Win a Watch Sports the Right Way FiOS Pack from Verizon FiOS and EMQB

EMQB has partnered with Verizon FiOS for a contest that’s easy to enter—and win! All you have to do for your chance at great prizes is head over to FactsonFiOS.com and locate the image of a football. When you find it, comment on this post with the location of where that football was hidden and you will be entered to win a Watch Sports the Right Way FiOS Pack. Naturally, we’ll keep these comments private so the correct answer isn’t floating around for everyone to see.

Your Watch Sports the Right Way FiOS Pack includes:

• an HD Flip Camcorder
• a $25 gift card to Modell’s or Dick’s Sporting Goods Store
• Verizon-branded items

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Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Win a Watch Sports the Right Way FiOS Pack

NFL Teams Honor Veterans, Military / Photo: Newscom

The NFL will continue to offer its Game Pass HD service free of charge at USO Centers for military members stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Italy, Korea and Japan. At the USO facility in each of these locations, servicemembers can watch every NFL game live and online in its entirety.

In addition, teams will honor veterans and the armed services with a number of pregame and in-stadium initiatives:

Arizona Cardinals

At their November 15 game, the Cardinals will host 120 military volunteers, representing all service branches and unfurl a field-size American flag for the National Anthem, which will be performed by a member of the Navy. The Colors will be presented by American Legion Ira Hayes Post 84, and a local servicemember will be the game’s Honorary Captain.

Atlanta Falcons

At the November 8 game, the Falcons Fitness Flag Crew, presented by Flagstar Bank, will be comprised of soldiers from Fort Gordon’s Warrior Transition Battalion and the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center for Rehab in Augusta. The team will show the names of all season ticket holders who are veterans on their video board and display a “Thank You Veterans” ribbon. Falcons players will tape thank you messages for veterans to air on the jumbotron during the game. Prior to the Anthem, fans will be asked to observe a moment of silence, followed by recognition of veterans in-stadium. A local veteran will participate in the coin toss.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will honor military members at their November 1 game. Festivities will include a pregame A-10 aircraft flyover, a serviceman as Honorary Captain of the Game, the Maryland National Guard’s salute to troops headed to Afghanistan, a live video feed from Afghanistan, a halftime performance by Baltimore’s Marching Ravens, a presentation of the Fort McHenry Great Garrison Flag and red, white and blue uniforms for the cheerleaders’ quarter-break performance.

Buffalo Bills

On November 1, the Bills will host their annual military appreciation on-field pregame ceremony. One-hundred servicemembers, including representatives from all military branches, will be on-field, and veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the Iraq conflict will all be recognized. The team will also pay tribute to members of Wounded Warriors and welcome them on-field.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers will host a Pro vs. GI Joe event at Bank of America Stadium on November 3. Chris Harris and Hilee Taylor will compete against active duty military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan in video games. The soldier’s families will also be present to speak to the soldiers via a video conference hookup. On November 10, Panthers players Jason Baker, Gary Barnidge, Mackenzy Bernadeau and N’ail Diggs will visit traveling service personnel at the USO station at Charlotte Douglas Airport. At the November 15 game, the team will welcome military personnel who recently returned from active duty. They will lead the Panthers on-field and serve as honorary coin toss captains. Pregame ceremonies will feature color guards from all five service branches, and the game will include a salute to military heroes and POW-MIA recognition. Halftime will include the recognition of each service branch and a swearing-in ceremony for new military enlistees.

Chicago Bears

On November 3, the Bears will make an appearance at the North Chicago VA Medical Center and deliver letters written to veterans by local students as part of the Hello to Our Heroes program. Sponsored by Staples, the program pairs players with students to write letters to veterans each month during the season. At the November 8 game, a soldier will deliver the American Flag to the field before players run out of the team tunnel. Army Generals and award recipients will serve as Honorary Captains for the coin toss. The U.S. Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club will sing the National Anthem while men and women representing the service’s five branches hold a large American flag on-field. Halftime activities will include a re-enlistment ceremony with men and women from all branches, and a soldier will serve as the 4th Phase Captain.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals will host over 50 military members, representing all service branches, at their November 8 game. They will take part in a flag unfurling during the National Anthem, followed by an Air Force flyover. There will be an on-field check presentation by Kroger to Operation Home Front. The JungleZone area will feature an interactive Marines and Operation Home Front display. Tributes will run throughout the game, including messages to the team from deployed soldiers.

