Burn Your Ships

When the Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortez, landed at Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico in the 16th century, one of the first things he did was burn his ships. His goal was to conquer this new land by pushing west to the Pacific. By burning his ships he eliminated the possibility that his men would lose heart and sail back to Spain. The presence of the ships gave Cortez’s forces an alternative if... Continue reading

It Don’t Cost Nuthin’

At a Touchdown Club meeting many years ago, Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant told the following story: I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player, and I was having trouble finding the place. Getting hungry, I spied an old cinderblock building with a small sign out front... Continue reading

Make the Effort

“You either get it or you don’t” used to be the #1 rule of, well, anything. Now, I think, it has been replaced with “Do you want to get it?” There is a story about the hockey coach who once asked a talented player, “Son, I can’t figure out whether you’re stupid or apathetic.” To which the player replied, “I don’t know and I don’t... Continue reading