Rod’s Week and Sports – Talking Freddie Kitchens
It seems like weeks since word leaked out that Freddie Kitchens would become the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Waiting for a press conference was nerve-wracking at first. Eventually, we were able to relax a bit when it became apparent that it was a done deal. Kitchens had put together a staff that is more than impressive. Things at Browns HQ are looking better and better after a brief period of time when most fans had concerns that a coaching search could bring the team back down to earth.
Winter is finally in full swing in Ohio.
I spent last Saturday at a sports card show. I set up a table in hopes of turning a profit on a day when many people didn’t leave their house. Living in Southwest Ohio, I see a lot of drivers who apparently never have learned to drive in the snow. I saw a lot of cars off the road on my trips to and from the show. I just kept my focus on driving and was fine. I learned to drive in Cleveland, after all. I wore my Browns hat and had some great conversations with people. I managed to make a few bucks, too.
Monday’s press conference was a life-changing event for one Freddie Kitchens. I would go one further and say that if you, like most of us, don’t feel that you are where you want to be in your life or in your relationships, save this press conference as a reference. Review it. Memorize the key points Freddie made. Don’t think of yourself or your destination. Think of yourself as part of the team. We are all a part of many teams. There’s our workplace, our friendships, our places of worship and the most important team, our family.
Trust, respect, unity, authenticity and all of the other things Freddie talks about are not about football. This is life. If you want to be a success in any area of your life, this is how you do it. It is so easy to see why the Browns named Kitchens the 17th head coach in Browns history. He understands life, people and football and he understands them in that order I would presume.
My kids just recently had birthdays.
Let me tell you, there is nothing like these memories that pop up on Facebook to make you feel prematurely old. They seem to come up every day now. Seeing my daughter’s celebration six years ago and having it feel like yesterday is an odd feeling. It’s not a bad thing, though. You have to appreciate the good that life offers us and birthday celebrations and children are among the very best.
Beyond the message that Freddie Kitchens sermonized to us Monday, I find great comfort in looking at his resume. Freddie played quarterback at Alabama. He’s been in pressure situations with the world resting on his shoulders. He knows what things look like with Baker Mayfield and the rest of the offense. He’s coached running backs, tight ends
The Browns are in great hands.