Cleveland Browns

Through the Cleveland Browns Hats Off to Our Heroes program, the Browns will honor fallen soldiers during the November 16 game. Loved ones representing the soldiers will be seated in the “Honor Row” during the game. Additionally, a custom United States shaped American flag will be used during the National Anthem with five stars surrounding the flag – one for each branch of the Armed Forces. Veterans from each branch of the military will hold the star that they represent. The honorary Coin Toss Captain for this game will be a decorated war veteran.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys will host a military-themed game recognizing the USO and servicemembers. Festivities will include a performance with team’s cheerleaders and Neal McCoy. At the end of the halftime performance, 50 children from Snowball Express will be escorted on-field. Snowball Express is an organization that supports the children of fallen heroes. The Marines also will perform pregame with their drum and bugle corps.

Denver Broncos

At the November 9 game, a retired Golden Knight and Purple Heart recipient will parachute into the stadium with the Thunderstorm Skydive Team, using a Purple Heart Parachute. Halftime ceremonies will include a salute to military members, with all branches represented on-field. The Air Force Academy Band will sing God Bless America, and a Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient will be honored. Military shout-outs will be shown throughout the game.

Detroit Lions

The Lions will hold an induction ceremony at their November 1 game. The 119th Field Artillery and 182 Field Artillery Battalions will represent the Michigan Army National Guard during a pregame pre-deployment ceremony. One hundred soldiers will attend the game, and all veterans in attendance will be recognized. The team will also honor a local military member who recently returned home from Iraq at the game. The Lions honor a soldier at each of their home games as part of their Hometown Heroes Program.

Green Bay Packers

On November 15, the Packers will unfurl a large flag on-field and host an Air Force flyover. The team will recognize a Military Family of the Game on-field before the National Anthem.

Houston Texans

The Texans saluted the military at their October 25 game, at which President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush served as Honorary Captains. The National Anthem was performed by a member of the military, followed by members of the US Army Golden Knights parachuting in with American Flag and Game Ball. The Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon performed during halftime, followed by a live satellite feed from the USS Bush, during which President George H.W. Bush addressed the troops. The Texans also hosted a field day for 100 wounded Veterans from the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio at the team’s training facility, and Coach Kubiak invited wounded veterans to attend the first 30 minutes of practice. Lunch was served by the Lady Texans organization.

Indianapolis Colts

Colts players and the team mascot will visit the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis on November 10 to spend time with veterans and attend a birthday party for the Marines. The team will be joined by Purple Heart recipient, Colts community liaison and motivational speaker Josh Bleill. At the November 8 game, cheerleaders will perform a halftime show recognizing veterans.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On November 8, the Jaguars will recognize 12 veterans pregame, and the team will be lead on-field by sailors from NAS Jacksonville, followed by a moment of silence and a 21-gun salute. The National Anthem will be delivered on the video board from a soldier in Taqaddum, Iraq. A flyover will be conducted by a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman AFB, and a large American flag will be held by airmen from Tyndall AFB. At halftime, the team will host a mass induction ceremony, involving all five branches of the military. During the 3rd quarter break, Wounded Warriors will be recognized on the field. Outside the stadium, a Navy helicopter and an Army CH-47 Chinook will be on display, along with an EOD weapons display.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs Rookie Club will host students from the Derrick Thomas Academy for a special field trip at the National World War I Museum. During the visit, the Chiefs will announce a $5,000 grant to the museum. These funds will be used to formulate a “family guide,” which will educate visitors of the museum on its history and displays. The Chiefs also honored past, present and future members of the Armed Forces as they hosted more than 1,200 local military personnel during the club’s Military Appreciation Day at Arrowhead. In addition to several special presentations, the team also debuted Chiefs-branded Military Appreciation Day merchandise, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the U.S. Army’s Wounded Warriors unit from Fort Riley, Kansas.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ November 15 game will feature a military ‘stand to’ and enlistment ceremony, with over 200 servicemembers on-field during pregame activities. Members of the National Guard Band and Parris Island Marine Band will greet fans at entrance gates to the stadium, and halftime activities will include a performance by the Parris Island Marine Band. Several Dolphins players will donate their All Community Team Tickets to groups including Wounded Warriors Project. On November 10, Ricky Williams and several of his teammates will host a luncheon for service members from Wounded Warriors Miami. They will also be Williams’ guests at the November 15 game.

