Mike Leach "Swing Your Sword" - my take

I read Mike Leach's book a little differently.  There's so much talk of leadership these days, and so little demonstration of it, that I'm always looking for examples.  Usually the easiest, simplest approach to something produces the best results, and Leach exemplifies that.  Coaches make coaching look hard, perhaps as a barrier to entry, perhaps it's an ego thing.  Most seem to like the idea of beating your head into a brick wall to try to knock it down.  Leach identified early on it's much easier and simpler to go around the wall or over it.

Work smarter, not harder.  Everyone says it.  Few people actually follow their own advice.  It takes an analytical mind and a little bit of time to identify a smarter way to work.  Most people dismiss this step.  The impatient always want to DO SOMETHING.  Leach writes that problems are solved taking small, smart steps that have a likely positive result.  His offenses might have racked up large numbers, but it was the small plays that got them there.  Simple routes, simple reads, lots of options.  Leach refuses to box himself in by down and distance.  If a play is good somewhere on the field, it's good anywhere.  It doesn't have to be difficult.  Apply the same solution to as many problems as possible.

Leach promotes an atmosphere conducive to creativity and sharing.  He discourages group solutions because group-think eliminates unique and novel ideas.  Again, every corporation and college and collaboration in between say they promote this through "entrepreneurship" and other catch phrases, but the safe approach is always the one done before.  Leach lets his coaching staff (and graduate assistants) know that not every idea will be used.  Unique ideas, just like tired, used ideas, aren't all great.  As long as the collaborators don't take this  personally and continue to contribute, this is indeed the most effective way to arrive at solutions.  In this way, Leach was molded by those he coached under.  Working with Hal Mumme in an incubator of ideas allowed Mike Leach the time to develop his own style and prove it before being absorbed by big boy old-school football at Oklahoma.  If he'd tried to make the jump sooner, maybe he would have been indoctrinated with three yards and a cloud of dust like too many other coaches.

Players are obviously the most important part to a coach's success and Leach has defined ways to get the most out of them too.  He writes of giving everyone a chance.  Seems obvious, but his example is especially impressive - Wes Welker.  Welker wasn't recruited out of high school, even though his tape was great.  Welker came to Tech but no one was a believer.  Pretty soon, his peers recognized he was the best on the team.  Because he was overlooked coming out of high school, Welker was determined.  Again, Welker was disregarded going from college to the NFL.  Pretty soon, he was the best receiver on the Dolphins and then the Super Bowl winning Patriots.  If Leach doesn't give this kid a chance, it's possible he isn't in the NFL.  What's amazing is this perennial pro-bowler wasn't even drafted.  Everyone deserves a chance.  Talent will show itself pretty quickly.  Looking at measurables and stats is easy.  Auditioning people in person is hard and time consuming, but it is the true show of skill.  Leach, like all successful leaders, found talent that others had passed over.  He had to.  But that he was so successful should demonstrate its importance.

Mike Leach is ultimately a true coach.  The difference between coaching and teaching may seem trivial, but teaching implies starting from scratch - giving someone completely new information.  Coaching involves identifying talent, improving that talent and ultimately applying it to solve a problem.  This is Leach's gift.  He's taken every difficult situation and succeeded, often spectacularly.  He didn't do it through the most gifted athletes but through a system that preached simplicity and execution.  Anyone can coach - teachers, supervisors, parents - and be successful by being open to all people and ideas.

Super Bowl Predictions

Everything I've seen on the field points to a Giants victory in my opinion.  I should be rooting for the NFC as a Bears fan.  The Giants look like this year's version of the Packers.  Why am I picking the Patriots to cover?  Vegas tells me too.

At one point this week 65 percent of the money was on the Giants.  I was a little shocked to see the Patriots open up as a 3.5 point favorite as well.  My first thought was to take the points with the Giants and never look back.  Then I thought back to November when Iowa State opened up as only a 1.5 point favorite at Drake in basketball.  It was a guaranteed lock.  In Vegas, if it looks to good to be true it probably is.  To me, taking the Giants looks too good to be true.  The number has now slipped down to 2.5 and I feel even better about taking the Patriots.

Las Vegas has lost money on two Super Bowls in the last 17 years.  Last year was one of those years.  They know where to set the line.  They are in the business of making money pure and simple.  Add in the fact that the Vegas favorite has won the game at an alarming percentage and I'll take the favorite, even giving the 2.5 points.  

For once, I put my bias aside and looked at the bigger picture.  Am I bound to look utterly stupid?  Of course, but taking a favorite giving 2.5 points is one of my favorite spots to bet.  I am hoping for a Patriots victory by 3-9 points.  With that I would win a friendly wager with a friends that gave me Giants +9.5 (To be fair I gave him 2-1 odds) and I would also win a playoff point spread pool.  My maximum return is 55 dollars.  My maximum loss is 5 dollars.  There is also a scenario in which I win 15 dollars.  I'll take those odds.

Now for the fun part, the prop bets.

Coin Toss- Giants are calling tails.  The coin will land on tails.  Make it 15 in a row for the NFC

First TD- Hakeem Nicks. (8 to 1)

Super Bowl MVP- Wes Welker (12 to 1)

Giselle Bundchen Appearances O/U (1/2)- OVER.  I hope its way over too.  She is easy on the eyes.

First Person/People Super Bowl MVP Thanks- I'll take teammates at 1-1 odds.

Color of Gatorade Dumped: Orange at 5/2 odds.

I'll also learned this week that the "sharps" tend to jump on the low side of O/U prop bets.  It makes sense.  The public loves betting overs, myself included.  For this reason, Vegas can still get action on both sides and there is some value to the under.  Here are three "unders" that I like.

Brandon Jacobs Longest Rush (10.5 yards) -UNDER

Hakeem Nicks Longest Reception (26.5 yards)B- UNDER

Tom Brady Total Rushing Attempts (3)- UNDER

BenJarvus Green-Ellis Rushing Attempts (12.5)- UNDER

Deion Branch Total Receiving Yards (42.5)-  UNDER

So there you go folks.  Its not about what you know, its about what Vegas tells you to do.  Sit back, grab some food, grab some drink and watch the desert smile!