Hiding in Plain Sight: Madison Bumgarner

Unlike an allegory or most fables (thank you Aesop) the purpose of a tall tale is not to reveal a moral, personal or political truth. A tall tale is used for entertainment and for fun. Indeed, a campfire is better with one, two or ten of them. But, I don't see why a good tall tale cannot entertain and teach. And in the tall tale of "Mason Saunders," we have an interesting one, that also speaks to the spiritual life: the notion of hiding in plain sight. 

As written in one of the most popular of all tall tales, Paul Bunyan, An American Folk Tale,

A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life. The descriptions in the story are exaggerated – much greater than in real life and this is what makes the story funny. Long ago, the people who settled in undeveloped areas in America first told tall tales. After a hard day’s work, people gathered to tell each other funny stories. 

Each group of workers had its own tall tale hero. Paul Bunyan was a hero of North America’s lumberjacks, the workers who cut down trees. He was known for his strength, speed and skill. Tradition says he cleared forests from the northeastern United States to the Pacific Ocean.

Some people say Paul Bunyan was the creation of storytellers from the middle western Great Lakes area of the United States. Other people say the stories about him came from French Canada. San Francisco Giants fans know otherwise.

He was born in Hickory but raised in Lenoir, North Carolina. At the age of 18 he was chosen as the tenth pick in the overall draft. He earned earned three rings and was named the Most Valuable among them on the third try. He has ridden a horse inside the yard and wanted to down Market Street, but was encouraged not to do so for safety reasons. His face has even graced the cover of a national sports magazine when he was named the best in all of sport in 2014. To those in the Bay Area he is known as MadBum....but to those in rodeo he is Mason Saunders.

I could spin the yarn around Madison Bumgarner for weeks on end. And in all honesty, why not? The subject is a fascinating one. As a Giants fan, I recognize my bias but when in the last time you heard about a great athlete nearly compromising his or her career for another athletic passion incognito. Bo Jackson told us "football is just a hobby for Bo Jackson." But we knew Bo. According to the article that revealed Sauder's real identity, “No matter what hobbies I have, I take ’em serious,” Bumgarner said. “That’s just my personality. I don’t do anything just for fun, per se. I wish I did.” Serious enough that he competed in team rodeo roping as Mason—a shortened version of Madison, “something for my wife to call me when we were out in public to keep people from recognizing me" with the surname of Saunders— the maiden name of his wife, Ali. And won. 

It's hard for me to understand how MadBum was hiding in plain sight for this long. Athletes have detailed restrictions in terms of what they can and cannot do in the off-season. Any activity that puts their body at risk—skiing, sky-diving, the usage ATVs, motorcycle or car racing etc can be a violation of their contract. My sense is that rodeo-roping ought to be included in this list. What is interesting however, is that according to Meet Mason Saunders, the secret rodeo identity of Madison Bumgarner, those in the rodeo-roping community long knew of Saunders' true self. The rest of the world however never did.

Bumgarner wasn't really hiding, either. His photo openly and frequently posted on social media. Other than an alias, he didn't do much to hide out. His face, his stature and his passion are not unfamiliar. As noted in The Athletic (as well as the 2014 Sportsman of the Year article) "He’s practiced roping on everything from a statue of a bull at Scottsdale’s Fashion Square Mall to Jeremy Affeldt’s patio furniture." If I were asked to spot him in a line up, I am confident that 10 out of 10 times, I would succeed. Others here in SF could too.

So often in life, things are hiding in plain sight. The truth, what I have lost, something I need....it's in front of my nose. What does it take for us to find it? I love this question. 

Just the other day, I heard from a friend I hadn't talked to in a long time. I went to reply to her e-mail and a book that she gave me 12 years ago, caught my attention. That book has been sitting there on the same book shelf in my classroom all year. Why did I only see it....or see it again, just now? 

