Philosophy DB & RR live by

Submitted by StephenRKass on

Many are frustrated that DB has stuck to his guns, and not caved with providing public comments on the coaching situation TODAY. Some want him to bring on Harbaugh, some want him to give RR an extension. The commonality is that many want this resolved NOW.

Others are frustrated with RR, and what he has or hasn't done with regards to the defense. Many don't understand what he has in mind, and disagree with changes (or lack of changes) he has made with player personnel, and coaching staff. Many are embarrassed at the treacle displayed at the football team bust with the song and speech and all. (As if treacly displays weren't the standard fare at most such events.)

I have read and pondered many of these posts, good and bad, expressing great frustration, ANGAR, and sometimes ennui. They bring to mind a poem from Rudyard Kipling. I believe his poem captures fairly well the philosophical stance taken by both DB & RR. I present it for those of you who just can't wait. My counsel for you, my fellow fans, is patience. We are in a bowl, we are improving, and tomorrow will be better.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;  

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

DreadPower

December 6th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^

(As if treacly displays weren't the standard fare at most such events.)

I'm pretty confident that most of the people who are so embarrassed by this have never played a sport before.

htownwolverine

December 6th, 2010 at 11:58 AM ^

has led me to this obscure Shakespeare quote I found while trolling a Bring Back Carr website:

If thine Brandon doth fire a bounty of slings and arrows at thou head, Wizard, thou art fired. If his aim is amiss, Wizard, thou art redeemed. If it shall pass that thee first action is most true, thine Redeemer Harbaugh shall come to save the souls of the peasants.

 

Tater

December 6th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^

I think every coach and motivational speaker who ever actually got paid for his work has used a line or two from that poem from time to time.

RedGreene

December 6th, 2010 at 1:59 PM ^

encroaching blackness lies bleeding on the uncaring sands of time



pain is good

pain is nice

pain is worth the sacrifice



i fling myself facefirst from this vale of tears into the black strangling nothingness that birthed me



i am but a hemorrhoid on the rectum of the universe

prostate with pain



the sky is falling

the sky is falling

the sky is falling



fear is the maggot

in my soul

it gnaws at me

i dine in hell

the menu is nothingness



i drink the bitter wine of mankind to the dregs



my cup

overfloweth

by rimshot



 

jim48315

December 6th, 2010 at 4:06 PM ^

Many are embarrassed at the treacle displayed at the football team bust with the song and speech and all. (As if treacly displays weren't the standard fare at most such events.)

"On a BBC radio program in the late 1940s, philosopher Bertrand Russell playfully conjugated an "irregular verb" as "I am firm; you are obstinate; he is a pig-headed fool" (citation below)

More examples may be found at http://grammar.about.com/b/2009/10/21/im-firm-youre-obstinate-2.htm and http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=012294.  Doubtless more are readily found.

As for the Kipling, it is less treacle and more akin, albeit  more masculine and literary,  to the use of Cinderella Man and It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine, than to Groban ballads to help unite and motivate young athletes.

Thus, If is inspiring;  Cinderella Man is ( a wee  bit)  treacly; You Raise Me Up is maudlin.

Monday, 12-06 The Detroit News reported:

Rodriguez was told that his speech drew a significant amount of negative reaction.

"Has it?" Rodriguez said. "Everybody is going to have opinions on things. That's fine."

He made clear he did not want to continue discussing the banquet.

http://detnews.com/article/20101206/SPORTS0201/12060383/U-M’s-Rich-Rodriguez-isn’t-worried-about-criticism--‘I-have-a-job-to-do’#ixzz17MpkqnQR

Demonstrating he either received effective instructions or he is a fast learner.  If he does stay, let us hope it is the latter.