Minnesota Vikings

On November 10, the Vikings will be visit the V.A. Hospital in Minneapolis to dedicate a Viking themed area at the hospital. Additionally, Vikings players will visit the Veteran’s Home in Minneapolis. At the November 15 game, the “Minnesota Vikings Salute to the Military” campaign will include military members involved with the National Anthem and Color Guard. A servicemember will be designated as the day’s Honorary Viking. The Mall of America Field Plaza will feature military vehicles and a climbing wall pregame, and a large flag will be unfurled during the anthem. Patriotic songs will be performed pregame on the plaza stage.

New England Patriots

At their November 8 game, the Patriots will recognize veterans and active military members on-field prior to kickoff and with a video played at halftime. Active servicemembers and veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf will be honored at the game. The coin toss will include participation from two veterans, one of whom is a Patriots fan and one who is a Dolphins fan.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints will honor the military at their November 2 game. Pregame entertainment will include a flag unfurling presentation with 125 active duty participants from all branches of the military and feature “Saints shot out” messages by military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan on the video boards. A marine will perform the National Anthem and the Commandant of the USMC will be presented as a special guest during the coin toss. During halftime, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon will perform.

New York Giants

At their November 8 game, the Giants will recognize crew members from the USS New York, a vessel whose bow is comprised of steel salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. The team also will host a volunteer group representing Homes For Our Troops, a non-profit organization dedicated to building adapted homes for severely injured veterans; they will be on-site distributing ribbons to fans. On Veterans Day, the Giants will host local Wounded Warriors at practice and invite them for lunch in the players’ cafeteria.

New York Jets

At their November 15 game, the Jets will celebrate their 10th annual Military Appreciation Day. Seventy-five military personnel representing each of the five branches of the military will be guests at practice on November 13. Pregame on Sunday, each branch of the military will have exhibits and recruiting stations set up outside the stadium. Vocalists from the Air Force Singing Sergeants will perform the National Anthem, with members of each branch of the military on-field. The Maguire Air Force Base joint color guard will present the colors, and a B-52 bomber will perform a flyover at the conclusion of the Anthem. A local four-star general will serve as honorary captain, and halftime will include a performance by the Air Force Honor Guard precision drill team. Throughout the game, special messages from troops will be played in-stadium, as well as a message from Coach Ryan and player messages to servicemembers. Public service announcements will be played in-stadium promoting each branch of the military.

Oakland Raiders

On November 10, Raiders players will visit with veterans at the VA Medical Center in San Francisco, speaking about football experiences and will answering questions.

Philadelphia Eagles

On November 6, the Eagles will host a Pro vs. GI Joe event at the NovaCare Complex. Players will play Guitar Hero against soldiers in Iraq and meet with approximately 25 military members. Family members of the soldiers playing in Iraq will be in attendance to visit with their loved ones onscreen. The Eagles will honor the military at their November 8 game by featuring the US Marines Silent Drill Team at halftime and unfurling a field-size American Flag during the Anthem.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers and VA Healthcare hosted the second annual Heroes at Heinz Field event for 75 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Participants, many wounded in the war, tried out their football skills with the help of Steelers players Patrick Bailey, Charlie Batch, Keyaron Fox, Doug Legursky, Ryan Mundy, Dan Sepulveda, A.Q. Shipley, Kraig Urbik and Greg Warren. The players spent time speaking with veterans and expressing gratitude for their service. At the November 15 game, the color guard will consist of local veterans.

St. Louis Rams

On November 10, Jason Brown and teammates will visit a local VA Hospital to encourage patients and sign autographs. At the November 15 game, the team will have a Salute to American Veterans presentation during halftime with a pass in review including local military organizations. The team will honor veterans during the game, and the National Anthem will be performed by Navy personnel.

San Diego Chargers

As part of the Chargers’ ongoing support for San Diego County active duty military and veterans, on November 10, Chargers players and cheerleaders will visit the San Diego’s VA Hospital to spend time with patients and veterans groups. As part of the day’s activities, the team will provide a donation for some new recreational equipment.

San Francisco 49ers

Current and former members of the 49ers will visit a local retirement home to host a card tournament. During the event, the entire group will join in the Pledge of Allegiance, and veterans will be recognized by the Color Guard and given a limited edition 49ers pin to honor their service. As part of a longstanding tradition, at the November 8 game, a color guard consisting of members of a variety of branches of the military will present the flag during the National Anthem. Additionally, discounted tickets will be offered to members of the military.

