SIMPLY ALI

Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee
You gave doubting little black boys a reason to believe 
Showed us how to stand when you took the fall
For believing in fairness, which was believing in us all

Inside the ring you won, time and again
And outside the ring you won even more
There was never a man who commanded so much respect
Without a political party and agenda at his core

Black, White, African, Asian, Hispanic
male, female, young and old
Ali not only were you brash in the ring
But fighting for equality is where you were really bold

You traveled the world and set prisoners free
Yet they tried to enslave you at home, not even call you Ali
But you taught them respect, showed them how to love
You beat them with kindness and compassion, never used a boxing glove

Now tributes pour in like waterfalls and they won’t stop
We all have a little piece of you champ, I cherish that thought
That we can change the world, if we take a stand
And that can simply be the kindness of extending your hand
To lift someone up, or even say hello
To share a smile; or a coat when someone’s cold
To join in solidarity to protest a wrong
To be a champion for the weak, help the weary carry on
To help someone believe in the midst of doubt
To teach the confused, how to figure it all out
To help those that hate, love themselves more
To teach those with anger to heal from the core
To forgive and move on, to set pain free
Lets all try to do some of this and we’d have to agree
We’d be like the Champ and change some of this world
That would be the ultimate tribute to Muhammad Ali for sure

Ali you were the greatest of all time
and now the bell has been rung
Your fight is over champ
and the job you did for peace…well done!

©2016 Wayne Box Miller

SWEET SICK-TEEN

Well the first round is in the books and the upsets are more common as most of us have come to know but the questionable action of coaches takes more of the center stage in this three ring circus. I did consult with my coach friends and still hold to the beliefs that playing not to lose is the kiss of death.

I won't even bother with the Northern Iowa Texas A&M game because it would cause me more nausea than the game I found to be the epitome of playing not to lose versus playing to win. To me it is the equivalent of football teams going into the prevent defense which usually prevents teams from winning as well.

daddyleagues.com

I can never understand why, when you're in a rhythm and you have the other team on their heels, you feel the need to change? SFA had Notre Dame on their heels and confused as to how this small unranked school could challenge them repeatedly and have the game in hand. They simply played ball; their kind of ball. And then for some I'm going to outsmart myself reason the coach puts them in the dreaded eat up the clock aka stall ball offense and they don't score again. Notre Dame gets off the mat as if this is a WWF event and wins at the buzzer.

As a sports fan you wonder why coaches and their egos don't simply realize, if something is working don't stop. If it's not working change. It really is that simple because it's a game and while I know the other coach is thinking the same thing, apparently it hasn't prevented you from having success.

Having bypassed filling out a bracket this year saved me so much frustration that I'm actually enjoying the games minus these kind of coaching brain farts. But if you're a fan of coaches you can celebrate the fact that the SFA coach got hired by a major college program, Oklahoma State shortly thereafter. Seems to say we believe you can improve our program and hopefully you learned to play to win next time.

Oh well the ACC has spoken and we'll see how they do this coming weekend versus the rest of the Sweet 16. It's always a great tournament when unexpected teams advance and sans the Coach K 4 seed gift Duke received I've enjoyed the tournament for the most part.

I hope your bracket still has a pulse; by now mine would have been on life support at best but then again those who claim to know always have the worst brackets if they're telling the truth. Hard to believe a pundit who has 20 brackets saying he predicted the majority of the games correctly. I predict you're delusional. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller

I'M NOT MAD

This will be the first year in forever I haven't filled out a bracket for March Madness and it feels good to know I have no horse in the race and neither do you. This will be one of the most wide open tournaments we'll see in a long time because parity and lack of "jersey fear" from years past.

While Kansas who consistently disappoints and North Carolina whose coach promotes tradition over strategy are the favorites, so many other teams have the formula to cut the nets at the end. From the second seeds to the 12th seeds don't be shocked if they advance. You can certainly be surprised but know that when Michigan and Vanderbilt from power conferences are playing in the "Play-in game" you can see how wide open things are.

I hope Xavier makes a deep run; not because I'm from Cincinnati but because it's good for all mid-majors to know they can assemble a cast of champions without a one and done player. Several other teams fit that category as well so seeing them advance like George Mason did a few years ago actually makes the tournament even more memorable.

The game has changed and the players have different ideas on what college means to them. I don't blame them because too much money is made off March Madness, conference tournaments and TV to know you get none of it. Please don't lecture me about the scholarship because the computer science major is on scholarship too and can work and make money without penalty.

