Kevin DeShazo

Amazing.

What’s your favorite song that’s been covered by another artist, and who covered it?

I’ve been digesting this for a few weeks now, since ESPN failed journalism on a historic level by airing “The Decision.”  As we know, The Decision has been made.  LeBron James left Cleveland to hang out with friends in Miami.  Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers wasn’t thrilled.  He wrote a letter, featured in The Plain Dealer, Cleveland’s local newspaper, referring to LeBron as a “narcissist, coward, self-proclaimed ‘King’” and declared that Cleveland would win a championship before the “cursed” LeBron James would.  Strong words from an NBA owner.  Honestly, I am a fan of Gilbert’s letter.  People criticize him for it, but if Mark Cuban did it, people would be praising his passion in defending his team.  I want an owner that fights for my team.  That being said, Gilbert holds a significant share of the responsibility with the entire LeBron debacle.  He made a lot of mistakes along the way.  Mistakes that many organizations make as well.  Mistakes that we need to learn from.  Here are 4 lessons that organizations and leaders can learn from this mess:

1.  One man does not make a team (or company). Cleveland never won a championship in LeBron James’ seven years.  Only made it to the Finals once.  They had what was arguably the best player in the league (along with Kobe).  Zero championships.  For all the hoopla around how great LeBron is, he couldn’t make the team great.  Companies are the same way.  One stellar employee doesn’t make you a great company.  You cannot get from good to great without a team.  Grow your team, not just your star.

2.  Treat all employees the same. This may start some arguments.  Gilbert made a huge mistake when it came to LeBron.  He let LeBron pick his coach (Mike Brown), pick his teammates (Mo Williams, Shaq, etc), pick his itinerary.  He got his coach fired (Mike Brown).  LeBron’s friends got high-paying jobs in the organization (friends with no college degrees that had no business working for an NBA organization).  LeBron got anything and everything he wanted.  He was The King.  He was Cleveland’s own.  He was the best, so they gave him everything in order to satisfy him.  To keep him.   All for nothing.   All for a great player that delivered no rings.  And in pro sports, rings define success.  He got everything, the organization (and team) got nothing (exaggerating a bit here).  Treat your employees the same.  Superstar employees don’t deserve special treatment.  It breeds resentment, lack of trust, and ruins a team.  I’ve seen it happen.  Gilbert wouldn’t stand up to LeBron, and it cost him dearly.  Nobody is above the team.

3.  Have people that can tell you “no.” At some point, somebody had to tell Gilbert he was making a mistake in the way he dealt with LeBron.  It seems clear to me that the only person he would listen to was LeBron.  Anybody that wanted to stand up to LeBron, got fired (see: Mike Brown, Danny Ferry).  As a result, Gilbert not only lost his star player, but he lost a good coach and good GM.  Gilbert needed to have a “no-man.”  Every leader needs that person.  They might just be the most valuable person in an organization.

4.  Have a backup plan. LeBron left.  Cleveland is now left with a lineup that strikes fear into only a little league team.  LeBron hadn’t communicated with Gilbert or anybody in the Cleveland organization for several weeks.  They had to have known he was leaving.  Yet they had no backup plan.  They were one of the top teams in the league the past few years.  They now immediately go back to being a low-rung NBA team, regardless of how much passion Gilbert’s letter had.  Always have a plan in place.  Treat people as though they are irreplaceable, but have a plan to replace them, as harsh as that sounds (re-read number 1).

What would you add to this list?

It seems like every summer Megan and I start watching a new show.  Let’s face it, the summer tv selection is pretty dim.  Outside of So You Think You Can Dance and Wipeout, you’ve got nothing.  And we all know the new format of SYTYCD is pretty lame.  I mean, there’s no reason to have a top 10 rather than a top 20, just to bring back has-beens from years past.  Dominic was creepy during his original time on the show.  We don’t need more of that.  Less Dominic, that’s what we need.  Wait, guys don’t watch SYTYCD?  Me either.

