Another windy morning GOOD MORNING!!! to you all! Yup, WIND AGAIN! When is Congress going to do something about this miserable wind? Never mind. All the “wind” they blow only will add to the problem.
Monday Musings Ed-vise today. Cause it’s MONDAY! So GET AFTER IT!
For those who wonder, Musing means a time of thought and reflection. Who says you don’t learn stuff.
I was Musing on Damar Hamlin this weekend as the NFL starts the road to playoffs and wild cards. Not one single game failed to discuss Hamlin. Which, I think, is a good thing. It’s good to hear that he is awake and gaining strength. Was even able to talk to his team.
Very cool and I am happy for him and his family.
Throughout the history of football, there have been comparisons between it and the military. Between the game itself and battles fought during a time of war. Comparing the QB or the coach to various ranks in the military. Most often about leadership on the field.
What I Mused about was the Hamlin situation and the events shortly thereafter.
Recall that Hamlin did the tackle, then dropped on the field. Medical staff came out and did a great job saving him. All the players took a knee and prayed for their friend to recover. Remember this is probably an event they had never seen before.
Then, the coaches came together and the players left the field. The Bills coach, Sean McDermott, went to the hospital with Hamlin. He informed the Cincinnati coach that he needed to go to the hospital and could not coach the game.
Fair enough.
This is not a criticism of him or any of the players. It is a thought piece to show the difference between the military world and the civilian worlds.
Many would agree that the actions of the coaches to pull the plug on the game was the right thing to do. Shows humanity and a love of the players AND I COULD NOT AGREE MORE with their actions.
Understand that if this were the military, the GAME WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED. The game would have been played just as hard if not harder.
See, in the military, only one thing matters: THE MISSION. That’s it. Nothing more. It take precedents over self, family, friends, God, all of it. No matter what it is MISSION FIRST.
Soldiers and sailors on the front lines get hurt. Sometimes they get killed. Sometimes they get divorced. Sometimes their spouses back home have babies. Sometimes their family members pass away or their house burns down or whatever other disaster might befall a human. Despite that, the mission goes on.
The soldier or sailor might leave the mission. Ends up going to the hospital. Sometimes ends up leaving the theater of operation only to return a bit later. Everyone else keeps on fighting. Everyone else stays on mission.
The leader of those teams, in a military world, would have rallied the troops to keep going. The coach would not have left for the one player. He would have stayed to complete the mission. Why? Because MISSION is all that matters.
Now, to help the military leaders do their job, all the soldiers (or at least most of them) are indoctrinated to understand that mission is all that matters. We understand that. We educate our families on that. Plus, just like Jimmy Dugan said in A League of Their Own “God knows we have a game.” So even God understands that Mission, in a soldier or sailors mind, is IT.
So, a bit of Ed-vise for the NFL/ football lovers: if you want to compare football to the military world…DON’T.
If an athlete wants to compare themselves to a soldier or sailor: DON’T. The comparison just isn’t there.
I’m just saying
That’s it for today. Take care of yourselves. Check in on each other and remember toilet paper rolls down hill in order to…GET TO THE BOTTOM! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA…the bottom (tear).
Peace
Ed-vise 