04/11/22 – Radically Rational

04/11/22

The fifteenth—and best—club in Scottie Scheffler’s bag Sunday at Augusta was composure. That could have gone South for him, and almost did. But he didn’t let it. Ultimately, he out-toughed and out-cooled Cameron Smith.

I would suggest there’s more pressure with a three-shot lead going into the final round than there is with a three-shot deficit. Scottie felt it. He stumbled. Then he got it back together and crushed it. That’s what champions do.

Champions recover. If stuff isn’t hard as hell, what does it mean?

There’s a lesson there for all of us. Just because a day gets off to a shaky start doesn’t mean it has to disintegrate. One of life’s great pleasures is pulling the nose up on a day that looked like it might augur in.

I just had a wonderful memory. At Lockhart, we did not keep our helmets in our individual cubicles. They were assigned to a block of cubbies right outside our locker room door. You took your helmet on your way outside the door. You put it back in on your way back inside. Everybody saw you take it out. Everybody saw you put it back in. Everybody saw the Lion on the side. Every day. We were all accountable to each other. Coach Roy Dollar was a subtle genius. And, by the way, your name was not on your cubbie. Your number was. I was not ever going to embarrass 84. Yes, it was a big deal to me.

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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.