Leadership, character and a cruise liner

If anyone was thinking about taking a cruise vacation, the news of the sinking of the Costa Concordia off the Italian coast had to make you think again. What occurs to me in this story is that there are basic fundamentals that we should be reminded of by this mishap.

Pay close attention. There are lessons to be learned here.

First, leadership is a valuable commodity that doesn’t always show itself in these type situations, but the void of leadership always sticks out like a sore thumb.

Second, judgment after the initial incident usually steers the subsequent events. In this story, it appears the captain not only exhibited poor leadership, but also very poor judgment in deciding to get off the ship ASAP, a move that’s viewed with more disdain than his navigational errors. So far, we’re pretty basic in our lessons, huh? Kindergarten/1st grade-type stuff.

Third, accountability. I haven’t heard the captain take responsibility for steering his ship into the rocks or for getting off the ship before hundreds of passengers. I did hear the story that he tripped and fell into a lift boat, so he stayed in it! Tell that to the families of the dead. If you can’t take the heat, stay off the bridge.

How far have we really come?

After watching the media coverage of this story and seeing all the cell phone videos and other lurid details, it occurs to me that we have really not gotten much better in these emergency situations than we were 100 years ago when the Titanic sank ... and that was April 1912!

Again, I think it comes down to leadership, character and being prepared — three items that were obviously left on the dock when the Costa Concordia launched.

Have a great weekend.

Kick ‘Em High!

Thursday Two-fer in 2012

Welcome to the first 2012 effort of Extra Points. I hope you all had great holidays and you’re launching into the new-year with energy.

A few random thoughts for you to ponder:

• The Frogs finished in the top 15 in the final college football polls and were listed at a pre-season No. 10 in Sports Illustrated’s 2012 preview. By the way, we’re only 7 months and 17 days from the start of the 2012 football season.
• TCU Men’s and Women’s basketball teams are wading into MWC play and it’s going to be an interesting run – both teams play with heart. The men, now 10-7, lost a tough one to Colorado State in double-overtime Saturday night in Fort Collins and ran into soe hot-shooting Rebels in Las Vegas. (By the way, if you never made it to Fort Collins during the Frogs run in the MWC, you should try it – great town.) Next up for the men, Boise State at home on Saturday.
• Looking back at it, LSU never had a chance in the BCS National Championship game. Rematches are always double-tough on the winner of the first game. And it’s one of the few times that LSU looked awful in the Sugar Bowl – usually LSU in the Sugar Bowl means death to the opponent.
• The old east side of Amon G. Carter Stadium is gone and things are going to start happening quickly. It is strange to stand on the east side and be able to look into the stadium. It really gives you an idea of how things looked before the east side was expanded in the 1940’s.
• I’m tired of hearing NBA players blaming the lockout for their slow starts or lack of production. Haven’t these guys been playing all their lives? You’d think if you do something for a living that you’d pretty much be ready to do your job at the drop of a hat.
• I hurt for Packers’ fans on Sunday……..until I thought about the ’67 Ice Bowl, the first football game that made me cry.
• Speaking of the old-school Dallas Cowboys, last night my dad and I attended the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl win. They showed the Super Bowl VI movie produced by NFL Films. At one point during the movie, we both had tears running down our faces. Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Mel Renfro, Cornell Green, Larry Cole, John Niland, Walt Garrison, Craig Morton, Lee Roy Jordan and many others were there. It brought back great memories. It also made me realize how far the current Cowboys are from greatness. A little nugget for you: Did you know that it was the idea of Alicia Landry, Tom’s wife, to put the star on the side of the Cowboy helmet?
• Speaking of pro football – can they really name anyone other than Andy Dalton as NFL Rookie of the Year? The “Red Rifle” as he’s now known in the Queen City, had a remarkable year. Most rookie QBs don’t survive an entire season, let alone set records and get their team to the playoffs. The vote here is for No. 14.
• Leave Tim Tebow alone. He’ll hurt you.
• Last week, I saw the movie, "Moneyball." I’m ready for baseball season. The Frogs will be good again!
• For those who made it to TCU Athletics’ Seating Summit last week, thank you for taking time to find out the facts about what TCU Football ticket prices and the seating process will be. For those who missed it, the entire presentation is available for you online at www.gofrogs.com or the quality coverage of The TCU Magazine.

Kick ‘Em High!