Magic...25 years later

November 7, 1991

I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was a freshman at SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY. It was almost 6pm. I had just finished football practice when I made my way to the dorm. I heard somebody say "____ has AIDS".

My reply was "Man, don't say shit like that. You'll end up starting a nasty rumor."

It took a few mins to make my way to the 3rd floor to my room. When I got upstairs, a few of my teammates looked real sad. I didn't know why. I didn't ask. I proceeded to head to my room. I turned the tv on to watch the news. And it happened.

BOOM!!!

I saw Magic Johnson on tv and he was announcing that he had HIV and would be retiring from the NBA.

WHAT????

Are you kiddin me?

Magic wasn't gay. How could this be? I'll admit that I wasn't a HUGE fan of his because I was a Michael Jordan fan. But I gave Magic his props because he was a winner...just like me. Keep in mind that in 1991, we thought that this would be the last time that we saw him on tv. HIV would kill him within 2 yrs. That's what we thought. Well, it's been 25 years and Magic is healthy and living with HIV. I remember seeing some dudes CRYING when they heard the news. As the word spread throughout our campus, we all were concerned about our own vulnerability. At that time, I knew very little about HIV/AIDS. I just knew...you didn't want to be around people who had it so you wouldn't "catch it", it was a gay disease, and you would die from it. That's all that I knew. Honestly, Magic was the only person that I "knew" who had it. I really thought the next time that I saw Magic he'd be frail and look like death. But a funny thing happened after Magic's announcement...


I think his announcement made me become more knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS. I learned as much as I could. I also tried to educate those around me. In my research, I learned how homophobic I had become. It wasn't something that I was totally aware of...but I was doing it. I wasn't raised to be prejudiced towards anybody. But I realized that I had to look at myself and my thought process. I had to become tolerable of ALL people. It was at that point where I began to let go and not be homophobic. I saw people for who they were. It didn't matter who they loved or slept with. I became even more sympathetic to those who suffered from this disease. I learned that it wasn't something you could "catch". Magic's announcement helped me do all of this.


In 2007, I got a chance to meet Magic. It was on the set of TNT's "Inside the NBA" where Magic worked along side host Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley. I got a chance to speak to him and talk a little basketball with him. We sat in the green room...just my wife, 2 other people, Ernie, Charles, Kenny, Magic, and me...and we watched NBA games until they went on the air. I found Magic to be just as cool and as engaging as I thought he'd be. While we didn't talk long, I enjoyed it. I really wanted to thank him for all that he had done for the HIV/AIDS movement. I wanted to tell him how much I respected him as a player but hated the Lakers. I wanted to also tell him about how we thought his announcement would be his death sentence but he made it. I didn't want to be to deep but I wanted to tell him how I became a fan of his that day...and I've been a fan ever since...but I wasn't a fan before (if that makes sense). I just wanted to say thanks for all that he had done. Unlike that day 25 years ago, he was the only person that I knew who had HIV. Over the years, I would lose family members and people who I knew to the deadly disease. While there is no cure and Magic will live with HIV for the rest of his life, I wanted to thank him for opening my eyes as well as the eyes of millions of people around the world.


In parting...all I could say was...


"Take care of yourself, Magic."


"I DEFINITELY will do that!"


Thanks Magic

laces

*repost from Jan 2010*

Sports can teach you life's lessons

I learned that early and I'm still learning it.

I remember my high school football coach, Virgil Wells, telling me...

"Son, your job is to catch the ball. You have the ability. When the ball is the air, you treat it like it's yours. You focus on it. No distractions! You don't wait for the ball to come to you. You go and get it! Your focus on the ball should be such that you see the laces on the ball the moment that it's in the air."

Coach Wells' words have always stuck with me.

When I was younger, I used to wonder if he was talking about football or life's opportunities?

Now that I've gotten older, I realized that he was talking about both. Opportunity is just like that ball. Focus.

Unfortunately, Coach Wells passed away while I was in college at South Carolina State University. I regret that I never got a chance to tell him thank you for those words. Even though Coach Wells is no longer here, I'm glad that he told me.

And I'm glad that I listened. Thanks Coach

7 Ways To Start The Day Right

good piece from business insider...

