Invincible!

Last night our keynote speaker at the conference I'm attending was Vince Papale. If you don't recognize that name, you might know his as "the guy whose story was depicted in the Disney movie "Invincible." Still not ring a bell? Well, then, you're missing out. If you haven't seen it, go rent it or catch it on TV. It will inspire you!


Vince Papale had played one year of high school football, went to St. Joe's University where he ran track and became a high school teacher. He never played football in college. In 1976 at the age of 30, he tried out at open try-outs to be a football player for the Philadelphia Eagles. Not to ruin the movie for those of you who have not seen it, but Vince makes the team (else why would they make a movie about his life?) Someone once said of him that he "is the physical manifestation of every fan's desire."

I'm not particularly an Eagles fan, but I am a Cubs fan. I think there are some similarities. Can you imagine watching your favorite sports team your whole life, spending your seasons in loyal dedication hoping and praying and wishing for a championship for your team? We've all been there. Now, imagine if you will that your favorite team says, "we're having open tryouts." It's like American Idol for the sports world! Anyone who has talent can have the chance of making it in the bigs. This is Vince Papale. You can see why he is, indeed the physical manifestation of every fan's desire.

Another person describe Papale as "a free-agent walk on that defied logic."

What I loved about Vince Papale was how he has embraced his celebrity and realized that he has the power to do good. His three year tenure on the Eagles as a special teams player ended 30 years ago. Today he is still making an "impact" in the lives of others, and this was the tenor and theme of his presentation. Using his life story as a guide, he delivered his message which culminates with catch phrases like "Be the best you can be," "Hold Fast to Your Dreams," and "You are Invincible." Generally, these cliches are just that, cliche. However, if you heard Vince Papale deliver his message, you would know that they are not cliche messages to him; he means them, and he is sincere. I like that. I'm a sucker for "keeping it real," and Papale is about as real as it gets.

Vince gave credit to the men who made a difference in his life. He spoke highly of his father, a coach, a high school teacher and Eagles coach, Dick Vermeil. Again, if you haven't seen the movie, pay close attention to Greg Kinear's portrayal of Vermeil. He is spot on. I wanted to share a few key phrases that Papale shared with the crowd. He called them Vermeil-isms.

• "Nobody ever drown in sweat." (LOVE THAT!! I'M USING THAT ONE ON MY KIDS!)
• "Don't overload your mouth with your butt." (Love that..also using with the kids!)
• "An opponent is worth to a person exactly what their preparation enables them to make it." (Love it!)

During certain times and his life and definitely when he tried out for the Eagles, he was told again and again that he couldn't do it. One person told him that he was a dreamer and that "dreamers aren't doers." I couldn't disagree more. One of his mentors gave him a plaque with the following phrase: "Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make their dreams come true." Absolute poetry.
It's been a great week for me. I've been inspired by many individuals this week, and Vince Papale is one of them.
I will conclude with this. As I was in the elevator going down to listen to Vince, I met a mom and her two children dressed for a trip to the hotel swimming pool. I said, "Are you going swimming?" "Yep," said the boy, "and where are you going?" "I'm going to meet a famous football player," I said. He paused for about three seconds and said, "I'd rather go swimming!" I told that story to Vince, and he laughed. He has kids, so I thought he'd get it! He did!
I'm grateful for the wonderful opportunities that I've had in my life to travel and meet inspiring people. I'm grateful that I heard Vince Papale share his story.

Me with Vince Papale

May 28, 2009

Ritz-Carlton Hotel, New Orleans

National Champions: University of Utah!

The following is the text of an article that appeared on espn.com on Wednesday, January 7th 2009

Life of Reilly
Oklahoma and Florida can battle for the BCS. But we've already crowned the true national champ.
by Rick Reilly

Some gifts people give are pointless: Styling mousse to Dick Vitale. An all-you-can-eat card to Kate Moss. The BCS Championship given to Oklahoma or Florida.

It means nothing because the BCS has no credibility. Florida? Oklahoma? Who cares? Utah is the national champion.

The End. Roll credits.

Argue with this, please. I beg you. Find me anybody else that went undefeated. Thirteen-and-zero. Beat four ranked teams. Went to the Deep South and seal-clubbed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The same Alabama that was ranked No. 1 for five weeks. The same Alabama that went undefeated in the regular season. The same Alabama that Florida beat in order to get INTO the BCS Championship game in the first place.

