Kevin Eastman Newsletter

As I study successful teams, I see one common characteristic very clearly. Every one of these teams has a person or people who hold themselves personally accountable. These are the special people who only need a coach to teach them what and how to do something; then they take that and run with it. They understand that a major part of their job is to be self sufficient and personally accountable for their improvement and productivity. As I look around the NBA at these special players, I see some other distinct traits, all related to this personal accountability. These players:

• don't blame others first; instead, they look first for what they contributed (or did not contribute) to the situation

• don't complain; instead, they look for ways to correct things that aren't working

• don't procrastinate; instead, get things done now

• always give more than they ask of others

• always look to take on as much as they can handle, rather than look to pass things on to others all the time

• are constantly trying to improve their game so they can bring more to the team and consistently fulfill their role

• are self starters and study the game (and themselves) enough to know what needs to be done; then go about doing it

• do the unrequired work, knowing that it simply needs to get done -- extra shots, extra weight training, extra film watching, etc. – without constantly needing a coach to tell them to work

• hold others accountable for their jobs and roles because they know the importance of accountability as it relates to winning; this creates a collective responsibility

• always be among of the most trusted players on the team, by coaches and players

Taking the next step

Article from espn.com on Portland wanting to take their team to the next level. Here is an excerpt on their mindset defensively:

Regardless, Portland will have to take another step forward from a year ago to challenge the likes of L.A. And to do that, it's counting on improving the defense -- again, a goal about which Pritchard, McMillan and the key players seemed to be in lockstep agreement.

"For most teams, when they took that next step, when they won consistently and they won big, those stars that team had committed to the defensive end of the floor," McMillan said. "It seems to me every team that wins the title, they end up talking about how they committed to the defensive end."

"Two years ago when Boston won it, some key guys who weren't really known for playing defense, that's all they talked about, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Kobe talked about it this past year. You're going to need offense, but those teams that seem to commit to the defensive end of the floor, they've taken steps to put themselves in a position to win [a title]."

He's walking the walk on that front, too. McMillan devoted the entirety of Portland's first practice on Tuesday to defense.

Mbah a Moute drinks in the work on road to improvement

From the Milwaukee Journal

St. Francis — During a water break at a recent Milwaukee Bucks practice at the team's training center, forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute positioned himself alone at a basket and hoisted a number of jump shots while the other players quenched their thirst.

It's also not uncommon to see the second-year player stay after practice and put up even more jumpers with assistant coaches.
Improving his mid-range jump shot has been high on Mbah a Moute's list since the end of last season and it's something he took seriously over the summer and in training camp.

"He's put in hours and hours on it," said Bucks assistant coach Bill Peterson, who worked regularly with Mbah a Moute over the summer. "And good, quality time. Not just messing around. I think we'll see progress. Will he be where we want him to be? Not quite yet. He's only a second-year player. He's really focused on it. He wants to get better."

Said coach Scott Skiles: "He's worked on his shot tirelessly."

Last season as a rookie, Mbah a Moute averaged 7.2 points on 46.2% shooting and he and departed forward Richard Jefferson were the only two Bucks to play in all 82 games. Mbah a Moute's 491 field goals attempted were the fewest among the players in the regular rotation. Mbah a Moute, though, didn't take long to establish himself as the team's top defender.

In an effort to avoid a drop-off in his second season, Mbah a Moute has worked in the weight room to get his legs and upper body stronger. He wants to improve at taking contact and finishing around the rim and develop his low-post game.

But sharpening his jump shot was as important as anything, and Mbah a Moute thinks he's made progress.

"I got better," he said. "My shot got more consistent. I worked a little bit on my defense. I was also trying to develop a post game a little more and be more aggressive there."

Asked what he's hoping to bring to the table this season, he said, "The same thing I brought last year. Come in and play hard and defend every night. Compete and give my best for the team. Be unselfish on the offensive end and try to make plays for the team. That's all."

For the most part, the Bucks have had Mbah a Moute working on the mechanics of his shot, getting him to follow through more consistently, keep a wider base, as he tends to keep his feet together when he shoots, and use his legs to get into his shot.

"When you get a wide base, you have balance," said Peterson. "When you have a wide base and push you have more force when you shoot the ball. He's pretty good when he steps in to shoot. Where he gets in trouble is when he is just standing. His feet tend to get inside his shoulders and he's got no lift and he ends up hitting the rim. Or he's short, something like that.

