Visit Munger, Win National Championship

I received the following in the mail on Monday, the day of the College Football National Championship game between Alabama and Clemson:

Now, am I claiming that part of the Clemson coaching staff's visit to Munger on Christmas Eve resulted in their National Championship win over Alabama on Monday evening? No, I would never be that arrogant.

On the other hand, the facts don't lie....

If That's What They Do, No Wonder They Win

But seriously, if that's how the coaching staff at Clemson normally behaves, no wonder they are killing it on the football field. Coach Richardson:

Made a point to search out and attend church while away from home on Christmas Eve;
Looked up my work address;
Wrote a hand-written note (my colleague Kate also received one);
And mailed it all while preparing for the most important game of the season.

Wow!

This has reminded me again of how important it is to do things like this to encourage and bless others.

P.S. Nick Saban and the Media

Remember a few weeks ago how I mentioned how frustrated I was of our media's obsession with focusing on failure? Well, we have another example this week with Nick Saban, head football coach for the University of Alabama. Coach Saban is far and away the most successful coach in college football, and it's not even close. He's won 6 National Championships (5 since 2009), and played in the national title game every year for the past four straight years. Rather than saying "the Clemson team was better, and the Alabama team had some struggles on their way to their first loss of the season," I've seen lots of stories like this one:

Crazy.

Also a good reminder: I don't want to be someone who focuses on others' failures--I want to be someone who sends handwritten notes of encouragement in the mail instead.

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