04/10/22 – Radically Rational

04/10/22

It was Friday afternoon—less than two days ago—that my mind randomly drifted to the Steelers’ three-man competition at quarterback. Who was going to wind up with the job? Mitchell Trubisky? Mason Rudolph? Or Dwayne Haskins? And might the Steelers also take a quarterback in the draft? It was a fun thought, because it was a football thought.

Then Saturday morning my wife checked her phone and told me the news. He was only 24.

And, yes, both ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Sirius XM’s Gil Brandt really stepped in it in addressing Haskins’ death. Tasteless. Tone-deaf. Devoid of empathy.

The Eagles took a leap of faith Friday by signing free agent wide receiver Devon Allen, an Olympic hurdler who hasn’t played football since 2016. The 27-year-old former Oregon Duck finished fifth and fourth in the past two Olympics in the 110-meter hurdles, and plans to compete in that event in the World Athletics Championships in July before reporting to camp with the Eagles. In 29 football games at Oregon, Allen caught 54 passes for 919 yards and eight touchdowns. He recently laid down an unofficial 4.35 -second 40-yard dash at Oregon’s recent pro day.

The good news for Scottie Scheffler is that he has a three-shot lead heading into the final round of The Masters. But objects in the mirror may be closer than you think. Cameron Smith is going to come at Scheffler hard in that head-to-head matchup in Sunday’s final twosome. I can’t wait!

Yes, watching Tiger on Saturday was painful. But he had already “won” this one, in my view.

Dang it! The Astros are not going to go 162-0. But Verlander looked good in his comeback from surgery, giving up only one run on three hits in a 2-0 loss to the Angels. V also K’ed Shohei Ohtani three times. That bodes well.

I hope the Mets and Nats end their season-opening weekend series today without anyone exiting in an ambulance. Ditto Brewers-Cubs. Dang, fellas…

I watched some hoop Saturday night. Not intensely, but I had it on. Spurs-Warriors. Grizzlies-Pelicans. Hmmm. Draymond Green is a good basketball player. So is Ja Morant. The Grizzlies scored 55 points in the third quarter of their win over the Pelicans? What?

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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.