"Here's a young man who has put in a lot of time. He's not a natural-born stroke guy like Carlos Delfino or Mike Redd. He's put a lot of time in and he's gotten better and better and will continue to get better. It's a work in progress."

Working with Peterson and assistant coach Adrian Griffin over the summer, Mbah a Moute would shoot until he made 2,000 shots a week, doing so for five or six weeks. Some of those shots were even from the three-point line as the coaches tried to extend his range.

"From where he was last year at this time to now, he's way, way better," said Peterson. "He can do it. He just has to keep doing it; repetition, repetition, repetition."

Leadership 101- Bo Pelini

Good notes from Bo Pelini on leadership:

Building a Culture:
*#1 Job is coaching your coaches/leaders
*What do you what to be know for?
*You get what you ask for and demand
*Surround yourself with the "right" people
*Committed to the little things (NO gray areas)
*Base principles & accountability
*Win with people- "Coach'em up"
*Leaders don't point the fingers- they point the thumb back at themselves
*Don't leave things open to interpretation
*Give feedback (Honest-Fair-Critical)
*You are who you are in ALL things (Classroom-Practice-Games)

*Coach Pelini spoke extensively about Jerry Rice. He worked with the 49ers early in his coaching career and was simply amazed with Rice's "everyday perfection". He said that he was the absolute best football player he has ever seen. He did everything with perfection on the forefront of his mind. His preparation (in-season & off-season), TEAM relationships, coachability, family, and even in the locker room and training room was done to perfection. Jerry set the bar for the 49ers- who's setting the bar in your organization?

Brandon Roy Workout

Adversity

Bears assistant coach and former Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli had a rough go at it last season but maintained the respect of his players through his work ethic and attitude. Here is what he says about adversity:

"You become more creative, you become more determined and you embrace that," he said. "You embrace that. Adversity is something special. It really is, if you embrace it. If you run from it, it'll wear you out. But if you embrace it, try to find a way to get better - that's what I tried to do."

Scores and Stops

"There's not a team in the league that can't score the basketball," Wallace said. "But the good teams are the ones that can do both -- score and get stops. Some nights you really can't control whether that ball goes in the basket or not. You can get the best look, get the best shot, but sometimes it just don't go.

"You can always control your defensive energy. You can get up and pressure guys and make their job tough."

Working Out: Chris Paul

Greatness

"Greatness is not about someone who has the ability to be great. "Greatness shows up when someone might not have that ability but finds a way to succeed. They outwork their opponents, they outhit their opponents, they outfight their opponents. They want it more. Don't give me the guy who's supposed to be all-world and you've got to try to talk him into something. Give me the guy who has maybe just enough talent to be on the field but thinks he's great, and who's willing to do whatever he can do to contribute, to make his team better. That's what I want. Now trust me, I want some talent too. But give me the right type of talent."

-Mike Singletary

Togetherness is Everything

Kevin Garnett on last season's Celtics team and what he expectst this year:

“Togetherness is everything,” he said. “I think we lost a little bit of that through the course of a year. It’s human. It’s always going to happen. But for the most part you learn from it and you move on.

“I think last year did one thing for us. If anything, it humbled us. I think it showed that team is everything - no one or two players can get things done. I’m eager to see how we come in, our minds and how we are in camp and everything. This is all bonding. I’m eager to see what this looks like.”

Chandler gives Bobcats a strong voice in the middle

Good article today on newly acquired Bobcat center Tyson Chandler. Chandler has already made his mark on the team by the way he communicates with this teammates:

It's my nature - I'm vocal, I'm going to speak out. I feel like (by being vocal and candid), it's going to make everybody gel. I think with me, it's always constructive criticism, but I have a passion for the game and wanting to win."

Says veteran guard Raja Bell:

"It definitely helps if you have someone who can quarterback (the defense from the center position) because he's the only one who can see the whole floor from under the basket. For him to give us an audio of what's going on, when you can't see it (coming), helps tremendously."

Chandler considers himself somewhat expert at low-post defense. He expects to share that knowledge.

"I wouldn't be doing Raymond (Felton) any favors if I wasn't telling him about something he's doing wrong defensively," Chandler described. "And Raymond wouldn't be doing me any favors (by not speaking up when) I'm letting Amare (Stoudemire) or Dwight (Howard) go for 30 on me and I'm playing lazy.

"It's about holding each other accountable to win. That's the ultimate goal and that's what I'm trying to bring here."

NU's Lee has a ball, just keeps rolling

Ron Brown calls it “rubber ball resiliency.”

