FanNation

Golden Ticket

A "Golden Ticket." That's the offer I put on the table today. For a student. Or two. Maybe more. Depends on who recognizes it for its potential.

I last saw her in high school. She sat in front of me in math class during my senior year. We were good friends. I played the trusting confidant well, all the while secretly possessing a mad crush. 

"You have a 'firm' now?" I said. "Your own firm? How. How did this happen?" (after 25 years, finally a phone conversation).

After high school, she took her talent in art on the road, showing her portfolio to anyone who'd listen. Won awards, received praise, earned not enough. Then got married. Became a stay at home mom after getting into a wreck on the way to an art exhibit. "Put things in perspective" (liitle did she know what was just around the bend).

Had three children in a short period of time. Divorced soon after. No job, no child support, no college degree.

Next came food stamps and charity. Down and out with no future; brought her to a temporary agency. Took the only job available. One day, a job posting announced a full time job. Needed to type a certain amount of words per minute. No can do. Applied anyway. Got an interview. Was asked, "What are your hopes and dreams?" You're kidding right? I'd like to have my own design company. "No you're kidding," the woman responded. "That's actually the job we're looking to fill but we couldn't advertise it like that."

Time, training, and education later (paid for by the company), she was able to move a little closer. Later came a position with an advertising agency. Moving closer. Freelanced at night (gotta pay the bills, single mother with three kids, you do what you have to do), made some contacts, did some design work for some smaller clients. Build yourself back up. When you been down you find out stuff. 

"A firm, but how? What was the turning point?"

In my car one night, I thought about calling ..........(an NFL team which I promised "her" I would not reveal) and asking them who did their public relations, design, creative work, whatever I could do. Too scared. Not ready to jump yet. A woman in the NFL business?  Do it, make the call. Been down.

"Hello, may I speak to the person in charge of public relations?" Got through with a cold call. You're kidding, right? Introduced myself. Told him I wanted to know who did their creative work. Could I just have 30 minutes of his time to show him my "book?"

He'd seen lots of creative types, but none could ever deliver in the end. Good ideas, no follow through. That 30 minutes became an hour. "Just give me a chance. If you don't like my work, you don't have to pay me a dime."

Team yearbook cover later, the contract was signed. I had a contract with an NFL team to do creative work for them. Kidding, right?

Found in Translation

Here's the following real life meanings for the following statements uttered on the golf course:

1. "I'm a working stiff just like you Mike." - you ain't getting much of a tip

2. "How long did you say you've been caddying here?"- I don't think you know what you're talking about

3. "This putt's all about speed." - you have no way of making this putt OR I have no idea which way this putt breaks

My Wife is Clueless

She really is.

Six years ago, I worked part time as the starter at a golf course less than two miles from my home. It was my weekend and summer job. Six bucks an hour to stand around for 8-10 hours a day. Then I met the caddymaster at Somerset Hills Country Club who happened to be playing at the course where I worked. I had heard that Somerset was one of the best courses in New Jersey (and the U.S. for that matter) so I asked him what I had to do to play that venerable course. It was a Sunday. He goes, "What are you doing tomorrow?" To which I queried, "Playing golf at Somerset Hills?" And so began my second life as a caddy as that next day I would not only play Somerset, but would also be asked to caddy there.

Big Brown Derby Stains

I'm no horse racing fan by any measure of anything. I know absolutely nothing about the sport other than that as a kid (in the mid/late 70's) the Triple Crown seemed very doable.

I was listening to WFAN up here in the New York area this morning on the way home from caddying. I heard the host, Richard Neer, interviewing New York Times William Rhoden (who wrote an article in today's NYTimes) about yesterday's Kentucky Derby and the unfortunate ending that cost the only philly in the race her life after breaking both of her front legs. For a moment, the author seemed to be trying to suggest that horse racing is only a second cousin away from dog fighting amongst the pantheon of sports of the rich, famous, and bored amongst us. I turned off the interview. Was he nuts!

Straight A Shooter

Wanna get better grades? Many readers of this blog are still in school. This post is especially for you (and anyone else looking to do better academically).

The book called Getting Straight A's by Gordon Green helped me do just that. Here's the link on Amazon.com for those interested in checking it out: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Straight-Gordon-Green-Jr/dp/0818405716 

Anyway, the techniques discussed in the book are mostly common sense in nature, simple to follow, and simple to implement. Notice I didn't use the word "easy." To me, one of the most challenging concepts to teach my students is the difference between "simple" and "easy." In golf, putting is the "simplest" stroke, but it's not "easy" to master." Very much the same with doing well in school.