I will also enjoy watching a no name player elevate his stock and a senior with decent numbers show he's a prime time player; all the while having scouts and pro teams search for unfound data to justify their performances and come up empty. All it takes is one helluva' tournament run and you become a possibility for the next level. I'm okay with that as I share exhibit A, Steph Curry. It can happen, has happen and will happen again so just enjoy.

If you have a bracket and it ends up in the trash can after the first weekend you'll more than likely be in the majority. There will be surprises and if you want to call them upsets you can, but rest assured some teams will be back on campus sooner than they imagined wondering aloud what happened.

Let me save you the trouble of searching for answers; what happened is college basketball is parity at its best. It's senior guards agains one and dones. It's big name coaches matching wits against coaches with nothing to lose. And it's the name on the front of the jersey playing against those who were happy to have one.

A hot hand, a bad game; foul trouble or a short bench can decimate the dreams of the contenders. Reality and fear and wipe out the dreams of the pretenders. Either way it's going to be fun because I don't care who wins; and I'm going green by not filling out a bracket so thank you very much.

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat; I'm Wayne Box Miller.

BREAK'S UP

I purposely took a break from blogging during the too-hyped Super Bowl 50 period due in part to the divisive nature of the media in comparing Cam Newton and Peyton Manning. I purposely negated my desire to watch SportsCenter, NFL Network and others for over kill, sensationalism, bias and slanted reporting that would increase my blood pressure. The intentional acts of a majority of media have really soured me on any major event where this kind of peripheral activity occurs. I simply wanted to watch the game and I, for the most part, accomplished that.

©2016 The Sporting News

I since realize the Peyton Manning HGH story never got traction; and now that his college transgressions have resurfaced I doubt they'll stay around long. I heard about the "sore loser" tag that was unfairly hung on a young quarterback with high expectations of himself and so my break extended until a normal BP number was achieved LOL. 

With that all in the rear view I can now turn to the combine, the NBA and baseball reporting to spring training. So much content in all of this were does one start? I will simply say I'm enjoying the Golden State Warriors and their record breaking run sans a super start that fits the typical mold. Steph Curry is making every college coach and pro scout a little more accountable to value heart and talent, not just size and speed. But realizing he is so unique will temper the expectations for a quick find. Steph's only come along ever once in a great while. Enjoy it while you can...

©2016 NY Times

The NFL combine is always a favorite of mine because you're always pleasantly surprised at the speed of someone you didn't know, who emerges as a prize pick.  And yes you're disappointed sometimes at the players who have penciled themselves in as a top pick only to be unimpressive at the combine because they didn't take it seriously. I marvel at 300 pound linemen running sub-5 second 40's showing the speed of this game is faster than we realize. The combine is a great place to evaluate physical talent but I'm not sure of the mental talent evaluation when test are skewed and quite frankly not indicative of a person's ability to handle pressure. It's amazing how many players come in highly touted and leave the league highly disappointed based on that one criteria. Quite simply the NFL combine is a roll of the dice and people get more credit and blame for how picks pan out than they deserve. Honestly I don't see it going away any time soon.

And now baseball and the long, hot days of summer are fast approaching. The great thing about pitchers and catchers reporting is spring is just around the corner and sunshine with it. The salaries are still skyrocketing and where it stops nobody knows. Average hitters are making more money then an entire corporation and hitting a measly .240; and pitchers with high ERA's are cashing in as well. Baseball is a game every one wishes they were playing because quite simply, outside of all the travel, the pay is so out of balance with performance it's literally criminal. But if the owners are going to give you that kind of money for that kind of performance take it!

©2016 Sirrusxm.com

Well it could be a long year for several teams including the Cincinnati Reds who are still trying to trade away the real talent, for the rebuilding process. When a team comes out of the gate slow the attendance estimate could take a nose dive. I mean if you're 20 games back before the All-Star break and you're not hitting and fielding, then the trend may get worse. So Reds fans hold on to your cap and brace yourself. Who knows though, we could be pleasantly surprised...

March Madness is sneaking into the picture and you know I haven't forgotten about that. But it deserves its own blog post from me and so many other journalist so stay tuned. This time of year is arguably one of the best in the history of sports. With Baseball back on center stage, NCAA tournament beginning, the NFL combine and the NBA season heading down the home stretch, sports is utopia across the board. I'm going to enjoy it and try to remember to set the DVR, watch the sports networks and listen to sports talk radio. There is too much going on for one person to keep up with stay knowledgeable and on point. 

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

IT MUST BE THE SHOES...