“When you squeeze it, it pops back into shape,” the Nebraska tight ends coach said.

Consider Saturday to be Zac Lee's rubber ball bounce back.

The NU junior quarterback, fresh off the worst performance of his young career, rebounded with a sharp outing Saturday during Nebraska's 55-0 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.

It was light years from his 11 of 30 and two-interception showing against Virginia Tech. His 238 yards on 15 of 18 passes tell part of the story. The way he handled himself in getting from one Saturday to the next tells another part.

“The thing about Zac is that he's got so much resiliency,” Brown said. “He has a tendency to not let things get to him.”

Lee said he did almost everything the same this week, other than maybe a little more film work. After two NU wins in which he amassed 553 passing yards and six scores, the struggles at Virginia Tech were a reality check.

He said during the week he just “focused on ball,” while trying to move on and have a short memory.

“Mistakes are going to happen. Bad things are going to happen,” Lee said. “You've got to deal with it, move on and learn from it and make sure you don't repeat it.”

The guy who may have seen Lee's resiliency the most this week was backup quarterback Cody Green. The freshman said there was a “new notch” in Lee since the loss to the Hokies. He was the first one there and the last to leave. There was a different determination in everything he did.

“You could tell he just had a look in his eyes,” Green said.

There was little evidence of the highly publicized thumb injury on his non-throwing hand. Lee brushes it off as a nonissue.

But it was one of the things guys noticed as he fought past his first dose of disappointment, Green said.

“People saw the battle in him because he kept fighting,” he said.

And Brown says Lee isn't the only one. The veteran coach went as far as to say he has been “very impressed” with the way the Huskers as a whole have dealt with adversity.

“They came out Monday and they got after it,” he said. “I love the way this football team has responded in the last year and a half. We have really learned some great things about not sitting around pouting. We've had short memories. We've been able to come back from some tough losess and come back the next week and play well.”

And Green said the guy he shadows on a daily basis is the undeniable leader of that group.

“He's running the thing now,” Green said.

Rigorous Off-Season Gave Revis His Edge

From the Ny Times:

Before Darrelle Revis shut down two of the N.F.L.’s top receivers to open this season, before he entered the discussion for the league’s top cornerback, he went to Arizona and trained like a boxer preparing for a championship bout. There, he found sweltering heat, marathon workouts and the personal torture chamber that is Will Sullivan.

Sullivan is Revis’s off-season coach. They meet at Fischer Sports in Phoenix, where Revis works on strength and conditioning for four hours each morning and trains on a field for three hours every afternoon, alongside pros like Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb.

This was two-a-days before two-a-days, Sullivan joked.

“He wants the punishment,” said Diana Gilbert, Revis’s mother. “Just to see how much he can endure.”

Revis arrives in Arizona in late June, when many of his N.F.L. counterparts relax or take vacations. Everything with Revis and Sullivan is a competition, be it basketball, video games or training, filled with jawing back and forth.

But this year, as Revis sought to become the best cornerback in football, the training took on added intensity.

Revis came with a goal sheet that included, for the first time, earning top honors at his position.

He brought a list of opposing receivers he would be shadowing across the field under the new defense installed by Coach Rex Ryan, with film on each.

Sullivan and Revis broke down that film together, then went about preparing for each receiver on the field. They fine-tuned Revis’s footwork, focused on his weaknesses, discussed receivers like Atlanta’s Roddy White whom Sullivan had trained.

Sometimes, after seven hours of training, the two headed to the basketball court, where they engaged in one-on-one games that lasted hours without water breaks.

“I’ve been training Revis since he was a junior at Pitt,” Sullivan said. “He’s always been focused. But this year, he took it to a different level.”

Before Revis heads to Arizona, he spends one week with his family outside Pittsburgh. When he leaves, he shuts off most contact with the outside world, turning down tickets secured by his agent to award shows, finding a singular, obsessive focus.

To that end, his family has noticed a newfound maturity in Revis as he begins his third N.F.L. season. Diana Gilbert said her son had tightened his inner circle, dropping bad influences and keeping those who spoke truthfully and kept him grounded.

None keep Revis more level than his uncle, the former N.F.L. defensive end Sean Gilbert. After Revis shut down New England’s Randy Moss on Sunday, Gilbert told him, “Two games down, 14 left, you still stink.”

When Revis entered the league, among the first advice dispensed by Gilbert was this: Do not believe all N.F.L players have heart, because they do not. Ultimately, the game comes down to will.