Seattle Seahawks

At the Seahawks November 8 game, representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion will be introduced as a large American flag is unfurled. Other military guests on the sidelines will include members from the Warrior Transition Battalion. The US Navy Academy Glee Club will perform the National Anthem, followed by a flyover, and representatives from McChord Air Force Base will present the American flag.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On November 11, Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik will welcome two returning veterans into their new homes, courtesy of the Buccaneers in partnership with Rebuild Together Tampa Bay. Named “Operation: Bucs Rebuild,” these homes will provide safe havens for veterans. These abandoned homes are being totally refurbished and updated as part of the City of Tampa’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Tennessee Titans

On November 10, Titans players, cheerleaders and staff will visit the Nashville V. A. Medical Center, led by Ahmard Hall, who served for four years in the Marines with service in Kosovo. In addition, the team’s 11th annual Titans Salute to Veteran’s Day will take place during the November 15 game, with 120 soldiers from Fort Campbell 101st Airborne Division unfurling a giant American Flag spanning the entire field for the National Anthem, followed by a flyover of F-16’s from the 187th Fighter Wing. At halftime, the 101st Airborne Division Army Band will play each military branch’s song and a color guard from that branch will parade across the field. The team will present a game ball to the Fort Campbell Commanding General and to a group of Wounded Warriors who will be attending the game.

Washington Redskins

On November 10, the Redskins will host a Pro vs. GI Joe event at Redskins Park. Players will play Guitar Hero against soldiers overseas and meet with approximately 25 active, retired and wounded military members. Family members of the soldiers playing overseas will be in attendance to visit with their loved ones onscreen. Additionally, Redskins players will visit with wounded warriors in the morning at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. At the November 15 game, the Redskins will honor the military by featuring the US Air Force and Military Order of the Purple Heart during the coin toss and halftime ceremonies. In addition, the Redskins will be hosting a “Timeout for Military Veterans’ Health” at the stadium on November 7, with free health screenings.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Teams Honor Veterans, Military

Plaxico Burress / Photo: Newscom

Source: NFL Media

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Statement on Plaxico Burress

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell / Photo: Newscom

On the other hand, as far as Plaxico is concerned, Commissioner Goodell said he would not wait for the legal process to run its course before taking action. He has already initiated a review of the felony weapons charge against Plax, whose actual trial might not start until after the 2009 season.

Source: NFL.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Roger Goodell to Review Vick, Burress

Kevin and Pat Williams, Minnesota Vikings / Image: Zuma Press

Pat is willing to take his medicine, so to speak, but he feels betrayed:

“Basically now I got to hold trust issues with the NFL. I don’t know if I can trust them now. If I did something wrong, I’m going to take it. But they knew about it and didn’t tell the players.”

Two days ago, federal Judge Paul Magnuson dismissed the claims of five NFL players who had been issued suspensions last season and it’s looking more and more like the “Williams Wall” and New Orleans Saints defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant will have to serve those suspensions. Judge Magnuson agreed with the NFL that the players are ultimately responsible for what they put into their bodies.

Not so fast, though. The NFLPA case and Pat and Kevin’s suit were separate actions. So, Pat and Kevin are still holding out hope. Judge Magnuson found their claims, under two specific Minnesota statutes, were not included in the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Thus, their lawsuits will now continue in a Minnesota court as to those claims.

Source: StarTribune.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Pat Williams Can’t Trust the NFL

Cincinnati Bengals / Image: Zuma Press

A lot of teams would consider this type of coverage more of a distraction than anything else, but Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis isn’t one of them:

“I think our football team is beyond that point. I think we’ve got a mature group of guys that are fighting for jobs. They won’t notice the cameras. We know there will be special things that guys will be a part of; I think that way we’re mature enough. Steve (Sabol, NFL Films) has approached me before and we didn’t come to the same conclusion. This time I did because I think we’re in a different step in the team’s maturity and where we are. I think it’s great for our fans. I felt like we could handle this.”

I love this show. It’s easily my favorite reality series and it typically offers a very unique look inside an NFL organization. As a fan of the league, you’ve got to love that. You get to know a handful of the players quite well and it’s usually very compelling from week-to-week. Hard Knocks launched with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001 (still the best season to-date), followed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. After an unexplained five-year layoff, the series resumed in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs (blah) and the 2008 edition, which received a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound, featured the Cowboys for the second time.