Richard McBrien wrote that to be spiritual is to "understand there is more to life than what meets the eye." It's a different way to think about our vision and the spiritual life. To be spiritual is to recognize that in life we might see what is not in front of us. We might not even see what IS in front of us!  When either or both speak to us, when they catch our attention—pause, stop and consider the message and its meaning.

This is the photo that did him in.

It was a Facebook posting—a slightly blurry picture of Mason Saunders and his winning partner—broke this story, or rather gave birth to this new tall tale. Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball should thank Andrew Baggarly and Zach Buchanan for doing so. This tall tale is a welcome change in the story and saga of the Houston Astros cheating scandal. How it all ends...both for Mason and for the Astros....where it will go...and what more we will learn? Let's gather around the campfire and share that too.  Bring to it stories of what you DO see and else might be hiding in plain sight. 

Photo Credits
on a horse
SOTY
Rodeo
Mason Night
FB posting

Faces in the Crowd: Head Coaches

On Wednesday February 26, I sat in some awesome seats inside Maples Pavilion not far from the players' bench thanks to my two former students who play for on the Stanford men's basketball team. Their story deserves its own posting, but I'm not sure that words can capture all that I would want to say. However, the Cardinal win (Stanford 70 —Utah 62) prompted me to pay closer attention to their team's progress as the season winds down and the draw for March Madness comes close.

They told me that their next game (Sunday, March 1) against Colorado was an important one. I took note. I finished my round of golf and looked up to see it being aired on both TVs in the grill room (there should be a name for this particular feeling. Bershet—is Yiddish for "meant to be"—that might work!?). 

I saw that same competitive fire I felt by their team earlier that week, battling it out on the hardwood at Maple's once again. I saw a team united in spirit in a way I haven't seen often enough among a lot of teams. I saw the Cardinal shoot, rebound, hustle and defend with laser focus. And I saw among many people in the crowd, the head football coach David Shaw.

This might be the most obvious posting in the world, but coaches showing up at other games, supporting other programs and observing other athletes is incredibly important. Coaches are leaders, they are students of the game. Coaches are fans and social creatures. Though some individual coaches might be shy, competition is where we live, its the language we speak, the drink we drink. The message that a coach—head or assistant, male or female, active or retired— can and does send by showing up is not to be underestimated. 

Coaches, by attending the games and contests of other sports we send the message: your sport matters, your games are exciting and worth watching. I personally love watching games with other coaches because I want to discuss and deconstruct their observations. I want to know What do they see? What athletes stand out to them? 

Athletes, in the future, consider asking your coach to attend a college or professional game with you and your family. I guarantee you will both learn a lot from one another.

Athletic directors, encourage your coaches to support other teams by attending their games. Watch with another coach. Since we promote a lot via social media today, don't be afraid to share that screen shot.

I do not take for granted that anyone will show up up for anything, anymore. Part of me wants to erase / strike out that statement as it doesn't put much faith in humanity, does it? But my sentiment, my feeling is strong: our presence matters. Father Hesburgh said it's the secret to a good life: Just show up. To my fellow coaches, I encourage you to take a lead on this.

Photo Credits
Shaw Hoops

The First Step Toward Wisdom: More than a piece of metal

Baseball is in a precarious position this spring. The news cycle around the sign stealing scandal of the Houston Astros and how to right the wrong hasn't faded. It doesn't help that the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred referred to the World Series trophy as a "piece of metal." The desire for a what is fair and just have made the ideas, claims and questions written by William O'Malley, author of "Building Your Own Conscience" come to life in a new way. I have taught this article to students in my Morality class for over 15 years now. I have always believed and still do: the first step toward wisdom is to call something by its right name. Sadly, MLB has provided a great case study for how and why this is true.

Damn it, I love this metal.

As written in Forbes, 

The rhetorical point Manfred was trying to make regarded the constant trashcan beat about why he hadn’t vacated Houston’s 2017 World Series title because they defeated the Dodgers in seven games using the electronic sign-stealing scheme. 

