... because of all the trees right there in front of you.
Yes, this would be the auto industry these days.
If you make a product that nobody wants to buy, or a product that is behind the times, or doesn't meet the needs of the consumer - you either a) change the product, or b) change the approach to your market, or c) watch your business whither away and fail. Please note that there are options a) and b) prior to option c). So when does the auto industry want to acknowledge either of these options?
Thus far, their executives have continued to arrive at meetings in their private jets. They have flaunted their status in this time of financial crisis. It has taken weeks for them to agree to any level of re-structuring. I am still not sure why it should be demanded of them to do so, because it should be pretty #$%?$?# obvious by now that they need to re-structure how they do business and what products they produce and how they produce them. It doesn't require a scientist from NASA to establish this, nor a Wall Street financial wizard. If you head on down to Main Street, Mom and Pop will tell you more about all of this.
I guess there are just too many trees in the way to figure this one out.
Eight seconds.
It's hard to believe that the Longhorn's season came down to 8 seconds in Lubbock. With eight seconds left, Graham Harrell throws an interception ... almost.
But let's not play "coulda shoulda woulda". It is what it is, and all it does now is highlight the stupidity that is the BCS. There is a good possibility (if you believe the pigskin prognosticators) that Texas will play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Hold on a second - that gives the Big 10, the craptastic Big 10, two teams in the BCS. Ohio State is barely scratching into the top 10. Texas Tech, who has been there all season and is still number 7 or 8 in most polls (and who's only loss was to Oklahoma, lest we have selective attention again) is getting the short end of the BCS stick. And yes, let's not forget that Texas beat OU - regardless of whether it was October or December. They were still number one at the time.
Here's a thought - I think we should send Texas and Texas Tech to Tempe. Better yet, let's just cancel Tempe and have the game in Waco or Dallas. Surely we can line up a decent high school field somewhere between Lubbock and Austin.
I waited to make this post, hoping that I would have something positive to report.
No such luck. Oh, well, yes, there is something to say: everyone on the planet (yes, that includes all of the people involved with the BCS) MUST finally realize that the BCS is an utter failure. It's good to come to that conclusion, once and for all (though for me, it's a recurring-nightmare-of-a-conclusion).
The Longhorns put it out there, beating Texas A&M by 40 points on Thanksgiving night. I was a little concerned when Mack Brown pulled Colt McCoy when we only had 42 points on the board (note to Mack: go back and look at Bob Stoops' "style points" strategy at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech and take notes). But John Chiles rolled us down the field and we had 49 points to show for a total obliteration of the Aggies. As one sign stated at the game, be thankful - that you're not an Aggie. After Baylor's strong showing against Texas Tech, it's safe to say that the doormat of the South division is now - Texas A&M.
But enough of the anti-Aggie sentiments, because I need to reserve my hostility for the sham that is the BCS.
Republicans high and low have been heard to make light of a phrase that has been attributed to Obama during the election campaign:
"Redistributing the wealth".
Yep, I heard him say it on the campaign trail. Did you? And there are a lot of people screaming out about socialism. And how "redistributing the wealth" is the virtual end of our democratic world. Oh my, I am sure McCarthyism must be right around the corner.
Why is everyone so up-in-arms over this? Hell, President Bush wanted to make changes to the Constitution on a neo-conservative whim and nobody flinched.
Today just re-affirmed in my mind how big a mess the BCS really is these days.
With a few minutes left in the Texas Tech - Oklahoma game, I have to turn my head away because it's painful to watch. I guess no further comments are necessary, other than my comment last week about Bob Stoops going for the jugular. I love it - he's got 65points on the board and has a 4th down inside the Tech 5 yard line and he calls a time-out. Take note, Mack.
I have to admit though, I do like the smack talk that goes with "what could be in the BCS". Imagine - Alabama loses to Auburn, Alabama beats Florida in the SEC championship, Baylor beats Tech and OU finishes the season tied with Texas. Something like that should have OU and Texas number one and number two after the Big 12 championship - so both would head to Miami for the National Championship game.
I can always dream.
A whopping $700 billion dollars have been approved to bail out Wall Street. President Bush was pretty quick to approve it - though the House and Senate weren't far behind. Now they are all standing in line - the lenders, the Big Three automakers, the airlines - waiting for their hand-outs.
All of this brings up a serious question for me. If my private business fails, will the federal government bail me out? Can I simply do haphazard things with my money and still go to the government for a hand-out? Can I just dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into CEO salaries and then not pay the price for my decisions? Better yet, do I really have to be responsible for my business plan? Or make rational business decisions?
We all know the answer to that - and it's a good, fair answer.
It wasn't enough points.
Yes, Mack, we do need style points. Why? It's name is Oklahoma, and they are breathing down our necks in the BCS.
Bob Stoops understands the BCS. You see, when he has a chance to roll up the score and get a few extra computer and voter style points, a bit more 'wow factor', he takes it. He wrings the living daylights out of any and all opportunities like that. And this season, he's done so - ever since the loss to Texas.
So while Oklahoma is scoring big wins and putting up the big point totals, Mack Brown is playing nice against Baylor and Kansas. Did they win both games? Sure. They beat Baylor 45 - 21, but they didn't pass the ball against them for the last 8:52 of the fourth quarter. They beat Kansas 35 - 7, but squandered a number of scoring opportunities along the way and essentially fell asleeep in the fourth quarter (at least on offense - though kudos to the defense for the goal line stand).
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.