I have to think the Bengals were way down on the list of teams HBO and NFL Films wanted to see on the Hard Knocks series. I mean, the Bengals are coming off a 4-11-1 season and I have little reason to believe they will be much better in 2009. I’m so discouraged by the choice, I wonder if we’ll see another season of Hard Knocks after this one? The reason is I’m not sure there will be any teams willing to allow this kind of insider coverage anymore. I hope I’m wrong, but by choosing the Cincinnati Bengals as their featured team, I think NFL Films is sending a bleak message: We couldn’t get anyone else to do it!

Nevertheless, I’ll be watching. Receiver Chad Johnson Ochocinco will keep things interesting and should be worth the price of admission alone. And it will be intriguing to see Dhani Jones back in his natural environment after observing him in his “world traveler” role on The Travel Channel’s Dhani Tackles the Globe. But the Bengals aren’t even close to having the cast of characters the Dallas Cowboys showcased last year. Not that the show needs that, but I’m wondering how entertaining the Cincinnati Bengals will be.

Source: Bengals.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Bengals Land HBO ‘Hard Knocks’ Series

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants a longer regular season. And he’s ready to propose a 17 or 18 game schedule to team owners in May that could take effect as soon as 2011. Of course, there are several obstacles to hurdle, like a new collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union. But, the Commissioner discussed the possibility this week at the NFL Annual Meeting:

“It’s possible that we could vote in May, but we want to have core discussions on this. Anytime you have change, there is some reluctance. But it’s clear we don’t need four preseason games anymore. I think the quality of NFL programming, that every one of our network partners would say, if they have the chance to have more regular-season programming, they’d be interested in it. A key point is the fans also recognize players they want to see are not in those preseason games; that’s why they are not attractive. They want to see those players play.”

I completely agree with reducing the preseason. There is no need for four preseason games and the majority of fans don’t want to spend their money watching a lot of players who won’t even make the team anyway. That’s why you end up with half empty stadiums. But extending the regular season by one or two games doesn’t make any sense to me, either. Sure, from a financial perspective it makes more money for the league and the networks who broadcast the games. But in considering the players’ health, I don’t like it. Have you seen an injury report late in a 16-game season? I don’t think the players can afford one or two more regular season games.

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Commissioner Wants Longer Season

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

You remember the Pepsi Ultimate Super Bowl Party Pack I gave away last month before Super Bowl XLIII. Over 500 of you entered and Holly Blanco from Utah walked away with the grand prize. Well, to celebrate the start of the always entertaining NFL free agency signing period today, I’m giving away a huge No Fear “Earn Some Cred” Prize Pack thanks to my friends at Pepsi No Fear Energy. Here’s what’s included in the Prize Pack:

• 2 No Fear Hoodies
• 2 No Fear T-shirts (one of each style)
• 1 No Fear Bloodshot Hat
• 1 12-pack of the new No Fear Bloodshot Energy Drink (mmm, delicious)
• 1 Lamb of God’s latest CD “Wrath” (just released on Feb. 24)
• 1 Sticky Bumps Surf Wax

All you have to do to enter is leave a clever comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 6 and you’re entered to win. One winner will be randomly selected and notified the following day. As always, employees of b5media Inc. are not eligible to enter any EMQB.com giveaways. And remember, all comments are moderated so your particular comment might not appear immediately. Give me some time to get to them all. And, of course, you must have a valid email address for me to contact you if you are the winner.

No Fear Energy has launched its first-ever “under the tab” code promotion — Earn Some Cred. You crack open specially marked cans of No Fear Energy drink, find the code under the tab, enter that code at earnsomecred.com and start earning cred for No Fear gear. Or if you’re super lucky, you can instantly win the VIP Creds for one-of-eight, once-in-a-lifetime experiences like a trip to a Mixed Martial Arts event, a Hawaiian surf getaway, a Motocross event, or a stop on the No Fear Energy Music Tour featuring the metal band Lamb of God.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

No Fear ‘Earn Some Cred’ Giveaway

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

The AFC and NFC teams had their first practices today for Sunday’s annual Pro Bowl. This is the 30th straight time the game will be played in Honolulu, but the Pro Bowl will not return to Hawaii in 2010. Next year the game moves to the weekend before the Super Bowl in Miami. Here’s what NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had to say about it at his Super Bowl XLIII presser last week:

“The entire premise of shifting the Pro Bowl was to make our event bigger and better than it is right now. We’ve had a great experience in Hawaii. We expect to continue to be in Hawaii. We expect it will be in the rotation. What we thought, though, would be a very interesting alternative would be to play the game as part of the lead up to the Super Bowl. So we’ll be playing it on Sunday night in Miami in advance of the Super Bowl. That will bring more interest, clearly. It will bring more exposure for our great players, and we think be a positive. In addition, we think that while we’ll miss the Super Bowl guys, it really puts an emphasis on team accomplishment. Make it to the Super Bowl: that’s the crowning achievement. But if you get the opportunity to play in the Pro Bowl, it’s a great opportunity and it’s something that you deserve as an individual player, those accolades, and we’d like to put you on the biggest stage, and we believe the biggest stage is prior to the Super Bowl. But we do continue and hope to be in Hawaii.”