"The idea of an asterisk or asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile act,” Manfred said in an ESPN interview.

On one hard, Manfred is right. The Commissioner's trophy IS a piece of metal. Kori Rumore and Michael Terchaa of the Chicago Tribune write "the Commissioner's Trophy is a gleaming 30-pound prize made by Tiffany & Co. Sporting 30 metal flags, one for each major league club, and a gold-stitched baseball it is sterling silver and stands about two-feet tall." Wisdom suggests it is something more.

To most sports fans it is known as the World Series Trophy.

To baseball fans, it is the Commissioner's Trophy. In fact "Unlike championship trophies for the NBA, NFL and NHL, Major League Baseball's championship is not named for a person."

To those baseball fans whose teams have won the World Series, it is something much more. It is magical. It is memorable. It is priceless. 

The same might be said for other pieces of metal such as a wedding band, a miraculous medal or cross, as well as a key to a city. Indeed they are pieces of metal, but a wise person recognizes what they might mean...why they are valued and worth fighting for.

Los Angeles Dodgers' third baseman, Justin Turner feels no differently. He said

“I don’t know if the commissioner has ever won anything in his life. Maybe he hasn’t. But the reason every guy’s in this room, the reason every guy is working out all offseason, and showing up to camp early and putting in all the time and effort is specifically for that trophy, which, by the way, is called the Commissioner’s Trophy. 

“So for him to devalue it the way he did yesterday just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says ‘Commissioner’ on it.”

Rob Manfred is the tenth and current Commissioner of Baseball. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball. He has issued a very public, humble and important apology for his remarks. He should. Why? Calling something by its right name and seeking wisdom means that "Then, you will handle it as it deserves." —William O'Malley, SJ

Such is the important work for Major League Baseball, its leaders, players, and all those who love the game. This event ought to be handled as it deserves. Discernment, more decisions, time and history will reveal how. 

Photo Credits
Manfred with Commissioner's Tropy

Morgan Wootten: More than a Coach, a Fellow Parishioner

In the wake of Kobe Bryant's sudden and tragic passing, the world lost another basketball legend: Morgan Wootten. Coach Wootten might not be a household name here on the left coast, but for those who love the hardwood and especially those in, near and around the Beltway it certainly is, it was. Those who knew Wootten, most likely remember him as a coach who won 33 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships and coached more than a dozen NBA players. Others may recall that his overall record of 1,274-192 and multiple national titles earned him a spot in the Naismith Hall of Fame, I would however, like to point out that for the folks at St. Mark's in Adelphi he was something else....possibly something more...a fellow parishioner.

Dr. Daniel McMahon, the principal of DeMatha Catholic High School brought this to my attention when I extended condolences for this loss. He wrote

Thanks so much. I grieve but I was Morgan's colleague for many years, a fellow parishioner, and I worked in the program for five years as assistant JV basketball coach. I was sooooooo lucky to have him in my life. An extraordinary life, faithfully lived. And, I suspect that I am one of the few people who ever wrote a letter of recommendation FOR Morgan--though I know he wrote thousands for others. 

Though principal since 2000, I'm sure Dan would first tell you that he has taught English at DeMatha for 35 years. When I spoke to the Washington Catholic Athletic League last January, Dan penned the most thoughtful introduction I have ever heard. He is gifted with both the pen and with prose. Therefore, I wasn't surprised that he informally wrote the briefest of tributes in this way. I knew they were colleagues and that he would relate to Coach in many ways—I just didn't suspect it would be as a fellow parishioner.

As a member of a parish, I understand what that means and the value in that title. To know a person as a fellow parishioner means that you are united through a community of faith. You offer the same prayers, sing the same songs, hear the same homily and profess one creed. It means your bonds, your connection and rooted in God's love and mercy. In the past, it meant that you saw this person and their family on a weekly basis. It means you might know their habits—where they sit, Do they arrive on time? a little late? Do they go away in the summer? Today it means that I know a person and their family—sometimes directly, many times indirectly by showing up to share the sacraments and hear the Word of God (weekly, bi-monthly etc). We weather the storms of life—personal and public tragedies and loss together and rejoice in God's gracious gifts and abundant blessings with one another.

