Speaking of Sports Column Archive

Speaking
of
Sports

by
Bernie
Fratto

Coach O’Leary -
A Coach…
And a Teacher Too

3/27/06

The defending Novi Girls Soccer State Champs were a thing to behold in their opener. A convincing 4-1 victory won through the efforts of the entire team.

Freshman Goalie Erin Zerio was impressive in her debut and Novi’s staunch defense was stellar the entire evening.

Hold that thought…

I just got back from the World Baseball Classic, and I got to see Japan play the USA. The USA had players like A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and a host of stars, yet they lost to Canada, Mexico, Korea, and didn’t even make it to the semi-finals. Veteran Buck Martinez managed this squad, and words don’t begin to describe his frustration.

In fact the Final Game was played between Cuba and Japan, and combined, they had a grand total of two Major League players among them. How does this happen?

The USA still has the best training facilities, techniques and amenities. They produce the most worldwide stars and 74 million fans attended Major League Baseball games last season.

However, given the highly commercialized, over saturated world of bling-bling sports stars on the Major League level, they’ve unfortunately kowtowed to selling the sizzle, not the steak. Apparently fundamentals and team play are boring when it comes to pandering for entertainment dollars.

The USA did not play as a team, they waited for the big inning, squandered opportunities and pretty much figured they could show up, throw their gloves on the field… and win.

Same with the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team in Greece back in 2004. They barely managed a Bronze medal even though their team was loaded with NBA stars. And don’t forget they were coached by Hall-of-Famer Larry Brown.

It’s easy to say a team won because they had more talent. But, it takes more than that.

Big props to Coach Brian O’Leary, he’s done what the U.S. Baseball and Basketball teams were unable to do. That is, perform to their potential with selfless team play that works for the greater good.

Coach O’Leary did what fellow Coaches/Managers Larry Brown and Buck Martinez could not do. And in the end the old adage prevailed once again: “A Star might win you win game, but a team could win them all.”

Before the Final World Baseball Classic Championship game, Cuban outfield German Cepeda said it best. “You cannot measure a ballplayer by the price he is paid, but rather what is in his heart.”

Amen…

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Bernie Fratto is a freelance writer, radio personality, and motivational speaker. His passion for sports comes in part from his experience as a former Cincinnati Red farm- hand. "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings" said Fratto. "These athletic endeavors often serve as a metaphor for the game we call life."

Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a frequent co-host on the popular "Parker & The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from 7-11pm.