I had my mind set to write about another topic that really deserves focus and I will get to that for sure, but after a noticeable act by Cam Newton, I must extol the virtues of leadership and to what lengths leaders go to make everyone feel valued.

Cam's shoes represent the names of all of his teammates; sole collector.com

Cam Newton has been the ultimate leader gaining the highest measure of respect from his teammates, including those on the defensive side. Typically the tacklers are reluctant to embrace the high profile playmakers as they get too much credit playing one of 22 positions, special teams notwithstanding. But Cam Newton has not only earned their respect but their command. How? By doing everything everyone said he couldn't do; lead men and play the Quarterback position at a high level in a non-traditional fashion. Let me translate it for you: He isn't smart enough to play Quarterback in the NFL. One by one, little by little, they are changing their minds and some are even admitting they were wrong. Quiet confidence against the backdrop of criticism is Cam's specialty for longer than the naysayers would admit. A typical college transgression was turned into a grand theft occurrence and used to justify that drafting him would be a big mistake. You've heard me say it often, the media can really be cruel when they don't want to see a player succeed or have a secret agenda. If you've followed the saga of Cam Newton you know exactly of that which I speak.

Cam Newton is a leader. A role model, an advocate for increasing the future fan base of the league. He is a student of the game and when told what it would take to be an elite player in the league he did what leaders do. He committed full tilt and all out. Spent time with his coaches, stayed in film study and work to make those around him better. But how much of that did the media share with you? Not as much as they could have because it would have been counterproductive to the mudslinging they have spewed since he came into the league. But Cam kept quiet and continued to invest in the team by setting example after example of what it means to be committed.

Cam has unified the offense and defense leading by example; Charlotte Observer

He brought both sides of the ball together for a common cause bigger than any player or any side of the ball. He yielded to his coaches without a murmur of objection, simply falling in line so the other players could follow suit. He galvanized a community with continual acts of kindness during holidays and moments that required immediate support. And to top it off, after the ill advised letter sent by a mom regarding her disdain for his end zone antics while giving Taylor Swift and other entertainment influencers a free pass, he has created a phenomena with kids lining up hoping to get a hand delivered football from Cam allowing them to celebrating touchdowns with him allowing them to feel even more a part of the franchise. The fines for his generosity of donated footballs has exceeded $200,000 and yet he shows no sign of slowing down the end zone act. He does this all the while having fun leading men successfully and consistently.

Think back to the big fracas between Odell Beckham, Jr and Josh Norman and it was Cam who joined in the calming waves of influence to settle the defensive back down and remind him the focus is on football and not bravado. That was vintage Cam and the number of stories are too many to list but rest assured Cam has been leading since high school onto junior college, at Auburn and now in the NFL.

How many kids now have an NFL Football for a pillow thanks to Cam? SB Nation

What motivates players? Leaders know and Cam knew in the biggest game of their current franchise history that focus should be on the team, not the matchup nor their respective positions. How far was he willing to go to make that point? Head to toe. With his brain by being prepared, putting in the work and making sure everyone was on the same page. With his body, sacrificing it for first downs and touchdowns. And with his feet running when a play broke down and before the game started by coming on the field with the name of every teammate on your cleats.

If I'm a teammate of Cam Newton's I immediately recognized that Superman knew he couldn't win it all without the team. And he put it in writing with custom made cleats. No matter what he did this past Sunday the shoes told you everything you need to know about Cam. His message was clear and his method was unmistakable. Leaders leave no doubt, and Cam didn't either as to the value of team.

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

COACHING AND CRAYONS

I love the NFL almost as I love basketball but there are a few things that keep me from going all the way in. I think they are the best marketers, currently have the most popular product and cover all bases with respect to media and TV coverage. You can now watch an NFL game on Thursday, Saturday (mostly during the playoffs), Sunday and Monday. The NFL has their own network and the programming they've added in recent years including "A Football Life" and "NFL Timeline" are very good.

wmeimgspeakers.com

What isn't very good is the hiring of Minority Coaches. With the latest coaching carousel that's taken place we once again see the lack of fairness in elevating Black Coaches and the subsequent hiring of Head Black Coaches. We've seen Lovie Smith unceremoniously shuttled from Tampa Bay after getting Jameis Winston settled into becoming a professional quarterback revealing his potential many thought was an illusion. The Buccaneers was admonished in and around the league as being unfair in the process having never proven they have a true plan in place for long term success again. With the hiring of Lovie many thought he was part of their long term plan, which we now see was an illusion. Pep Hamilton who was the play caller for the Indianapolis Colts and Andrew Luck was let go in the middle of the season as if his previous double digit win seasons with Luck never existed. Add to that his Pro-Bowl QB Luck had a season ending injury missing more than half the games, and it begs to questions what is fair and equitable when it comes to Black Coaches.