Last summer, we started Heroes.  We got hooked, got caught up on past seasons, then they cancelled it.  Time, wasted.  This year our summer show is Friday Night Lights.  We watched one of the new episodes and decided, “Hey, this is pretty legit.  We need to get caught up on this.”  Three weeks later we are almost finished with Season 3 (thank you Netflix streaming on the Wii.).  One word: dominating.  This show might be my all-time favorite.  Better than Seinfeld.  Better than House.  Better than LOST.  Did I just say “better than LOST?”  Believe it kids. Look, I went to High School at one of the top football schools in the country.  We won the state championship every year from my 8th grade year until a year after I graduated (that would be 6 years in a row).  We have multiple players playing Division 1 football and in the NFL.  High School football was kind of a big deal for us.  And everybody hated us for it (which I am still, amazingly enough, reminded of to this day every time I say where I went to HS).  For the record, I weighed approximately 72lbs in high school, so no, I wasn’t collecting rings.  My high school memories are part of what draws me to Friday Night Lights.  Outside of that, the characters (and actors) are amazing.  Anybody would want their kid to play for coach Eric Taylor.  His motto is: Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.  Freaking love that.  It also makes me rethink High School.  I look back on it and think about the people I judged without knowing their situation.  Who did I make fun of who was living at home, without any parents, having to care for their sick grandmother?  Who did I ignore that lived with an alcoholic waste of a mother?  We all knew these people.  We stayed away from them because they were “dirty” or “bad influences” or “not going anywhere with their life.”  Really, we just didn’t take the time to know their stories.  Hopefully I can convince my son to do it differently.

Check out this clip from the end of Season 1.  The star QB, Jason Street (think Peyton Manning, JR), takes a nasty hit during a game that puts him in the hospital.  The team, and the town, is trying to figure out how to cope.

Are you a fan of Friday Night Lights?  What is your favorite show?

Last night LeBron James, the self-proclaimed “King”, made a decision about his future.  A decision that has been hyped by ESPN for the last two years, in expectation of “The Summer of LeBron.”  A decision culminating in a one hour special on ESPN dubbed “The Decision.”  LeBron James was a Free Agent.  For non-sports fans, this is like The Bachelor.  They sign on for “marriage” and are engaged for approximately 8 months.  Once that time is up, they break-up, have a TV special about it, and are free to be with other people.  Get it?  LeBron could’ve have met with teams in their cities.  In their offices.  Instead, he made them come to his downtown Cleveland offices (yes, he has offices for his “company”) and present to him why he should come to their respective teams.  This video was part of the Cavs presentation.  Disgusting.  I’ve been a basketball fan my entire life.  I grew up watching Michael Jordan dominate the NBA.  I’m not sure I’ve ever been more disappointed in a player or a league as I was last night.  So, as a fan, here are 10 thoughts regarding “The Decision”:

1.  It isn’t about why LeBron left Cleveland, it’s about how he left Cleveland.  It was his home.  Every hope for a professional championship for the city of Cleveland rested on his shoulders.  They adore(d) him.  Worshipped him.  He held a one hour special to rip their hearts out?  And from all reports, the organization didn’t know his decision until it came out of his mouth on ESPN?  He didn’t have to re-sign with them.  He doesn’t owe them that.  But he does owe them respect.

2.  LeBron will never be MJ.  Or Kobe.  Or even DWade.  Heck, right now DWade is more MJ than LeBron is.  LeBron is now Scottie Pippen 2.0.  He couldn’t win championships with the role players he had in Cleveland.  I mean, he couldn’t get good enough players to come to Cleveland with him.  Yeah, that’s what I meant.  He has to settle for being second fiddle in Miami.  DWade’s town.  His team.  LeBron is now the sidekick.  I don’t think he will handle that well.  At all.

3.  LeBron isn’t the only athlete with an ego.  Let’s face it, the greatest athletes in the world, Kevin Durant aside, are selfish.  Michael Jordan may have the biggest ego on the planet.  That is, until last night.  Jordan screamed at his teammates, degraded his teammates, fought his teammates.  But Jordan won.  A lot.  He demanded greatness from his teammates and they gave him greatness.  If the media existed in Jordan’s era like it did today, most of us wouldn’t be Jordan fans.  (not to mention the fact that he cheated on his wife numerous times, resulting in their divorce)

4.  I love Kevin Durant.

5.  The Miami Heat will not win a championship with DWade, LeBron and Bosh.  Wade and LeBron are the same player.  They won’t be able to share.  This isn’t the Olympics.  If he wanted to win, he would’ve gone to the Bulls, in my opinion.  I don’t think the Heat can beat the Lakers.  DWade and Bosh, before adding LeBron, had a better chance to win.