“There are two ways to deal with the pressure,” Gilbert said. “You feel it. Or you apply it. I ask him every day. ‘Which are you doing?’ I want him to go after their best player, and I want him to take his will.”

Wise beyond his 24 years, Revis has matured on the field, becoming smoother in his footwork transitions and quarterback reads, as he increases his awareness.

The Jets have bestowed the nickname Shutdown upon Revis, and on the NFL Network last weekend, Deion Sanders ranked Revis among the top three cornerbacks in football.
This came after Revis shadowed Moss and Houston’s Andre Johnson. With help on both players from his teammates, Revis held Johnson to four catches for 35 yards and Moss to four catches for 24 yards, and Revis intercepted a pass against the Patriots.

Most instructive, though, were those receivers’ numbers in the games in which they did not face Revis. Johnson tallied 10 catches, 149 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second week. In the opener, Moss caught 12 passes for 149 yards. They call this the Revis Effect.

Revis possesses a rare combination of speed and strength for a cornerback, built in part by those training sessions in the Arizona heat. Revis played Moss physically, bumping him at the line, jamming his routes, even sitting across from Moss when both players were on the bench.

“If he went to the bathroom, I went, too,” Revis said.

Moss and Johnson played down the impact of a cornerback like Revis. Both said all cornerbacks received help from safeties, or other cornerbacks, and Moss even went so far as to suggest he could play cornerback in the right defense.

Regardless, the Jets’ defense has yet to allow a touchdown in eight quarters, and Revis may be the single most important piece of Ryan’s system. He stands alone on what teammates have started calling Revis Island, matched up each week against the best receiver on the opposing team.

Of course, Revis studied all of them back in June and July. Sullivan reminded him of that Monday morning, via a text message that read simply, “Who’s next?”

Bobby Gonzalez notes

Notes from Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez:

*You can't be good at everything. Pick 2-3 things (maybe 4) to answer the question "What are we going to hang our hat on?"

*It's not how much you know, it's what you can convey to your players

*We don't always run the best stuff, we don't always have the most talent, we don't always play as smart as we should, we don't execute nearly as well as we'd like, but one thing I demand is that we play harder than the opponent.

*Teach with the bench. After all these years it's still the best disciplinary tool. The worst thing that can happen to a kid that truly loves the game is to sit down. This is the best way to get a kid in line.

*It's more important to coach attitude every day than X's & O's. Teach your players to maintain eye contact, how to dress, how to have a proper handshake, how to be respectful.

*Kids will respect you for disciplining them. They secretly like that you hold them to higher standards than they hold for themselves.

*Best thing you can do for a kid is to take the time and work with them on their game.

Making practice into game situations

“The quarterback position is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” Brees says. “I try to simulate the game as much as I can in practice and visualize every play and every defense we could see. In essence I’m playing the game over and over so that no matter what situation happens, I’ve already played it and can anticipate what will happen.”

An Undrafted Rookie From Rutgers Plays His Way Onto the Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jamaal Westerman, a Jets rookie linebacker, has only had time to stock his new locker with the basics: practice uniform, seven pairs of shoes, two sticks of deodorant and white helmet, a green mouthpiece stuck in the facemask. At least he has a locker.


Westerman survived Coach Rex Ryan’s final roster cut Saturday to become the only free-agent rookie to make the team. Ryan loves free agents — 18 undrafted players are on his roster — because they tend to have the same no-frills, gung-ho attitude as Westerman.


“There’s really no time to sit back and admire anything,” Westerman, a former Rutgers star, said this week. “The season hasn’t started yet, so what is there to admire? I just want to keep working hard, be consistent. As soon as I sit back, things will take a wrong turn.”


His approach has served him well during a career that was launched playing pickup football as a third-grader on the streets of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.


The last 10 months, though, have been especially daunting. Early in Rutgers’s 54-34 victory over Pittsburgh on Oct. 25, Westerman tore his left biceps while sacking quarterback Bill Stull. Westerman was told later in the week that he needed surgery. Although he could barely turn his wrist, he played the last three regular-season games, helping Rutgers overcome an unexpected 1-5 start with seven straight victories.


He missed the Scarlet Knights’ bowl game because he had surgery. When he resumed working out at the TEST Sports Club in Martinsville, N.J., Westerman’s repaired left biceps had atrophied and was six inches smaller in circumference than his right biceps.


