07/25/22 – Radically Rational

07/25/22

All 32 NFL training camps will be fully up and running by the end of this week. The offseason was a chaotic one. We’ve had a slew of big-name quarterback relocations along with ten new head coach hirings, lawsuits, allegations of collusion, Congressional hearings and no shortage of misbehavior among players and owners. Now it’s time to mix in some football.

It’s comforting—at least to me—to realize that July is the last month without NFL football games until March of 2023. Blankie.

Texans’ rookie receiver John Metchie III has leukemia. BB and I stopped breathing when that bulletin came across our phones on Sunday. All love and support to that young man, who no doubt will win this battle.

How does Altuve do that? Another leadoff homer? That was the 30^th of his career and 8^th this season alone—this one on the first pitch of the game, no less. Jeremy Pena followed immediately with a solo homer to vector the ‘Stros toward an 8-5 series-sweeping win at Seattle. Houston is 5-0 following the All-Star break.

A reminder that the Celtics swept Kevin Durant and the Nets 4-0 in the first round of last spring’s Eastern Conference playoffs. Now there are reports that Boston may be interested in trading for Kevin Durant. Why?

If a trip to Cooperstown is not on your Bucket List, your vessel has sprung a leak. Make it happen. You will never regret it and never forget it. Sunday’s induction ceremony was predictably perfect.

American track (and field) is BACK! Both the U.S. women and men were dominant at the world championships in Eugene, the first ever held on American soil. The U.S. set a record with 33 total medals, 13 of them gold. And what a way to end the meet, with both the U.S. men’s and women’s 4 X 400 meter relay teams putting the hammer down. I’ve run out of superlatives for Sydney McLaughlin. An anchor leg in the 47s? And she got the stick with a lead of .73 seconds, before turning it into a 2.93 second laugher over Jamaica. I’m predicting right now that McLaughlin will have as much cultural influence on the U.S. and the world as she will have historic impact on the track. She’s going to inspire tens of thousands of American’s little girls, and that is a great thing.

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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.