I think this is a great decision. As much as I love Hawaii (OK, I’ve never been there but I’ve heard really good things), this game after the Super Bowl is anti-climatic. Kicking off Super Bowl week with the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl game seems like a no-brainer. If it’s successful (and why wouldn’t it be?), I don’t see the Pro Bowl returning to Hawaii anytime in the near future.

Source: NFL Media, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

AFC-NFC Pro Bowl Practices Begin

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance
by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker, 260 pages, $24.99
Tyndale House Publishers | CoachDungy.com

Just a couple weeks after announcing his retirement from the coaching ranks of the National Football League, former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy has a new book — Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance — in stores today. I received my review copy last week and went cover-to-cover right away. I can enthusiastically say it’s the most uplifting, down-to-earth life lesson book I’ve ever read. And I’ve read my fair share.

You probably remember coach Dungy’s first book, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, which claimed the top spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list back in August 2007. It sold over a million copies and became one of the best-selling sports-related titles in history. I expect the same from Uncommon. Actually, I expect more.

Uncommon is not a football book. Sure, you’ll find your fair share of football analogies and examples. After all, the game has been too much a part of coach Dungy’s life to have it any other way. But this book focuses on what it means to be a man of significance in a culture that is offering young men so few positive role models. You don’t need to be a young man to enjoy this, though (although that is the target market). You don’t even need to be a man. Ladies, you’ll want to check this out as well. It’s an important book for everybody who’s interested in an honest and heartfelt example of how to live a significant life — an “uncommon” life that can be far from how the world is defining success these days.

Coach Dungy has a way of taking himself off any pedestal you might think he’s on (not that he’s given anyone a reason to think he’s on a pedestal). I have to admit, I’m almost intimidated by his “goodness.” When have you heard anything negative about coach Dungy? You haven’t. It almost seems as though the guy is perfect. But he’ll be the first to tell you how far from the truth that is. Certainly he’s not shy to talk about his feelings and opinions on the many different topics we all face in everyday life (and it seems like they’re all in this book), but he does so in a way that makes you feel like there’s still hope. In Chapter 6 (”Fatherhood”) coach says:

“We’ve all come up short. That doesn’t mean you can’t gather yourself, draw a line of new commitment in the sand, and move on.”

You can apply that to fatherhood, but you can also link it to any area of your life. In Chapter 10 (”The Power of Positive Influence”) coach says:

“… you were created for a reason. It doesn’t matter what you missed or how you may have messed up; the fact is that your future is still ahead of you. What will you do with it?”

Uncommon is divided into seven sections — Develop Your Core, Love Your Family, Lift Your Friends and Others, Your Full Potential, Establish a Mission That Matters, Choose Influence Over Image, and Live Your Faith — with 32 chapters on just about every topic that affects each of us in one way or another. I dare you to find a chapter that doesn’t apply to you. But this is by no means a stern lecture. It’s kind of a guidebook for living. I can certainly visualize the father figure behind the words, but to know coach Dungy is to understand he also has a sense of humor amidst the serious issues he discusses. In Chapter 14 (”Career, Work and Money”) coach says:

“Many of us walk in the door at the end of the day carrying our frustrations with us. We know we need to learn to let it go, but that’s easier said than done. When we lose a game on a last second field goal, it’s tough for me to really be excited about playing Candy Land with the kids as soon as I get home. But I have to make myself do it. It’s not their fault that we lost, and I can’t let my job, which already takes me away from my kids too much, negatively impact the time I do have with them.”

At the end of the book is a 32-page Q&A with coach Dungy that refers back to each chapter. It’s a great way to gain a further perspective on his thoughts with specific examples from his own experiences. Coach Dungy says he considers this book to be his legacy message. One thing I can assure you. When you’re done reading it, you too will want to be “uncommon.”

Special thanks to Jessica Atteberry Quinn.

Order “Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance” from Amazon.com.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Book Review: Uncommon