“His determination and his mental approach were incredible,” said Brian Martin, the president of the club and Westerman’s personal trainer. “He did everything to the letter. He’s intelligent and focused. The N.F.L. was his dream. He worked very hard, and maybe more important, he was smart in the way he worked.”


There was another hitch: Westerman, who had 26 sacks and 141 tackles as a three-year starter at Rutgers, was 6 feet 3 inches and 255 pounds, a bit too small to continue playing defensive end. His future was at linebacker, a position he had not played since high school.


And Westerman had played 12-man high school ball at Notre Dame Academy in Brampton, Ont., where he had moved with his mother when his parents split up after he played one year at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, a football powerhouse.


Westerman worked with Martin on his footwork. He took yoga classes to increase his flexibility. No one selected Westerman in the N.F.L. draft, but Ryan had told Westerman he was interested in signing him as a free agent.


Ryan’s roster is packed with undrafted players; four of them are defensive starters. Bart Scott, a linebacker who made the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent from Southern Illinois in 2002, signed a six-year contract with the Jets that could be worth $48 million.


“He’s versatile, he's coachable, and to me, the No. 1 thing about him is that he’s fearless, and you can’t be afraid to fail,” Scott said of Westerman. “He’s relentless. It’s like looking into a mirror at myself. I know the things that were going through his mind, and he’s earned it. Nothing’s been given to him — and it’s not like he made a team with sorry linebackers.”


Three Jets linebackers were former first-round draft choices, and another, David Harris, was picked in the second round. Vernon Gholston, a first-round pick last year who had an underachieving season, will replace Calvin Pace, another first-rounder who is serving a four-game suspension for violating the N.F.L. policy on performance-enhancing substances.


Although he was playing a different position than he did in college, Westerman had two sacks in the preseason, including one of the Eagles’ Michael Vick in a 38-27 Jets’ victory Sept. 3.


“He had those characteristics we talked about,” Ryan said Tuesday. “He loves to play the game.



He certainly has enough athletic ability to play in this league. He’s got a great temperament. He’s smart. He’s a passionate guy. He’s doing a good job on special teams. He had to earn it. Here’s a free agent who earned a spot on this roster.”


Chansi Stuckey, a wide receiver who is Westerman’s new next-door locker-room neighbor, said Westerman stood out among the training-camp long shots. He played so well in the preseason that Gholston said he had no idea Westerman was coming off surgery.


“You see a scar on his arm,” Gholston said, “but with most guys, you don’t know if it happened last year or 10 years ago. He’s one of those guys who looks like he wants to get after the football.”


Westerman, listed as Harris’s backup at strongside inside linebacker, will probably play mostly on special teams Sunday, when the Jets open the season at Houston.


“I don’t think the transition is finished,” Westerman said. “I still feel like I’m learning something every day. Wherever they put you, you want to do your best. That’s the thing. Whatever role they have me in, I’m going to try to succeed at.”

Leadership Thoughts from NFL Quarterbacks

Really good article by Peter King of Sports Illustrated on NFL quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer, Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, and Matt Ryan. King asked them various questions on what it takes to be the leader of the team. Here is a couple of quotes:

Question: What about toughness?

Ben Roethlisberger: I don't think toughness is when a quarterback says, "I'm going to run somebody over." Toughness is playing your worst game of your life but not backing down. You don't want to sit on the sideline. You want to stay in there and win. You down, down 21 points and the defense is getting through in every single way, and you throw three interceptions. Staying in that game, keeping your head up, trying to drive your team down the field when everything's going wrong- that's the kind of toughness I want in my quarterback.

Question: Think back to big moments or big games. How does your stomach feel?

Aaron Rodgers: When I was a point guard, I wanted the ball in the last two minutes. When I was a pitcher, I wanted the ball in the last inning. That's why in the big moments in games, I'm not tight. Those moments are why you play.

Roethlisberger: I love that. I want the ball. Our defense does some amazing things, but I want to have the ball, and that's the way I've always been playing sports.

Curry gets a jump on NBA conditioning

First round draft pick & college All-American Stephen Curry is getting ready for his rookie season in theNBA. His trainer is making him run sprint after sprint, dribble backward and forward, then run three quarters of the court and make 10 NBA-range 3-point shots in a row. Of course, if you miss, you start over.

“This is what it takes,” said Curry, a lottery pick by the Golden State Warriors this summer. “You've got to go to training camp at the top of your game and not use it to get in shape.”

