CHOICES

My blogs usually reflect sort of a balance sheet approach. It's not necessarily a permanent view - just kinda where I am then.

Some times it's in a place of anger. Sometimes it's just melancholia.

It's therapy just as are many of the choices we make each day - some good - some not-so-good.

After catching up with the sports columns in the Post-Gazette this morning, I puzzled over the choice recently made by Todd Graham, Pitt's less than one year tenured head football coach.

After making several promises to both the Pitt administration - and more importantly - his players - to build an elite football program Graham suddenly left the team to become Arizona State's head coach.

He announced his decision via an e-mail that he asked one of the team administrators to send on to the players.

To me that was not only a bad choice but one that was cowardly.
Graham claimed his choice in communication was dictated by circumstances surrounding his new team.

Yesterday, two of the Pittsburgh Steeler's safeties went into a basement room and proceeded to chat and sign footballs for kids - most living in poverty - as part of a program entitled "Dads Helping Dads" - a good choice.

Continuing my sports thoughts, I read the latest on the NFL's decision to refuse to change their mind on Steeler Linebacker James Harrison's decision to once more make yet another helmet to helmet hit, this time on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy who also will not take the field for his teams next game.

Whether it was a good or bad choice by the NFL to refuse James' one game suspension appeal would require the ability to replay the hit and see if McCoy did lower his helmet to avoid the hit - as alleged - or if McCoy even had time to make the choice.

Harrison's appeal was via a phone call. Maybe he had no choice.

His decision to make that hit cost him over $70,000 - one day's pay - and the loss of a valuable athlete to help the Steelers in their game against the 49'ers this Monday night.

Steeler Coach Mike Tomlin also is facing a choice - whether or not to play his star quarterback who is hobbled by yet another injury.

A professional football teams fortunes or misfortunes, while important at the time, will be forgotten down the road by probably even their most fanatical followers.Here's hoping Mike makes the right choice.

The NCAA recently made a choice not to allow winning high school basketball teams to play their championships in the home arenas of several high powered college basketball teams.

They said that it might unduly influence their decision as to where they would play college basketball down the road.

One has to assume that college recruiting trips by these same athletes to the many other schools vying for their talent do not include a glimpse of their facilities. Interesting choice.

Having finished the PG's electronic sport pages I retreated to our back porch with a cup of coffee and my current crutch du jour.

Seated there, I enjoyed the soft breeze - 80 degree weather, solitude, and the view of the beautiful island my wife Phyl designed and landscaped - including the fountain for which I campaigned mightily. Good choice.

Like just about all of those folks who occasionally peruse this blog, I have made some good choices and some that fall into the not-so-good category.

In my most introspective moments I am assured that some of those choices have hurt others, just as the choices of others have hurt me. Hopefully, I have done appropriate penance for my own actions and moved on. But, then again, that's my choice.

Ultimately, it's up to all of us to assess the choices we have made - or not if we believe those choices need revisiting.

Our choice of residence may have been guided by a desire to be close to family, the demands and/or availability of a job or just the normal creature comforts many seek. Some folks are not that privileged and have limited choices in that regard.


I'm convinced that any successful analysis of our choice resolution ultimately requires an examination of both head and heart and the use of a designed homeostatic process that is available for healing.

But, then again, that exam is our choice to pursue - or not.

I'm glad to have made my choice to reside on the Gulf coast of Florida with my wife Phyl and our Florida acquired miniature Chihuahu, Bella, to assist me with my occasional processing - and maybe even my tan.

So far - so good.