For the most part, I believe that sports should be taken for what it is: entertainment. Although people like myself, and many others, think of sports as more than entertainment, that's all it really is. When people think of examples of "entertainment," the first types of entertainment that probably come to the minds of most are things like films or music, and these are great examples. We are entertained when we go to the movie theatre. We are entertained when we go see a live musical performance.
However, just because many people might see acting or singing as a sort of dream job that most people would love to have, it is important to remember that actors and musicians still do in fact have to "go to work" each and every day. Granted, composing records or acting in comedies may be far more fun than construction work or secretarial work, these things are all jobs. If you get to be a part of a band and record an album, it may be a lot of fun, but if your album flops, you have failed at your job just like any construction worker or secretary would fail if they were fired.
I think the line really gets hard to see in athletic professions. There are people of all colors and creeds throughout the world that dream of being professional athletes or coaches. Kids are much more likely to imagine themselves as Bill Mazeroski hitting a home run to win the World Series or Vince Lombardi being carried off the field by his team as a champion than they are to imagine themselves getting that important proposition in that leads to financial growth or completing the first subway line that will revolutionize travel in New York City. For that reason, I think we are far too quick to characterize anyone who has a job in professional or collegiate sports as lucky. Just because these men or women are doing something we wish we could do does not make them lucky. It makes them more qualified to do a job that we wish we could have.
That is why when the University of Colorado fired its head football coach, Jon Embree, this past week, it was a true demonstration of why careers in sports are still jobs, and not lifetime pleasure passes. On the surface, Embree's resume as the head coach of Colorado was horrendous. In two years as the head coach, Embree led the Buffaloes to a combined record of 4-21, and his teams lost by an average score of 41-19. There is absolutely no questioning the fact that those numbers are terrible. So, by looking at just those numbers alone, one could say that Embree's firing was completely justified. However, during Embree's farewell press conference, he pointed out a few things that have stirred up some controversy over the past few days.
What Embree's main focus was on was the fact that he was black. He stated that he felt like his job at Colorado was ended prematurely because of the color of his skin, and that he doubted, because of that, that he would ever be able to get another head coaching position at the college level again. And before anyone says that his statement is nonsense, you need to know that there has only been one black head coach in the history of college football that has been fired and has been granted another shot at a head coaching job at the college level. That was Tyrone Willingham, who was the head coach at both Stanford and Notre Dame. So, as outlandish as some may say Embree's comments are, the fact remains that over a century's worth of history says he will not get another shot to be a head coach at the collegiate level again.
Second, Embree focused on the fact that he had originally signed a five-year contract with Colorado. Just that by itself would be considered unfair by many. The man signed a five-year contract, but after two years, he was dismissed. The length of the contract of a head coach is especially important at the college level. Since Embree inherited a team that was constructed completely by another head coach, it was not as if he had a chance to truly make the team his own. As a college head coach, you are usually judged upon how well you can recruit players, and logically, it would take four years of recruiting before Embree could have a team that was truly his own. After only two years, there were still a number of players on the roster that he had not recruited. It is true that the best coaches would be able to win with any players that they are given, but for a first time head coach like Embree, I think it would be rational to at least give him four years to prove what he could do with a roster of players that was truly his own. The administration at Colorado apparently did not agree with me there.
Next, in what I think was probably the most flawed part of Embree's argument that he was prematurely fired, was the fact that his predecessor Dan Hawkins, a white man, held the head coaching position at Colorado for five years. Over that period of time, Hawkins led the Buffaloes to a combined record of 22-40, with an average margin of defeat of 28-22. That is a whole lot better than what Embree's teams did. To make the comparison more equal, over the first two seasons of Hawkins' tenure, Colorado went a combined 8-17 with an average margin of defeat of 26-22. That is a huge difference not only when taking into account Hawkins' entire tenure, but his first two years as well. From year one to year two, Hawkins' teams went from 2-10 to 6-7. From year one to year two, Embree's teams went from 3-10 to 1-11. That means, not only were Embree's teams regressing in terms of record, but they were also regressing in terms of margin of defeat. At least over Dan Hawkins' first two seasons, the team markedly improved in all aspects.
So, I understand those who say that Embree should have at least been able to coach out the length of his contract. However, I also understand why the university felt it was correct in moving in another direction. There is absolutely no doubting the fact that Embree's first two years on the job were far worse than Hawkins' first two years on the job. The color of their skin plays no part in proving that.
I hope Embree can land on his feet somewhere and possibly one day get another shot at a head coaching job. Nevertheless, I go back to my original point about sports still being a business. The University of Colorado hired Embree with the hope that he could move the football program in the right direction. Although he may not have been given an ample amount of time to do so, he still failed at his job. His skin color may have played a role in his firing. The only people that know that for sure are the administrators at the University of Colorado. However, the facts are the facts. Jon Embree did not perform well enough at his profession to satisfy the demands of his superiors. And although it is okay to feel bad for him for losing his job, one must also see the situation from the other end of the spectrum and understand that his performance was far from what was expected of him. If he was a construction worker, a secretary, or a football coach, then that is reason enough to be relieved of your duties.
Daily Giants Update: A very nice 38-10 win this past Sunday really makes me feel a lot better. While some people are saying it was the most completely dominant performance of the season, I still think our wins in Carolina and San Francisco were more complete. Nonetheless, it was great to see. We now sit at 7-4, with a nice grip of first place in the NFC East. Next up is a Monday Night showdown on the road against the Redskins. I was given a full lesson in "RG3-ology" the last time we played Washington, so this is by no means an easy game. A win will give us a stranglehold on the top spot in the division. A loss...well...I'd rather not think about that. Let's Go Giants!
Daily Nets Update: A win over the Knicks the other night was great and it seems like we might actually have an inter-borough rivalry brewing here between Brooklyn and Manhattan. At 9-4, the Nets are now tied with the Knicks for the second best record in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, the Nets will travel to Boston for a showdown with the Celtics.
As far as the Rangers and Diamondbacks go, there is not much new to report. Sadly, the NHL is still in the midst of yet another lockout, and as the days go by, it seems less and less likely that we will actually get any NHL games at all this season. After such a great year not only for the Rangers, but for the league in general, it is really a shame that this is happening again.
Justin Upton is still a Diamondback too, so that means we are getting closer and closer to Opening Day and we still have our superstar on the roster!
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