Dodgers' Juan Pierre playing, and acting, like a pro

Good story in the LA Times on Dodger outfielder Juan Pierre and his struggle to get consistent playing time despite hitting well over .300 this year. Because of a crowded outfield, Pierre is the odd man out. However, that has not diminished his work ethic and attitude.

"It has been a real pleasure to be around him," said mananger Joe Torre.

The same thing happened to Pierre last year so Pierre is used to playing sporadically by now.

"No excuses this year, none of that 'Oh, but I don't play enough' stuff," he said. "If I'm in there, it's my responsibility to make that happen, and I take that very seriously."

To replicate the daily swings he is missing, Pierre is one of the first guys to show up at the clubhouse every day, living out his 7 p.m. dreams in the early afternoon.To replicate the pounding his body would take in the outfield, he is one of the last guys to leave the clubhouse after games, as he rides the stationary bike until he feels like he has played nine innings.

"Like I said, no excuses," he said.

Not even while pinch-hitting, a job career regulars often find difficult and distasteful. Even here, Pierre has turned potential humiliation into triumph, hitting .353 in 34 at-bats."He knows he's not going to play, but he continues to do the stuff he does," Torre said. "He's a great example for everyone in there."

Cards' Fitzgerald left hungry, aims to add killer instinct in '09

From the USA Today:

Arizona Cardinals all-pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald is always brainstorming new ways to chase greatness.

He outdid himself this offseason.

It wasn't enough for Fitzgerald, 25, to eclipse San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice with his playoffs-record 30 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdowns in the Cardinals' 2008 Super Bowl run. He decided this offseason to train with and learn from the former receiver, whom he considers the greatest ever.

So Fitzgerald convened a passing camp this summer at the University of Minnesota, inviting other young talented wideouts such as Green Bay Packers star Greg Jennings, the Denver Broncos' Brandon Marshall, the Minnesota Vikings' Sidney Rice and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Michael Clayton. Fitzgerald also invited his longtime mentor, Cris Carter.

Then he reached out to Rice, who agreed to join the camp for a week.

The only thing more impressive than Fitzgerald's remarkable postseason ascent was his ambitious offseason agenda. There's little concern about a post-Super Bowl letdown for the sixth-year wideout, who reinvented himself as a respected league-wide leader.

"My goal is to be a better player in every way possible and never let complacency set in," Fitzgerald says. "Don't ever lose sight of being the best, most dominant player. After every year, I evaluate the weaknesses in my game — the mental and physical. I called Cris Carter, who has been like an uncle to me.

"But I wanted the same type relationship with Jerry Rice, one of the greatest players to ever play the game and the greatest receiver ever to play. I wanted to see what made him tick."
And Rice showed Fitzgerald.

"Jerry Rice is 46 years old. Yet he did every single thing we did on that field. He worked like he was in training camp," Fitzgerald says.

"His dedication is off the charts. I was thinking, if I had the mental toughness Jerry Rice has at 46 at 25, where (would I) be in this game?"

Vikings Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen joined Fitzgerald on a March USO tour to Iraq and Afghanistan. Allen and Fitzgerald struck up a friendship and traveled to six more countries, an odyssey that included shark diving off the coast of South Africa and a safari.

"Larry's an absolute beast, and he's such a nice guy," Allen says. "He has a ton of respect around the league.

"There's certain players who are driven not by money or fame, but who want Super Bowls. We want to be remembered as some of the best players to play this sport in honor of the people who played before us.

"Larry's one of those guys."

Jennings, who led Green Bay with 80 catches for 1,292 yards and nine touchdowns in 2008, says: "Working at Larry's camp for two weeks really opened my eyes to how to work. As good as he is, there's so much humility in Larry."

Billy Donovan's Attitude Plan

BILLY DONOVAN'S ATTITUDE PLAN

Always making today my best day

Taking pride in a job well done

Treating others with respect

Isolating my negative thoughts

Treating tasks as opportunities

Utilizing my talents every day

Doing the job right the first time

Expecting positive outcomes daily

Speaking well of others every day

A positive attitude through adversity

Green Bay Packers center Scott Wells has lost his starting job and is now the backup despite working hard during the offseason. Although Wells is not happy with the coaches decision, he maintains the way he goes about his business will not waver:

"If you ask anybody in this locker room, they want to play," Wells said. "No one is happy when they are not playing. But all you can do is continue to put your best foot forward and prepare for the role they have you in and move on from there."

