about all of the possibilities we are presented with, versus the real probability – that my friend and her children, and all of us… are protected in the best possible way. Today and every day.

I rejoice that I am where I am in this world. In my home, in my city, in my country. I’m thankful every day.

Always remember, but please continue to live.

When I was stuck in my hotel room in Atlanta that week, I repeatedly saved images on my computer. Periodically, I look in that folder. The three images in this post are from what I collected that week.

September 8, 2014

Who Do You Trust?

2009-03-19-Trust-me I have been asking this question a lot over the last several months. Where do you get your news, and how do you know it’s real? Information is flowing fast and furious, like no time in our history. Surely it can’t all be accurate just because it’s in print, on television or on the internet.

I am flooded with information all day. My phone is constantly pinging with Facebook and Twitters posts directing me to articles both criticizing or praising the President about his handling of ISIS, and to sites with judgments or platitudes to the Ferguson Police Department who are either inept or under siege. I am very fortunate that I have a list of social media connections who have varied opinions on the hot topics of the day, and they can all find website articles that support their opinions on those topics. But at the end of the day, someone is right and someone else is wrong. Who is it?

I recall a conversation I had with a friend, a few months before the 2012 Presidential election. Although I had never indicated which candidate I was supporting, I was told to go to a certain few sites Keep-calm-and-trust-me---Urban-900-TO-Skins-iph501 to get all of the information I needed. I asked why those sites, and the answer was “Because they check their facts.” What a relief!! So I asked… “How do you know that they check facts?’ The reply came quickly… “Because I read about them on another site.” Now, I’m not saying anything bad here about my friend, because he falls victim to the same trap that we all do.

In 2014, is it a pipe dream to get the facts without agenda? Without bias? That’s a key word, isn’t it. The first time I learned this concept was about thirty years ago during a discussion about abortion. The speaker was making the point that those who favor laws allowing abortion are referred to as “Pro Choice” on television and in the newspapers. But those who are against abortion are called “Anti Abortion Activists”, when their organizations constantly use the term “Pro Life”. It was a not so subtle distinction, and one of the best examples of media bias… and it still exists today.

Another friend recently posted some statistics about the accuracy of various news outlets, posting a scorecard that analyzes statements made on air by ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox personalities and their pundit guests. The results were interesting and alarming, and I was immersing myself in the data when the whole thing went to hell. Someone questioned the source of the statistics, PunditFact. My investigation into this organization proved them to be on the up and up, and I got all of my information about them on the internet… wait a minute… damn!!!

Snopes_logo It gets better… let’s make it simpler. Recently I’d seen rumors flying around about the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) intentionally suppressing proof of vaccine-related cases of autism in African-American boys from reaching the public. I went to my trusted soothsayers for urban legends – Snopes. com. I was satisfied when I read that the CDC rumor was false. Whew! Faith in my fellow man restored! Until… I go back to the Google page and see an article titled “Snopes Got Snoped!“, which accused my go-to, trusted website of being managed by a middle-aged married couple with no background in research, who uses Google as the primary tool for their myth busting. What the hell!!!!! Of course I trust the source of this info – PoliticalEars.com – who are funded by a group called the Democracy Fund. Wasn’t that George Costanza’s charity?

I have more questions than answers. And I need an answer. WHO DO YOU TRUST? Where can you get information that is accurate and free from agenda? Please tell me where, and tell me why you have given them your trust.

All may not be lost… I was talking with my neighbor about my conundrum. She seems to think her new boyfriend has all of the answers I seek. And he’s a French model!!

Bonjour.

August 1, 2014

Glance Links – August 2014

I like to fill this post with links that will help your marketing efforts. But since I’m on vacation and in a pretty good mood, I thought I would share some examples of “social media done right” with these favorite Facebook pages. The only criteria is that each are funny or interesting (or both), and engaging to their communities. Enjoy!

Upper Darby Police Department – The boys in blue in this Philadelphia suburb (pictured above) stay connected to their community with this hilarious page, with great stories about just how funny peeps and perps can be. It’s also full of news and crime reports… serious when it needs to be. Kudos to this genius content creator.

George Takei – Actor, artist, activist… renaissance man. He’s done it all and he posts some hysterical stuff. Oh Myyyy….

The Order of the Good Death – Caitlin is a Los Angeles-based mortician who sees death everyday, and shares her interesting, albeit unusual insights into dying. Not very funny, but certainly insightful. And definitely worth a look.

Random Hearts with Roxy and Friends – This is a charming page that my cousin put up a few months ago, and it never ceases to make me smile. Roxy challenges us all to find and post images of hearts, and her friends have responded with photos… everything from clouds to water stains to bruised toenails. I’ve yet to be so inspired, but I’m still looking. Shouldn’t we all be? Follow her for that extra little nudge…

We Are Ultras – Allow me just one soccer page to promote… dedicated to the Women Soccer Supporters of the world – The Ultras. The women who hold nothing back. The women who know Ultra is a way of life! May the soccer gods bless them all!

Dangerous Minds – Celebrating weirdness of all kinds, with specific favorites like 60’s and 70’s advertising, obscure punk rock and various counter-culture oddities. You may not find it funny or interesting, and you may just shake your head a little… if it is still attached! I guarantee you will share something on this site with your warped friends!!

The Onion – Yeah, yeah… who doesn’t know about the Onion? But they make me laugh multiple times a day, and any list would be incomplete without them. The standard bearer for online, irreverent satire since 1765.

This is my weird, fun stuff… where is yours? Share your favorite pages…