Cleveland.com

And now the current hirings are coming in like poll results and the returns aren't favorable for Coaches of Color, Hue Jackson notwithstanding. Hue got hired and deservedly so. But why was Hue ever fired in Oakland in the first place with an 8-8 record and eliminating their penchant for losing seasons. Why wasn't that enough without using the last four games as a catalyst for a need to change? You tell me because the same thing happened to Lovie in Chicago and what have they done since he left playoff wise? And now Chip Kelly who imploded the entire Philadelphia Eagles organization gets hired again by the San Francisco 49ers having entered the league as a head coach without any coaching experience in the NFL nor a national championship at the collegiate level. And it was announced this past weekend that Mike Mularkey, who hast won anywhere he's been a Head Coach in the NFL, gets yet another chance to succeed when others haven't been given their first. Meanwhile qualified Coaches of Color still watch and wait going through the Rooney Rule process which is more akin to an exercise in futility at times. Former NFL Head Coach Herm Edwards called the Rooney Rule dangerous in some respects saying the effects of the mandated interviewing of minority coaches makes some owner say "He's been interviewed 3 years in a row and no one else has hired him so why should we." And we wonder did they interview him to consider him a head coach or to say we're being compliant? Statistics would say the latter. What happens when the Rooney Rule works? You get Mike Tomlin, Marvin Lewis and you also get success. Say what you want about the Cincinnati Bengals, but they can be proud of what they've done with Marvin, Leslie Frazier, Hue Jackson, Van Joseph, Jay and John Hayes and the Minority Coaches Internship. Three of their Black head coaches have left to become coordinators or Head Coaches.

jscottinteiors.com

I wish the owners of the NFL looked at hiring coaches like a box of crayons. The more colors you have the more versatility you have in creating a masterpiece. Judging by some the poor performances shown year in and and year out by some teams (with losing records) you would think they'd open up their minds to hiring someone who doesn't look like them, think like them and exclusively relate to them. Even the uniforms in the league are an assortment of colors from the bland Chicago Bears uniforms of yesteryear to the mustard color uniforms of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a wide array of colors are everywhere in the NFL with the exception of the Head Coaching ranks. I will add one side note: I'm proud to be in a division where 3 of the 4 Head Coaches are now black with Tomlin, Lewis and Jackson. Too bad the league can't follow the AFC North. I mean after all that's where the best football is played and programs are made. Hue Jackson will confirm this in 2-3 years without a doubt. There are 8 Super Bowl Championships in the division and many more Super Bowl appearances in the AFC North, not bad huh?

So how do we cure the current dilemma for Coaches of Color? Look at your Coaches specifically Head Coach, offensive and defensive coordinators and put them in a crayon box. How many colors do you have? Can't color a masterpiece with one color crayon. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

PORTER POTTY

I have read; and listened; and yes I have even debated and dialogued about one of the the most talked about playoff games in Bengal history. And arguably in recent NFL history but probably less about the game itself and more about everything surrounding the game. I've always thought to keep my blogs readable to the average person that may border on ADD like me but I have to admit this one may be a tad bit longer as I aim to teach the City of Cincinnati how to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers,  apologies notwithstanding to my Kappa Alpha Psi Frat Brother Mike Tomlin'.

Steelersgab.com

Keep my name out yo' mouth! He has been vilified yet he's not the villain. People were clamoring for his ouster saying the league should consider his behavior exigent. He has caused Cincinnatians to feel repugnant for all things Pittsburgh, yet Joey Porter never played a down this past Saturday or two Sundays ago. In my youth growing up in Avondale and seeing the street game unfiltered on Rockdale and Burnet, Rockdale and Reading and several other local intersections, it always lead with the basic premise, he who controls the mind controls the action. If you don't like what I'm doing step off; if you're not down with me, later. If you're not on board, no biggie. But, Keep my name out yo' mouth! Translation: Do you; mind your own business; focus on what you want.

For all the alleged talent, coaching and knowledgeable people I know in and around football in this town, I am amazed at how effective Joey Porter was over a 3 week period in riling up Bengal Nation. For me it was embarrassing to watch such an obvious street strategy permeate the Jungle and beyond to the point of continued loss of focus. We previously fell for the banana in the tailpipe in week 14 and the players said post game the days after we realize we fell into the trap and got away from playing football. If we play them again we know what to do. But you didn't do it...