"Don't count me out," Wells said. "It's a little blow, but it's not the end. So you have to stay the course and try to maintain a positive attitude and see how everything shakes out in the long run."

Championship Communication

Good stuff from Coach Eastman's website:

We all want our teams to talk on defense, but do we really get them to understand how important it is and what it does for us and to the opponent? Defensive communication is so important because it:

• Intimidates: especially when the opponent knows that you know everything they're running -- because your players are calling out the plays and coverages as soon as they hear the call!

• Gives your defense a head start: alerting a teammate of the action before it happens is critical to successful defense.

• Gives the man on the ball more confidence: if he knows he has help and protection behind him, he'll be much more confident and aggressive.

• Wakes up a disengaged defender: talking to a player who's not paying attention on defense can alert him to get back and re-engaged.

• Catches a mistake before it happens: so many times we have alerted a player to an offensive action before it caught him and that kept us from dealing with a mistake

• Energizes your teammates: talking teams always seem to play with more energy – it’s a fact of basketball!

Playing time based on defense

Last year, San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher made it a point for his staff to link defensive effort to playing time.

"The nice thing about our team is that if a person doesn't compete hard, we've got somebody else that we can put in. I don't want anybody playing out of fear or afraid to make a mistake, but I want them on edge to the point if where they don't play hard, there's going to be a reason they'll be playing fewer minutes."

Tex Winter's seven principles of a sound offense

1. The offense must penetrate the defense.

2. The offense must involve a full-court game.

3. The offense must provide proper spacing.

4. The offense must ensure player and ball movement with a purpose.

5. The offense must provide strong rebounding position and good defense balance on all shots.

6. The offense must give the player with the ball an opportunity to pass the ball to any of his teammates.

7. The offense must utilize the players' individual skills

Notes from Jerry West

Two things matter: Humility and Giving/ Hard Work and Dedication

Three things he looks for in a player: Character, Competitiveness, Toughness

Need one special skill- shooting, rebounding, defender, best players can play multiple positions= Invaluable

One player in any program can make a significant difference but people around him are what makes great teams.

What can I do to play more?

1. Bust it in practice

2. No mental mistakes

3. Communicate with Coach after practice

Going all out

A reporter once asked 3 time batting champion and Hall of Famer George Brett what he wanted to do in his last at-bat before retiring, he gave the following response:

"I want to hit a routine grounder to second and run all out to first base, then get thrown out by a half step. I want to leave an example to the young guys that that's how you play the game: all out.

2008.12.25 Kevin Garnett's Beach Journey

Preparation, Passion, Pride

All about the team

"I never focused the light on just me. That's just who I am. To this day I'm all about my teammates. This is a team game. If I was a tennis player, it'd be a totally different story. But I've always liked team success over individual accolades."

'This camp ain't for everybody:' Sparano, Dolphins turn up heat

DAVIE, Fla. — There's a survival-of-the-fittest mentality at work at Camp Sparano, where the Miami Dolphins train hard and fast amid conditions that resemble a sauna.

A week into camp, four players had already left on their own terms. One didn't bother to show up, three others bolted after tasting coach Tony Sparano's practice regimen.

Joey Porter sees a bright side to such developments.

"If you're going to find out, you want to find out now," the linebacker says. "I've never been to a camp where so many people quit. But this camp ain't for everybody. Camp is the hardest part of football. The two-a-days and the way we work around here, with the heat and what we do, it can get to people."

Porter is one of the team's most experienced players, heading into his 11th NFL season. In some camps, as was the case when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, tenure might earn an occasional practice off. Not here. Not now.

"It's a little different," Porter says. "The philosophy here is that everybody works."
Sparano, starting his second season at the helm after ushering a turnaround that matched the greatest improvement in NFL history — Miami went from an NFL-worst 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 and an AFC East crown last season — is building a foundation on grunt work.

During the offseason, the Dolphins had 46 weight-room workout sessions. Of 65 players on the offseason roster, 54 never missed a workout session. No player, Sparano says, attended fewer than 94% of the weight-room workouts. Add 100% attendance at each minicamp and OTA session, and the coach is bullish on prospects that his team won't become complacent after the surprising success of last season.

"You can't pick up where you left off," Sparano says. "You've got to go back to the beginning. When you see the kind of participation we had in the offseason, you know they're buying into what it is you're asking them to do."

The Dolphins might have the longest odds against repeating of any division champion, playing in what could be the league's toughest division. The New England Patriots, with Tom Brady back, are looking to reclaim the AFC East throne.

