02/02/22 “Early Edition” – Radically Rational

02/02/22 “Early Edition”

I am very familiar with the football career of Josh McCown. He played for 12 NFL teams and was a consummate professional in every way. Coaches and teammates loved him at every stop. McCown has consistently been described as “the ultimate ‘team guy’.”

McCown has my respect and admiration. And I think he will make a helluva good NFL head coach someday if that’s what he wants to do.

By the way, his birthday is the Fourth of July.

But now is not the time. And the Texans are not the franchise.

Houston just unfairly fired a 66-year-old Black head coach with almost four decades of experience as an NFL assistant coach. McCown’s coaching experience is limited to being a high school offensive coordinator, no doubt a very good one.

Multiple news sources are reporting that McCown is now the favorite to be The Man in Houston. I’m not in any way doubting his talent and potential. However, I AM suggesting that there are more currently qualified candidates in the mix, and that becoming the Texans’ coach could destroy HIS coaching career before it ever really starts.

That would be a terribly polarizing hire at every level. It would cleave the locker room, the city of Houston, the fan base and the media, and would further destroy what is left of the franchise’s reputation.

Hiring McCown right now would be a bad thing for the Texans. And it would be an even worse thing for McCown.

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Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.