Some people find mornings filled with optimism, while others would just as soon stay in bed until the clock passes the noon hour.

For most, however, the workday beckons and the morning is a mad rush to get everyone ready and out the door. By the time you reach the office, you've probably already dealt with the stress of family, weather, traffic and other distractions. Unless everything goes perfectly, you'll carry all that stress into your office and share it throughout the day with your employees and colleagues.

Fear not, it is possible to get the day started right, no matter what comes your way. Try one of these tips each day of the week or combine them. Either way, you'll start out on your terms and be prepared to make it a great day.

1. Plan the night before.
Why start your day unorganized? If you organize your to-do-list, breakfast menu and your clothes the night before, you'll wake up feeling in control and relaxed. Taking 20 minutes to lay out everything can save you a 30-minute fashion crisis or search for the car keys. With a little efficiency, you'll save the frustration and scrambling, leaving you ready to tackle more important issues.

2. Try 15 minutes of meditation. 

Some might be afraid that a meditation session early in the morning could just put you back to sleep. But genuine meditation actually stimulates the brain in a deep and thoughtful way. It allows you to clear distractions from your mind and purge negative energy. Center yourself with thoughtful introspection or prayer and be open to the positive energy the world brings your way.

3. Begin with inspirational reading. 

Part of my morning ritual easily allows for reading first thing. Many read the news, which can be a sad way to start the day. Buy a few books that are uplifting, inspiring, or even humorous for your first brain stimulus. This will give you positive, fun thoughts to keep you energized throughout the day.

4. Open your eyes to fresh flowers. 

If the first thing you see when you wake up is a dingy wall or barren winter yard, you can certainly improve those critical few minutes with a pleasing splash of color. Research suggests that exposure to bright colors in the early morning raises your spirits and energy. So pick up a pleasant bouquet every few days and set it right in your view.

5. Trade coffee for green tea. 

Coffee is a great stimulant, but sometimes it can over-stimulate and the acid can make your stomach uncomfortable. Try a soothing cup of green tea to start instead. You'll still get the caffeine you crave (just a bit less), plus healthy antioxidants. It's cheaper and healthier than a double caramel mochaccino, too. You can still get the java mid-morning if you want it, but you may find you don't even need it since the crash won't be as severe.

6. Do some yoga. 

Exercise is a great stimulant to wake you up, and make you feel good. It's good for the body and pumping those endorphins makes your mind happy and alert. Cardio is great, but for the whole body approach, add a little yoga into your routine. You'll control your breath, stretch your muscles and generate energy. Your body and mind will be one and ready to conquer the world.

7. Schedule a hopeful appointment. 

I never feel more energized getting out of bed than when I have an important meeting about an exciting opportunity. The prospect of a fun and productive encounter

audible

It's funny how life seems to always imitates sports.

Let's go back a few weeks ago to the Super Bowl. The whole world was watching. Not long after Beyonce's performance. Not long after the lights went out (literally). A particular play happened that was one of the game's defining moments.

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback, Joe Flacco, stepped to the line of scrimmage and was prepared to receive the ball from the center. It was fourth down and they needed one yard to get the first down to continue their momentum. It was clear that the Ravens were going to run the ball. Before the ball was snapped, Flacco called an AUDIBLE. In football, an AUDIBLE is an alternate play. He realized that the play that was called in the huddle would not work. Instead of running the ball, Flacco called an AUDIBLE that would alert his team that the play had been changed and that he would throw a pass. This was extremely risky. Throwing the ball is far more risky than running for a yard. Flacco calls the AUDIBLE. The ball is snapped. He floats a pass to his wide receiver, Anquan Boldin, who makes a great catch over the defender. It was a huge turning point in the game. The Ravens went on to win the game and become the Super Bowl Champs.

Life is just like football...or maybe football is just like life. Sometimes you have to call your own AUDIBLE. Sometimes you realize that what you're doing isn't working or won't work. Instead of trying something that won't work, you have to call an AUDIBLE and take a risk. Maybe it's time to AUDIBLE and get that new job or promotion because what you have now doesn't work? Maybe it's time to AUDIBLE to get that new man or woman? You can pray for him or her but until you change your strategy to get them...you're not gonna be successful. Sometimes you need to AUDIBLE just so that you can have some type of personal growth in life. Much of what happens in sports is preparation but a lot is done on the fly. Things are constantly moving so you have to make decisions as you move. AUDIBLES in life are necessary. You make the call and live with the results. If it doesn't work, you try it again. But there's nothing worse than facing an obstacle and knowing that if you don't AUDIBLE to something else that it's not gonna work...and you don't make the necessary changes. Never be afraid to call an AUDIBLE.