But not without a fight. Sparano says that as tough as it was to climb from the NFL basement into a playoff team last season, taking the next step to be a consistent, legitimate contender might be a harder task.

"That's the biggest challenge for our whole team, to truly understand that what we did last year means nothing right now," says quarterback Chad Pennington, who was released in camp last summer by the New York Jets and wound up earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

"This is going to require more work, more consistency."

Sparano and GM Jeff Ireland, working under the watchful eye of VP of Football Operations/resident guru Bill Parcells, don't figure to sit pat in their own right, either. The Dolphins led the NFL last season with 52 transactions, shuffling players in and out in attempts to strengthen the bottom of the roster.

Ireland doesn't expect as many moves this season, which indicates progress.

But that is not to be confused with a comfort zone. Just listen to Sparano.

"There are no guarantees around here," Sparano says. "Hey, I tell our vets, 'This is a show-me game. At some point out here and in these preseason games, I still gotta know that you can do it.'

Talent is not enough

"I think we have a shot with talent. Talent doesn’t mean anything. Talent never won any games. Hard work (does)."

-Tim Tebow

Being Honest

Excerpt from an espn.com article on new 49ers head coach Mike Singletary:

"One of the things that I really appreciate about Singletary and something that makes me really buy into what he is doing is, not only does he bring that competitive nature and that enthusiastic nature, he is also a very honest coach," left tackle Joe Staley said.

Singletary patrolled the field prior to the first camp practice, screaming and criticizing players, challenging them to do better. By Monday, when the team met expectations in the morning practice, Singletary was far less demonstrative, letting players know they'd done a good job.

"He will give you honest criticism and honest encouragement," Staley said. "I respect that as a player just knowing that I don't have a coach that is going to be blowing smoke up my butt, telling me something that I want to hear or criticizing me just to hear his own voice.

"He'll tell you exactly what he is thinking about you and I think everyone really responds to that. There is substance behind it. You can see a real passion for what he does. It gets everybody really excited and they want to play that much harder for him."

Total culture change the fix for Chiefs

Article in the USA Today on how the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to rebuild their football team through new GM Scott Pioli and new head coach Todd Haley. After going 2-14 last season, both men believe the entire culture needs to be changed.

"The thing Todd and I share is we have a genuine passion and a respect for the game," Pioli says. "We're going to find people who care. Those that don't care about playing and playing well, won't be here."

"Part of it is not only changing the culture of your football team and your locker room, it's changing the culture of all the things that touch your football team and your locker room."

Says Coach Haley:

"I want guys who want to be here practicing and playing every day that I can count on that are the same guy every day," Haley says. "I don't even care if they're great.

"I don't want a yo-yo team and I don't want yo-yo players."

Ryan, Gonzalez feed off each other's intuitions

Article on Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan and TE Tony Gonzalez

Says Gonzalez:

"He knows exactly where everybody's going," Gonzalez said. "He knows where to put that ball, and he works hard. I think that's really the difference in what a great player is. Somebody that works hard. That's what separates some guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Those guys are constantly in the (film) room trying to get better, on the field and off the field."

The article goes on to talk about the specfics in how Ryan & Gonzalez want to get better in the offseason. It is impressive that they understand they can always get better even with the success they have had thus far in the league:

Though coach Mike Smith kept all of his primary assistants on staff after their first season together with Atlanta, he decided to make one subtle change in evaluating personnel.
Position coaches had every returning player write an evaluation of himself and turn it in before the start of camp. For Ryan, the focus became film study that wasn't necessarily more intense, just more specific.

Ryan's primary concern now is giving receivers better chances for big gains downfield. Even more enticing is the opportunity to dip further into coordinator Mike Mularkey's playbook.

"If I make better decisions throughout the game, it's going to cause less mistakes," Ryan said. "You certainly can be more accurate with it and give your receivers a better chance to make plays after they have the ball in their hands. So that's the focus, and I'm going to continue to work on it."

For Gonzalez, his mantra of "getting better" seemingly hasn't changed since Kansas City drafted him 13th overall in 1997. Now that Ryan is his quarterback, Gonzalez intends to stay as committed to his workout regimen, film study and practice habits as he's ever been, but a chance to finally win a playoff game is still his top goal.

"I don't think anything in life — I don't care how good you are — there's always more to learn and always thing to know," Gonzalez said. "I want to make sure I know that playbook front to back and side to side."

Coach K welcomes team to USA Basketball