By Jim Vallet and Robert Perea
My brother-in-law, who lives about a mile from us, told me a funny story about his 16-year old son, Brenden.
Brenden just got his first car - a five-year old Subaru.
Brenden and his two sisters have one of those portable basketball hoops that you can fill with water and make them kind of stable. When the wind blows, the basketball hoop tends to blow over and fall right next to where Brenden and his father park their vehicles, so they lay the hoop down so it won’t fall and damage either Brenden’s car or his father’s truck.
Brenden came home one windy day recently and saw that the hoop might fall and damage either his or his father’s vehicle. So, instead of laying the hoop down or moving both vehicles, Brenden moved his car slightly forward so the hoop that might fall would not fall on his car, ignoring his father’s truck that was parked right next to his Subaru.
Not surprisingly, the hoop fell right on his father’s truck. When Brenden’s father discovered the fallen hoop and the crushed truck, Brenden’s first reaction was to express thanks to God that he had moved his car so the hoop didn’t damage his beloved Subaru. When his father asked him why he hadn’t laid down the hoop or moved his father’s truck, Brenden’s reply was, “I don’t know”.
Many people have asked me how I could put up with the things that kids do without resorting to violence. My answer, then and now, is that I think back on all the stupid things I did as a kid and nobody ever resorted to violence against me.
It’s a good thing because there were many times when, looking back, no jury of their peers would have convicted my parents.
When I was 3, I insisted my 64-year old grandfather walk down a steep hill to get to our fishing spot so I could start fishing 20 or 30 seconds sooner. My grandfather fell and broke his back.
When I was 12, I wanted to reheat a pizza in the days before microwaves. I learned in school that paper ignites at 454 degrees Fahrenheit, so I figured if I wrapped the pizza in newspaper and set the oven to 450 degrees I would be ok. I learned a lesson that day about how accurate oven temperatures are when my mom and I had to put out the flames spewing out of our oven.
When I was 16, (Brenden’s age!) I listened to my friends and didn’t let a driver in front of me in the traffic following a hockey game. My friends weren’t with me when I had to show my dad his smashed car.
Later that same year, I went to the wrong house to pick up my date for the Sophomore Semi-Formal dance. I was laughing until I realized my date and her mom did not see the joke.
When I was 18, I thought it was funny when our German Shepard viciously barked at people passing by in a parking lot. It wasn’t so funny when my dad discovered the damage to his car seat from the dog tearing up the upholstery.
When I was 20, I was put in charge of everyone’s documents as we were on our way to Air Force Basic Training. Everything was cool until we got to Lackland AFB with no proof of who we were because I lost all the documents somewhere along the way. My TI was not amused.
In the movie “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” Tom Hanks, in his role as Mr. Fred Rogers, explains why he is so patient with children and their many foibles, “I remember what I was like and what I did when I was a kid”.
That’s it! That’s it exactly! Empathy and respect for children’s feelings were a big part of the old TV show, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” I remember it came on at 4 p.m. every weekday. I didn’t like the show then, not enough action and no fighting. Another reason to empathize with kids, like when my kids don’t want to watch a great movie because it was filmed in black and white.
So, the next time your kids make you grind your teeth, remember your youth.
Maybe we should do the same with some NFL players. NY Giants OLB Abdul Carter, for the second time this season, was benched for a part of Monday night’s game because of “Unspecified violations”. Team vibe led me to believe that he was again either late or a no-show at a team function. (??!!...dude, it’s your full time job!) Buffalo Bills receiver Keon Coleman missed two games recently due to unspecified team violations. In July, the NFL disciplined 26 players for reselling Super Bowl tickets at above face value (they need the money that bad??!!). Antonio Brown couldn’t just quit his team in the middle of a game and leave, he had to throw off all his upper body equipment and jersey before he left. And, there are countless others.
I guess the solution is to have all NFL players view “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” as part of their game preparation. Because, among other lessons, Mr. Rogers also taught responsibility and accountability.
A couple of words about what I see in the NFL. First, something is off with the Detroit Lions’ offense. Missing Sam LaPorta and Amon Ra St. Brown does not help, but it seems more than that to me. Second, something is wrong with Lamar Jackson. I wonder if his injury is still bothering him. Third, although they are winning, it seems to me that the Denver Broncos should be better. Maybe they’ll get there. Fourth, although both teams lost last week, the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles are the two best teams in the NFL. Fifth, and this is purely anecdotal, playing on Thursday nights is harmful to both the players and their performances. Lastly, the Raiders’ offense is God-awful.
If I could, I would, but I can’t bet against the Detroit Lions. The rest of my picks, against the spread, are below. Lines are from espn.com on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Jacksonville Jaguars (+1 ½) vs Indianapolis Colts Daniel Jones has a broken bone in his leg and two members of the Colts’ defense won’t play. Besides GETTING a point and a half, Jacksonville looks much better, has the #1 rush defense and is at home.
Cleveland Browns (-4 ½) vs Tennessee Titans The Browns don’t look near as bad as Tennessee does.
Denver Broncos (-7 ½) at Las Vegas Raiders Denver will score at least 20 points. Can the Raiders score 13 against the Broncos defense? If you say yes, how?
Chicago Bears (+6 ½) at Green Bay Packers I’m tired of waiting for the Packers to play like I think they should.
Los Angeles Rams (-7 ½) at Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals had to wince when they watched the Panthers upset the Rams, knowing they had to play them next.
Houston Texans (+3 ½) at Kansas City Chiefs Like the Packers, how long can we wait for the Chiefs to play like the Chiefs?
Last week 3-3
Season 49-35
Robert’s picks
Alabama (+2 ½) over Georgia: I was really looking forward to this one until Bama’s Jam Miller left last week’s game against Auburn on crutches. Alabama’s running game struggled for much of the season, until Miller hit his stride after his return from injury, which happened to be against Georgia after missing the first three games. Even without him, I’ll still lean Crimson Tide. Ty Simpson passed for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Bulldogs in that September game. I expect this game to come down to the wire, but I’ll gladly take whatever points they offer me with Alabama..
Virginia (-3 ½) over Duke: Virginia beat Duke by 17 just a couple weeks ago, and seem to have recovered from some sluggish showings in the second half of the season. Aside from winning by 17, they more than doubled Duke’s yardage, and have a clear defensive edge. I expect something similar again.
Jaguars (+2) over Colts: Was it really just four weeks ago that the Colts were 7-1 and Daniel Jones was an MVP candidate? Now they have lost two straight and three of their last four. So is that regression for a team that played over its head for the first half of the season? I’m leaning yes.
Bears (+6 ½) at Packers: This one is for first place in the NFC North, but the Packers have been a terrible favorite this season. They’re 4-6 against the spread as a favorite, with two outright losses and a tie among their six ATS failures. Not a team I trust to win by more than a touchdown.
Chiefs (-3) over Texans: I don’t know if the Chiefs have enough left to make a push for the playoffs, but if they do, we will see an all-out effort here. It’s possible we’ve already seen their all-out effort and it wasn’t good enough, but the Texans have won four straight games that came down to the last minute. They’re prime for the taking, if the Chiefs can just get it done.
Last week
College 3-0
NFL 1-1-1
Season
College 22-19-1
NFL 17-22-1
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