6.  Never, ever is it ok to refer to yourself in the third person.  LeBron did this several times last night.  “LeBron James had to do what was best for LeBron James.  It came down to what was best for LeBron James and his family.”  Stop it.

7.  All this hype for a quitter?  LeBron has quit on his team in the last to NBA Playoffs.  Then whined, refused to shake hands and give press conferences.  And he has zero rings.  So why were teams catering to him?  Anybody?  Anybody?

8.  Kobe Bryant is on a mission.  You know he is praying that the Lakers make to the Finals and get to play the Heat.

9.  To LeBron’s credit, he is taking less money to go with Miami.  As much as it is about Brand LeBron, he legitimately thinks he has the best chance to win in Miami.  I disagree, but he took less money to go there.  Though given Florida’s tax laws, that’s debatable.  One pseudo-admirable move.

10.  I love Kevin Durant.

11.  We are all witnesses.  To something.  I just don’t know what to yet.  But it isn’t good. (I know, it’s 11.  But I really like Kevin Durant)

What did you think about The Decision?

It’s 4th of July weekend.  A weekend where we remember our freedom.  Remember those that fought and died for it.  Remember those that are still fighting for it.  And we blow stuff up.  Fireworks are obviously a big part of 4th of July.  Before you attempt to put on a show that would make Steven Spielberg and James Cameron cry, watch this video from my friend Brad – give a few weeks back at IgniteOKC.  Enjoy.

Happy 4th of July!

First, we had the Swagger Wagon.  Now, Dad Life.  This was done by Church On The Move out of my hometown of Tulsa, OK.  Enjoy.

Yep.  That just happened.

It is here. June 24, 2010. The day of the iPhone 4 release. It seems many of my friends are in line waiting for their local Apple stores to open. Lines of over 300 people. Waiting for a phone. Amazing. I have yet to order mine. It hurts just typing that sentence. Megan, on the other hand, did pre-order. This will be her first iPhone (nice way to break into the iPhone world). And it arrived. Yesterday. When I checked the status and it said “Delivered: On Porch” (really, that’s what it said) I freaked out. Then I got home and tested the little piece of glory out. Here’s my review:

Wow. That’s it. There’s nothing else I can say.  Just, wow.

Are you getting the new iPhone?

I’ll admit it.  I’m one of “those” Americans.  You know what I’m talking about.  Those who hate soccer for 3.9 out of 4 years then acts excited about it during the World Cup.  I have no problem admitting that.  I didn’t play soccer growing up, don’t really understand it, but I can get excited about the World Cup.  But it is new for me.  I didn’t love it until four years ago.  It was just after March Madness, and we had hired a guy from Portugal at our office.  He saw how we pretty much shut down the office for the basketball tournament, with brackets covering our walls.  He innocently asked, “So what do you guys do for the World Cup?”  Really?  My response was, “Uh, work.”  He was crushed.  The World Cup came around, I saw how passionate he was about it, and I started watching some games.  He shared stories about how, during Portugal games, the entire country shuts down.  People fill pubs, pour into the streets, sing, dance and cheer together for the entirety of the game.  So I found myself glued to the TV.  I loved seeing countries come together and screaming their brains out for 90 minutes, shaking stadiums with their unified chants.  I was blown away.  The US only gets that unified over the Twilight Saga and its hatred for Britney Spears.  I found myself staying up late to watch games.  Getting up early to watch games.  I was watching soccer.  The one sport I had always hated (besides hockey, which still sucks).

It ended, Italy won, and I didn’t care about soccer anymore.  Four years later, the World Cup is back.  And I’ve been pumped.  I’ve watched as many games as I can – mostly online, but still.  The US had a huge match against England that ended in a tie.  I know, I know, ties are ridiculous.  I agree, but still it was a riveting game and the US was lucky to come out with a tie (thanks to England’s weak goal keeper).  Then came Slovenia.  The US was down 2-0.  Not good.  The second half was amazing.  Landon Donovan, a guy I can’t stand, had a ridiculous goal.  2-1.  Then Bradley scored.  2-2.  Game on.  In the final 10 minutes, Edu scored.  Game, set, match, US.  Wait, it didn’t count?  There was a penalty?  Of what?  On who?  Questions we still don’t have answers to, but it was ridiculous.  Here’s a picture of the US getting bear hugged on the goal.  Not sure where the US penalty was:

