Boyd Dowler - Green Bay Packer Tight End - 1967
Max McGee- Wide Receiver-Green Bay Packers- Super Bowl 1
It's amazing how much football has changed over the years. Look at the top photograph. Notice anything different? Here is a hint. Look at the goal post. Back in the early days, the goal post actually marked the FRONT of the endzone...not the back. This meant that the goal post was actually in the field of play which caused many violent collisions with the lightly-padded post. The referee is actually standing in the BACK of the endzone where the goal post placement is today.
Look at the bottom photograph taken during Super Bowl 1 (Packers vs Chiefs) in Jan.1968. This is a 38 year old Max McGee hauling in a touchdown pass from Bart Starr. McGee never expected to play in the game at all; in fact, he was out drinking and partying during the wee hours of the morning the night before. McGee was known for his hard-living ways, but Lombardi still loved him. McGee was called into action after the starter was injured, but despite the partying, he had a magnificent game for Green Bay.
Not much going on today. I went up to school to finish some team laundry earlier today, and I managed to find the time to run the track a little. I put my I-Pod and headphones on, and I listened to military cadence (and George Strait) as I circled the track six times. I really need to do that more often than I do, but coaching so many hours makes it difficult to achieve. No excuses. I really need the stress relief or I may have a stroke. I will get it done.
The offensive staff met at Randy's house at 4 PM today for a three hour meeting. We put together our game plan for Palm Beach Lakes (PBL), and planned out our practice week. This once again a MUST WIN game for us. PBL is in our district, so we must beat them to stay alive for the playoffs. Right now we are 4-2 and starting to roll pretty good. Our next three games will all be district opponents, so it is going to be pretty intense. I am feeling the pressure already. I must be hell to live with right now.
There must be something wrong with me. Why can't I leave well enough alone? Why can't I just overlook a simple mistake on the wristbands without re-building them perfectly? Why does a simple leak on the water cows drive me crazy? Why do I obsess with drawing football plays when I am doodling on a note pad? Why do I always wear blue and black? Why do I hate the color red? Or green? Or purple, or just about any color not associated with SRHS? Why can't I buy a simple pair of running shoes out of those color ranges? Why do I continue to coach when I know full well it is costing me thousands of dollars (of lost revenue) at my business? For that matter, why do I have "COACH" George Zaleuke written on my business cards? Who the hell am I coaching at work? I can't even talk with my son in Germany unless I spin the conversation to football in some way! Why do I consider my life "COMPLETE' now that Kelsey has shared to football field with me? Why am I already thinking about where my grandson (Grice) is going to school, and what position he may play? Why am I ready and willing to relocate to coach him? Hell, he is only 5 months old.
I am a sick man.
GZ
Why do any of us coach??? It was once said that 'if you can live without coaching football...do it!!!' Like I have said on many occcasions this job is a labor of love. My mom always told me don't follow money but do what you love to do. She is 100% correct. I mean I could make things easier on my daugther and I if I found another line of work. I have a masters' in leadership and almost 20 years in education. I could probably do a lot better for us in the private sector. But,would it be doing something that I love to do? Would I have a purpose doing something else? This line of work is about the relationships that are built among players and fellow coaches. My daughter is able to come to work with me and learn a work ethic that will server her well later in her own life. She sees what determination and teamwork can accomplish. She also sees that sometime life does not go the way we want it to and that we have to adjust and keep grinding. She sees the trials and tribulations that my players live with in their personal lives. She has also seen sacarifices (and made some of her own...sharing time with me). So why do we coach? Outside of 'DADDY' it is the title I cherish the most. It is a ministry for me. I just hope that I am half the man my coaches were to me and that I can pass down the lessons that I have learned.
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