FIND ME ANYBODY ELSE THAT WENT UNDEFEATED. THIRTEEN-AND-ZERO. BEAT FOUR RANKED TEAMS. WENT TO THE DEEP SOUTH AND SEAL-CLUBBED ALABAMA IN THE SUGAR BOWL.

Yeah, that's how it is now in the shameful, money-grubbing world of college football. If you're Florida and you beat Alabama, you get a seat in the title game. If you're Utah, you get a seat on your sofa.

Hey, remind me: What do they give out for one of those BCS things anyway? It's been so long since I cared. Something from Sears? This is the sixth year in the past 10 that the title has been in dispute under this cash-grab, fan-dis, monopoly that the BCS has created. Which is why the title game just doesn't matter anymore. It's like being named Miss Ogallala. Or Best Amish Electrician.

Just take a look at the teams that think they're worthy of being called national champs:
USC? Great year. Wonderful. Let's all go to SkyBar and celebrate. But it lost to Oregon State, a team Utah beat.

Texas? You think beating Ohio State by a nubby three points gets you the title? The Big Ten was 1-6 in bowl games! That's like pinning David Spade!

Florida and Oklahoma? They lost. Utah never did.

So that's it. Utah is the national champion. The Utes should probably have two now, actually. They went undefeated in 2004, too, and their coach still thinks they were the best team in the land. Smart fella named Urban Meyer. Coaches Florida now.

By the way, we're calling our title the "national" championship because it actually includes the whole nation­—all 119 Division I schools—unlike the BCS, which includes 66. Yeah, the BCS somehow eliminated the middleman—the NCAA. The conferences these schools play in take their dump trucks full of cash straight from the TV networks and fairness can go suck a lemon.

The Utes won't get the trophy they really deserve, so we gave them one of our own design.

Photo Credit: Nettie Tien

Do me a favor. Call Ohio State president Gordon Gee and ask him why he won't support a playoff. He's one of the most powerful presidents in the NCAA. He could get it done. If he says anything other than, "We don't want to share the loot" then you know he's lying his bow tie off.
"This is not how we normally do things in America," says Utah president Michael Young. "In America, quality usually wins, not conspiracy. And there's a reason people usually enter into a conspiracy. It's money. You make money doing it. And those that are in on the conspiracy want to stay in and keep everybody else out."
Sure, BCS blowhards will hand you schlock about how the college football season is like a playoff, how it's an elimination tournament every week. Really? Well, how come Florida and Oklahoma weren't eliminated with their losses? Utah ran the table, beat everybody set in front of them, including Ala-damn-bama in no less than the Sugar Bowl, and gets the bagel.
Oh, by the way? It was Utah's eighth straight bowl win, the nation's longest streak. Among the losers during that run? Let's see USC, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and now the legendary Houndstooth Hats.
"What else do we have to prove?" asks Utah's magical quarterback, Brian Johnson. Good question. He and the Utes essentially whipped Alabama at home. Handed Nick Saban a garlic necklace to wear the entire off-season. Stepped on his team's neck 21-0 in the first three possessions and never looked back. Let's see. Who was it that was losing to Alabama until nearly six minutes into the fourth quarter? Oh, yeah. Florida.
What, you want the Utes to win a spelling bee? Make a prize-winning souffle? Knock up Angelina Jolie? What?
It just slays me. It really does.
Call Myles Brand, president of the asleep-at-the-wheel NCAA, and ask him if he and his greedy presidents are going to stand in defiance of president-elect Barack Obama, who wants a playoff and wants it yesterday.
Ask Brand what he's going to do if Obama starts asking the Justice Department to look into anti-trust hearings against the BCS. The Utah Attorney General has already launched an investigation into that very thing. Or ask him what he'll do if Obama asks the Department of Education to consider withholding federal funds from these schools that have entered into this secret club called the BCS. You don't think playing in the title game means millions in general-fund donations for a school? That's as unfair as anything Title IX fought against.
Until all these people do the right thing, I'll be celebrating with the true national champions—the undefeated, untied Utah Utes.