I worry that people my age and young may not recognize the value having a parish...in knowing others as fellow parishioners and as being one to others. I write this post because I believe Coach Wootten ought to be honored for not only being a great coach, but from what I read a great man of faith. I will let those who know him at St. Mark's share more.

On Valentine's Day, I opened my friend's annual holiday card to read (after the introduction) that they too find joy and value in a parish....in being parishioners. Alicia wrote:

2019 was full of fun adventures. Our parish, St. Agnes, celebrated 125 years in the Haigh Ashbury. We are so blessed to have found such an inclusive, diverse and compassionate spiritual home. To kick off the celebration we had a block party with food trucks, rides and a talent show and then the big Gala which allowed Nelson to dust off our dancing shoes and fancy clothes. It was an amazing event with friends, food and entertainment.

St. Agnes has been a spiritual home for my family too. My grandparent's funeral masses took place at what is now a Jesuit parish; my cousin Kristi was married at this church, too. Although my parish is St. Vincent de Paul in the Cow Hollow neighborhood, I am grateful that both of these parishes aim to strengthen and bolster a community of faith in the City of St. Francis. 

UCLA basketball legend John Wooden called Morgan Wootten the greatest basketball coach on any level. “I stand in awe of him,” Wooden said. He will not be forgotten in sports or in spirituality.

Photo Credits
Funeral
DeMatha
Bus

A Different Kind of Love Story: Meet Zach and Julie Ertz

There are sports stories and there are love stories. I think it's safe to say, I'm a sucker for both. So on this Valentine's Day, what could be better than a story that involve two people whose first love was not one another, but their respective sports? To know the story of Zach and Julie Ertz is to know how sports shaped them, introduced them, and bonded them. That's a pretty good love—love story.

ESPN's E-60: Meet the Ertzes begins on January 21, 2018.  It's game day on opposite sides of the country. Jeremy Schaap resports, "one athlete is in California, playing for the US National team. The other is in Philadelphia, playing for the NFC title.  Their entire lives, winning was the only thing. Until they met each other. You've heard the story of boy meets girl, but you haven't heard this version."

What follows is the tale of how two athletes can be world class AND be each other's number one fans.

Julie Johnson, who grew up in Mesa, Arizona played soccer at Santa Clara University. She met Zach Ertz at a baseball game at Stanford's Sunken Diamond. Ertz, a tight end for the Cardinal saw her and the open seat next to her. He asked her if she wanted some sunflower seeds and this young woman, who once told her mom "I'm married to soccer" became Mrs. Ertz a little over three years later.

Zach, who was taken 35th in the overall draft by the Philadelphia Eagles said "I love how dedicated she was to her sport too. I really respected what she was trying to do as an athlete." In January 2014, Julie was selected third in the overall in the national women's soccer draft by Chicago. Soon, there was an even bigger opportunity: To play for the women's national soccer team.

My favorite moment in this video is when the camera captures Julie's reaction upon the national team defeating Denmark. A teammate ran over to tell her that the Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game. She jumps with joy and drops to her knees to take a breath. Overcome with emotion—her team's victory, the distance from her husband, and his accomplishment—she begins to cry. Her teammates are at her side hugging and celebrating with her. A reporter manages to show Zach this clip after his game. Aquinas said what we see: to love is to will the good of another.

Each of us carries our own love stories. My first love was tennis; I fell so hard. I still hold a tenderness in my heart for that game. And to think of all the people in my life who have loved me and I have loved is humbling and gratifying. On this Valentine's Day, let us give thanks for the athletes we love, the sports we love and the stories of loving a game and loving one another. There's much to celebrate.

Photo Credits