"If you can keep your head when all around you, are losing theirs and blaming it on Joey Porter, err you..." my apologies to Rudyard Kipling but I hope the point is starting to come into focus. You showed disdain for his supporting role in the touchdown dance at the expense of A.J. McCarron the last time we played, confirming that his actions rankle yours; and as if you were running low on hate for Porter he gives you enough fuel this past Saturday to ensure it will be there for their first encounter next season.

Don't hate the player, hate the game. For those that don't know, the rules were in place before Joey Porter arrived on the scene on how to manipulate the mind. So while he leveraged it beautifully, you didn't have to dance when the music was played. Several years ago I modified the quote to say "Don't hate the player, don't hate the game; hate that you got in it." Because when you get in the head game and can't control your emotions you lose. You'll always lose plain and simple.

"I can't control what you say but I can control how I respond", is a quote used in a training I do called Connecting With Others by Ralph Brandt based on treatment and response. It simply shines the light on how we, once we're engaged, have to take responsibility for our own actions and not those of others. Our actions were without control throughout the game especially at the end of the game when Joey Porter, aka Dark Vader, Potty Mouth P, Captain Piss Me Off or whatever colorful name you gave him stepped on the field minus his Pimp Cup (Translation: Diamond encrusted Chalis) but with mental game in tow. And he needed some victims. Some weak mind-in-the-moment players to drop game on and ruffle their feathers. He found a couple and they found didn't find the yellow brick road but the yellow flag allowing Joey Porter in his Bishop Don Juan voice to say "Give me them 15 yards beee-yatch!" Now let me get back over here and kick it with my fellas.

Pinterest.com

I've heard the media, coaches, fans and players spew Joey Porter's name across every available blog, TV, paper, social media thread and bar over the last three days causing us to perhaps miss some great events  in the process. Media; I get it because ratings are driven by controversy most times. Fans certainly have shown that football is life with their hatred and ill feelings toward the Black and Yellow and Porter. But players and coaches? That is not supposed to happen. Stay focused, laugh at Joey and say "No way Jose'." We all remember that quote and life lesson at some point which is "You can't argue by yourself." But when you get an audience...

When I heard a coaches comments about Porter being an embarrassment to the coaching profession I realized the effects of his strategy went further than I thought possible. Win, lose or draw I would never let his name role off my tongue giving credence to the fact he's being thought of if at all. Thank goodness Coach Lewis knows that simple fact. I remember when people made me mad, upset and my mentor would say you know you're the only one upset because they're all somewhere enjoying life while you're upset and out of sorts. Yep; I changed that and the Bengals have to as well. While we're raising hell, starting petitions, blaming the refs and cursing Joey Porter and the Steelers, they're sitting back eating a nice meal, having a beer and preparing to play the Broncos. It doesn't matter if they lose because they weren't supposed to be in the playoffs and have now advanced to the second round. We were not only supposed to be in the playoffs but potentially get to the Super Bowl.

So Cincinnati Bengals; Bengal Fans; Bengal media, may I offer one last piece of advice? Joey Porter is not our problem, we are. We fumbled 5 times and lost 3, one late in the game. We were accused of targeting a defenseless receiver with a player who will never get the benefit of the doubt; we run into the tunnel after an interception with time still left on the clock as if we had already won the game (fortunately we got no excessive celebration penalty) showing our immaturity. We had 8 penalties for 79 yards 30 of them at the end of the game which ultimately sealed our fate and elevated our acrimonious feelings toward Joey Porter and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the process.

Readjack.wordpress.com

No Pittsburgh didn't do any of the aforementioned egregious acts, honestly we did and that's a shame. We are the better team but the Steelers played the better game. Like the Detroit Pistons bullied Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, we have been bullied by a team that has a PhD in bullying and we tried to mimic that. We aren't bullies; we are a highly talented, athletic, deep at every position team, with the best roster in the NFL according to most pundits and we didn't remember that at the end of the game. The only way the bully can beat you, knowing he doesn't have the talent, is to lure you into a fight. It starts happening around grade school and once you figure it out the bully becomes your servant.

Cincinnati today we should have a funeral for the antics of Joey Porter and give birth to a renewed focus on all things Cincinnati Bengals. One thing I love about Coach Lewis is he only talks about the Bengals and Bengal players in the moment. He knows you don't give the opponent the time of day, but your best effort. I am very confident next year the Steelers will not only get our best effort but one that doesn't involve mentioning...what's his name? I forgot already. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.