Hey Coach!

"Hey Coach"

I never get tired of hearing those words.

I actually missed hearing them.

As many of you know, I have coached my son, Kameron, for the last 5 yrs. This past football season, our team (9 and under) finished off a great season. We had a season where we won 9 games and lost 2. We won our division and made it to our league championship game. Unfortunately, we didn't win the game. We lost to a team that we had beaten 22-0 a month earlier. On this day, we lost 20-8. To be honest, I had a hard time remembering the score of the game that day. I was too hurt to look at the scoreboard. We just didn't show up to play that day. We didn't play our game. And it cost us.

Losing that day hurt. I can't lie. As a coach, you hate to lose but you REALLY hate to lose to a team that you KNOW that you were better than. We just weren't better than them that day. And that's not to take anything from them. They beat us and i tip my hat to them. But I'm sure that THEY will tell you that we were the better team. Nevertheless, it hurt to walk off the field that day. I remember walking into our team circle and seeing all of the kids on our team crying. I looked for Kameron. He was in the middle of the circle. He was crying like a baby. I was blown away because Kameron is not emotional. He's very even keeled. Calm. Much like his father. Seeing him crying almost made ME cry!!! As passionate as I've always been about football, I've only had 2 games that brought me to tears. One in high school and one in college. On this day, I held back the tears...cleared my throat and spoke to the kids. I told them that I was proud of them. I said "Sometimes in life you work hard and still come up short. But that makes you work harder the NEXT time."

I remember walking off the field with Kameron and someone said "we'll be back next year." That's true...but it takes a lot to get back. The unfortunate thing about sports is that you can't pick up where you left off from the previous season. You have to start all over. We will start over. We will be back.

Last Saturday, we had our team banquet at Georgia Tech. This was our first time together for since that championship game. It was fun seeing the kids again. I missed those lil dudes. It was also good to see the coaching staff. We have a great staff. No egos. We enjoy coaching and we enjoy being around each other. During the season, we send emails and text msgs and have meetings daily about our team. The banquet was a lot of fun. It's always good to seeing little boys dressed up in suits. This collection of kids, coaches, and their parents is more than a team. We are a family. I look forward to the practices in 90 degree weather. I look forward to starting from square one. I look forward to see what Kameron does next year. This past season, he started at tight end and cornerback. He played well all year. He even surprised me with his ability to catch the ball (you know where he got that from). I look forward to being with my family.

I look forward to stepping on the practice field and hearing those 2 words...

Hey Coach!

life's lessons

I saw this today and I wanted to share it with you.

When I saw it, I thought about a good friend of mine

I think we all can apply this to ourselves.

never forget

Two months ago, me and the fam were in New York City. We were taking a cruise around lower Manhattan when I spotted the World Trade Center. I pulled out my iPhone and began to take pictures of it. The Freedom Tower looked almost complete.

My oldest son, Deion, look at me taking the pictures and he saw the look in my eyes.

He said..."Dad, why are they building it again? Someone may just come back and knock it down again?"

I love it when kids ask me these type of questions because these are what I call "teaching moments."

He has no memories of the day because he was only two years old at the time. He only knows what we've told him and what he seen on TV. 

He didn't know that I watched a plane fly through that building live on TV. 

He didn't know that just a year before the attacks I was in that building. 

He also didn't know that when i was a kid, I used to stare out of my grandmothers apartment window in Newark New Jersey at the New York City skyline and the World Trade Center. 

And he'll never know the pain and hurt that we felt as a country to have that happen on US soil.

I said..."This building HAS be rebuilt. People all over the world have to understand that that will never happen again. It will never stop us as a country. Never let someone come into your backyard and hit you and you just let it go. We learned and grew from that experience. But you never forget."

He nodded and smiled.

I did too. Another lesson taught.