Vignettes: Often Not Enough

I must admit to watching the political season more closely than ever becasue I realize that I have to select SOMEBODY in a few months. I've seen Obama up close and in person; I've listened to speeches/debates, etc. until I can almost recite the answers myself. I though Hillary was great on "Saturday Night Live" last night. What it's taught me is that a single sound bite or press conference-type appearance is hardly sufficient when it comes to forming an opinion about someone. That's why ESPN has me more than a little "p'ed o." Their use of a 60-second clip and corresponding implications really wasn't fair. If you didn't see the replay of the press conference held by Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth after a particularly tough loss last week to Wisconsin, you must live in a cave. (the link follows for your edification) The ESPN analysts implied that this historic meltdown was Coach Borseth's one defining moment and generally left the audience to bemoan the fact that yet another coach has lost sight of what's important. WRONG!
I know Kevin Borseth. I "worked" for him as a tutor in the athletics program when he was toiling in relative anonymity at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Was he intense? You bet. He was that intense about his athletes' grades and their contributions to the community. He was NOT all about basketball, and he is not today, either; however, when results are measured on a scoreboard, and your job depends on the attitudes and abilities of teenagers day in and day out...well, I suspect most of us would be intense as well. Fortunately, cameras do not record our every emotion after a bad day at the office. We are not subject to hearing soundbites of our worst moments replayed over and over and over and over. The press does not call us out on our every move at work or hound our families (see Rich Rodriguez). We get to toil in relative anonymity. Lucky us.
Coach Borseth has turned Michigan around...they are no longer a weak sister (that's still Northwestern's domain in the Big 10). Somebody asked me if I thought he'd get fired for the tirade. "Are you kidding me? That's exactly what Michigan women's basketball has been missing: someone who is passionate enough to lead," I replied.
Good for him. Remember, though, that his essence is not what you see on camera. His essence is the way players feel about him (even here at UW-GB after his departure!).
We should all have such passion for our jobs.


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