The US tied.  Hearts broken.  Outrage.  Suddenly America is interested in soccer.  Amazingly, the team handled it well.  Then Algeria.  Win and you advance.  Lose and you go home.  Tie and you still need some help.  I was impressed, the US came out firing.  Barely missing on some shots, but playing well.  Then Dempsey scores!  Wait, what?!  Offsides?  Clearly FIFA hates the United States.  Their quality control is worse than BP’s.  Here’s the mysterious off-sides:

If I’m the US, I probably quit right there.  Either that or have Dempsey, a Texan, calf-rope the ref into submission.  Ridiculous.  The US had what seemed like 10 shots on goal that barely missed.  England had scored in their match against Slovenia, so the US had to score in order to not go home.  Honestly, the US deserved to beat Algeria.  They had played incredible.  But after 90 minutes, 0-0.  They were awarded 4 minutes of extra time (something I still don’t understand, but sure do love right now).  45 seconds into extra time, Landon Donovan scored.  The US would go on to not only win the game, but win their group and advance.  Redemption.  I could watch this all day.

Go Soccer.  Go America.

Though I have a definite affinity for U2, that love didn’t quite take hold until I saw them last fall in concert.  I talked a little bit about that here.  One of my favorite U2 songs – one I presume is one of everybody’s favorite U2 songs – is With or Without You.  Pretty powerful song, right?  Right.  There have been times that I’ve wondered if somebody would play that song on an acoustic guitar.  What if they didn’t sing, but played those parts too?   What if that somebody was a 15 yr old Asian kid sitting in a pasty yellow hallway?  If you are like me and you’ve asked yourself those questions, then this video is for you:

What is your favorite U2 song?

photo by chris landsberger, The Oklahoman

Last week I wrote this post, giving my thoughts about the madness that was happening in college football.  The Big 12 was crumbling and teams were making a mass exodus towards other conferences.  The Pac 10 was becoming the Pac 16, Nebraska was in the Big 10 and college football as we knew it was forever changed.  Or not.

As it turns out, nothing major happened.  Nebraska left for the Big 10 (now Big 12?) and Colorado bolted for the Pac 10 (11?).  And that’s it.  Yesterday it was announced that the Big 12′s remaining 10 teams would stick together.  Texas and OU will get to have their own TV networks, and every school in the conference will get some serious cash.  Texas and OU will get an additional $20mil per year, while other schools will double their current amount, receiving at least $14mil.  The sickening thing about this, and those figures, it that we are talking about amateur athletes.  The schools just got significantly richer, while the athletes will continue to get abused.  I don’t know what the answer is in terms of fixing this problem, but it disgusts me.  Schools preach academics.  The NCAA does whatever it can do to penalize schools and players whenever a player accepts a gift (whether it be cash or otherwise).  USC just got 2 years probation, lost 30 scholarships and forfeited wins because a player 6 years ago accepted gifts from an agent.  Yet the schools of the Big 12 just added $14-20mil to their checkbook because of these same players?  Right.

Back to the non-conference-realignment.  Honestly, I was excited about the possibility of the new Pac 16.  I thought it was a good thing for the Big 12 and for Oklahoma State University, my alma mater.  That being said, I am excited that the Big 12 is sticking together, minus Nebraska and Colorado.  It dropped two weak links in basketball, and two weak links in football.  Yes, I know that Nebraska has a strong tradition in football.  But they’ve had 3 losing seasons in the past 6 years.  And they play in the Big 12 North.  Not exactly great football.  I’m not sad to see them go.  What I’m not sad about?  Playing Kansas twice a year in basketball (Yes, they are good.  Really good.  But I like watching good teams play).  Playing Texas twice a year in basketball (same as above).  Round robin football schedule, playing every team every year – though I still wish we would have a conference championship game.

So here we are, 5 days later, with nothing really changing.  Texas played their hand incredibly well and got what it wanted – it’s own TV network.  And a boatload of cash.  The other teams tagged right along, knowing that Texas was their meal-ticket.  It’s not the best way to run an organization, but it worked.  For now.

Thoughts?