Tag: recognition

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Lone Stars

On occasion during speaking engagements I’ll pull out a joke I made up about the overblown self-worth those of us born and raised in Texas have about our heritage: “We study Texas history in 7th grade. What year do you learn about the Lone Star State here in Massachusetts?” It always generates a laugh and heads nod in recognition that Texans tend to place ourselves on a pedestal the rest of the nation just doesn’t get.

Heck, you could create a Top Ten List of reasons Texans have such a highfalutin opinion from birth:

10. The only state that was a country
9. Fought our own war for independence
8. Nolan Ryan (aka Big Tex)
7. The largest State Fair with the original Big Tex greeting visitors
6. High school football
5. Big Oil
4. Astronauts lived and trained here
3. John Wayne (sure, he was born in Iowa and grew up in California, but, as the saying goes, he got here as fast as he could – at least in the minds of filmgoers)
2. America’s Team (until Jerry Jones started making all the decisions)
1. Austin and Ft Worth, barbeque and chicken fried steak, Willie Nelson and George Strait, Longhorns and Aggies, TexMex and margaritas

We inoculate, educate and incorporate these legendary Texas people and pastimes into children. Each serving as a motivational icon positioned to inspire greatness.

Growing up in Texas one develops a hubris folks from other states can’t understand. Which is exactly why Texans often make headlines for all the wrong reasons: Bonnie & Clyde and Lee Harvey Oswald, Enron and the Hunt brothers, Cullen Davis and David Koresh. So it should be no surprise three of the most famous athletes disgraced by banned substances were based in Texas: Rafael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens and Lance Armstrong. Each turned out to be living a lie that fulfilled the Texan saying: “All hat, no cattle.”

What makes Texas great sometimes becomes its greatest weakness. There will be more Texans who become famous… and more who fall far from the loftiest heights. Still, I’m proud to be from here. As a fifth generation Texan whose roots date to 1873, the spirit of Davy Crockett forever will be alive in me. After failing to win reelection to Congress from Tennessee, he allegedly said, “You can all go to Hell and I’m going to Texas.” I get that.

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Premature Evaluation

Early this morning the announcement came down that President Obama is the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. He becomes the fourth U.S. president to be honored with this coveted award. The first two – Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919 – were well into their two terms in the Oval Office prior to receiving such esteemed recognition. Carter, meanwhile, was removed from the White House more than a quarter of a century before being bestowed for a lifetime of achievement in 2002.

The 2009 prize is for accomplishments prior to February 1st, which means Mr. Obama was inaugurated just 11 days beforehand. Thus, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is honoring what he did prior to becoming Commander-in-Chief. “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” said committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland.

It is clear that our dynamic president is a powerful speaker who has the ability to engage a global audience. That’s why stadiums filled to capacity wherever he appeared during the campaign – and why the inauguration events were so must-see-TV. It is my hope his decision-making, policy setting and leadership in the next three years live up to the lofty expectations and suddenly glowing recognition.

As someone who spent 15 years working in and around college and professional sports, I’ve seen up close and personal that games aren’t won in the first half or early innings. Being president is a marathon, not a sprint. There are many miles ahead for Mr. Obama, and he needs to start making moves and executing actual initiatives to help our struggling citizens. Only then will he be worthy of all the overwhelming praise.

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