On Wednesday night at the Cintas Center, Xavier University’s on-campus arena, Brad Colbert sank a three-point shot against DePaul. Xavier was already up by 31 points, and there were less than 90 seconds left in the game. DePaul’s historically bad this year, and Xavier is struggling to finish above .500. A garbage basket against a garbage team in garbage time. No big deal.
Except it was a very big deal. Brad Colbert is a senior walk-on. He’s been busting his hump in every practice for four seasons — walk-ons have to learn every opponents’ offense in addition to their own offense — and rarely sees the court. All of the hard work, with none of the glory. And he had never made a bucket in his entire career. He was 0-6 in very limited minutes.
Until last night, most Xavier fans were only familiar with Brad thanks to his perm-mullet hairstyle. (It’s pretty sweet!) But now, he’s a legend.
[photo credit: Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer]
And not for nothing, Brad’s three-pointer was Xavier’s 10th of the game… meaning Xavier fans could cash in on the Chick-fil-A promotion that offers free nuggets the next business day whenever X hits that mark in a home game.
Brad Colbert’s basketball career is winding down. He won’t go on to play in the NBA. But years from now, he’ll be driving past a Chick-fil-A and he’ll tell his kids the same story he’s told them many times before. How, on a dreary night in February, he came off a screen, stepped back, and totally nailed a three-point bucket that made the whole crowd go wild. It’s his very own “one shining moment.” And it’s pretty damn cool.
(This article from the Xavier fan site Banners On The Parkway does a great job summing up the magic of the moment. Well worth the read.)
Beer can turn most of us into philosophers. But in this case (ha!), I’m talking about the business philosophy of the owners of Great Lakes Brewing Co. (based in Cleveland, Ohio). My friend Howard works for Great Lakes, and he flagged this story from Brewer Magazine in his Instagram. The article is a Q&A with co-founders/co-owners (and blood brothers) Daniel and Patrick Conway, as well as the current CEO, Mark King.
I like Great Lakes beers anyway, but I like them even more after reading the piece. Because their recipe for success has as much to do with people as it has to do with barley, malt, and hops. Here’s Daniel talking about employees:
” I recall when our payroll provider helped us create our first policy manual and there was a section where we could insert our own language, and we included that ‘our people are not costs to control, but assets to develop and grow.’ Words in a manual long since forgotten but that spirit is still alive today.”
“our people are not costs to control, but assets to develop and grow.”
Original Great Lakes Policy Manual
Mmm, that’s as refreshing as a Great Lakes Eliot Ness amber lager!
And here’s Patrick, citing a good idea that has helped sustain the brewery since it was founded in 1988:
“I think from the beginning with our ‘triple bottom line’ where we wanted to take care of our finances, but also our city and people and the planet. It seemed so logical to not just focus on profit and it carried us well for years.”
A business focus that includes people and the planet? Sounds as tasty as an Edmund Fitzgerald porter!
More from Patrick later in the interview: ” Invest in good people from the start.”
It shouldn’t be a foreign concept, but it all too often is. Take better care of your people, and they’ll care more about the company.
I already liked Great Lakes beers. Now I can feel even better about purchasing those products because I know they there’s a lot of people power in every serving.
I spend most of my waking hours (typically 2-6 p.m. – I’m very sloth-like) listening to music. And on those rare occasions when I’m not listening to music, I’m listening to podcasts about music. (60 Songs that Explain the 90s is hilarious!) One of the shows in the regular rotation is Sound Opinions, co-hosted by longtime Chicago music critics Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis.
Their most recent episode is “Give the Drummer Some” – here’s the synopsis:
I enjoyed the entire episode (although I vehemently disagree with fellow-Jersey-City-born Jim DeRogatis’ opinions about The Who). But it was the final segment, an interview with influential R&B, soul and funk drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, that really caught my ear. Because it wasn’t just about music, it was about life.
Bernard Purdie has a signature drum sound: “The Purdie Shuffle.”
His session work can be heard on thousands of songs, especially ones from the mid-60’s through the early 80’s. Aretha Franklin. Steely Dan. Hall & Oates. Nina Simone. Miles Davis. The list goes on… and on. Here’s one legendary example:
Purdie’s handiwork (and footwork too – drummers put their body and soul into it!) has been sampled by plenty of hip-hop artists in the ensuing years. And here’s the thing: If you’re not the recording artist or the songwriter, you probably don’t get a nickel in royalties. If someone wanted to sample the “Rock Steady” drums, they’d have to cut a check to Aretha, not Bernard.
It would be easy for him to be “Bitter Bernard” instead of “Pretty” Purdie. But he’s not. Check out this two-minute clip from the interview on Sound Opinions where he talks about his approach to getting the short end of the drumstick:
Yes, I was bitter for a while. No more. I stopped being bitter because bitter means that you don’t live long… I just want to have fun. I want to enjoy myself and have a ball!
Bernard Purdie
That’s just beautiful!
I tuned in for some music, and got a life lesson in the bargain. Keep rockin’ steady, “Pretty” Purdie!
Yesterday, it was the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City. It should’ve been a time and place for unbridled joy, a communal celebration. Instead it turned tragic in the blink of an eye.
It’s senseless. It’s heart-breaking. And it’s waaaay too frequent in the land of the free.
Thanks to the politicians who are in the pocket of the gun lobby, it’s always “too soon” to talk about the role that weapons play in these massacres. But I hope that eventually media superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will follow the lead of their teammate Charles Omenihu and use their platform to advocate for common-sense reforms.
That IS a fact, Charles. Here’s another: we, the people, want reform.
I hope when he’s done praying, Patrick (of gridiron and State Farm commercials fame) will be a good neighbor and also advocate for common-sense reforms.
And here’s hoping that Mr. Taylor Swift not only keeps his heart with all who have been affected, but also uses his voice to speak up and speak out. Because gun violence is something we know All Too Well.
A million people saw Charles Omenihu’s tweet. 10 million saw the tweets from Mahomes and Kelce. We’re not asking them to be role models. But they do have the opportunity, and the forum, to be leaders off the field as well as on it. Until then, Charles Omenihu is the real M.V.P.
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