Tyler Hansbrough-He’s everything that’s right with today’s youth

As a youth I suffered from many of the things I see in my young sons today. I was lazy, I lived for the moment, thought only of myself and I strutted around with an indifferent attitude least I express an emotion that revealed weakness to my peers. It’s frustrating now because I watch my sons and their friends go through the same drill and my words seem to bounce off their heads much like the words of my father several decades ago. Just when I am about to throw up my hands and declare this generation lost (again just like my dad and both grandfathers) along comes a young man named Tyler Hansbrough.

For those of you that don’t know Tyler (nickname: psycho-t) was a four year starter for the University of North Carolina basketball team. He is the all time leading scorer for Carolina and led the Tar Heels to the 2009 National Championship. There are three life lessons we can all learn from Tyler and I hope his actions will be an example for my sons’ generation.

First, hard work pays big dividends. Psycho-t was blessed with height, but not with the athleticism many of today’s top stars have. He made up for this with a workout routine that would challenge most Marines. Endless hours in the gym honing his basketball skills, hitting the weight room, running drills and analyzing game tape. Whether it is a sport or a college class, give it your best and good things will follow.

Second, sometimes being patient and waiting makes life even sweeter. Tyler could have gone pro after his first year of college and probably would have been a 1st round pick. That would have meant millions of dollars for a 19 year old. The calling could have not been stronger than after his third year. He was voted the national player of the year and helped carry his team to the final four where they experienced a devastating loss in the national semi-final to Kansas. Plus, many of his teammates were expected to go pro early. Before waiting to see what his star teammates were doing, Psycho-t declared his intention to stay at Carolina and play his senior year. Shortly after, his teammates announced that they were staying another year. All these young men put off making millions for one more year of the college experience. An experience no amount of money could buy and of course their hard work and perseverance was rewarded with a championship ring.

Third, teamwork always accomplishes more than individual effort. Playing for a team, running a small business or being a part of a large corporation requires the ability to know when to lead and when to step back and play a supporting role. Tyler displayed his knowledge of this throughout his four years. His best example was during this year’s NCAA tournament. During an elite 8 game against Oklahoma, Hansbrough got into early foul trouble and was being outplayed by this year’s player of the year Blake Griffin. Tyler did not behave like a lot of stars, ignoring the other players and taking bad shots; instead he deferred to his teammates. He scored only 8 points, but the Heels easily won the game as his teammates stepped up and filled the void. Hansbrough had a knack of knowing how best to work with his team and get the desired results. He was a vital part of the team, but never tried to take over the game and put the rest of the players on his back. He knew it would take a team effort to bring home the championship.

Hard work, patience and teamwork, are things exemplified by this gifted college player. Oh yea, and that cool indifference the hip youngsters like to strut around with, check out Tyler after shooting the winning shot against Virginia Tech in the 2008 ACC tournament. The kid could be mad, sad, exhilarated or just plain dorky and he didn’t care who saw it. Yes Tyler Hansbrough you are what’s right with today’s young people.

(Dedicated to James and Alex)

Virginia is for Riders!

“Virginia is for lovers” is the slogan used by Virginia to attract tourist to our beautiful state. After my weekend motorcycle ride I think our leaders in charge of tourism would be smart to start a second campaign “Virginia is for Riders”

On Saturday I went on a small group ride starting at Zion Crossroads in Troy, Va and took route 15 to Gordonsville. At Gordonsville, we turned north on Route 231. Route 231 is also known as the Blue Ridge Turnpike and for good reason. As you wind your way through the small villages of Somerset, Rochelle, past the majestic farms Fairview and Somerset Plantation, the Blue Ridge Mountains loom just to the west. 231 is curvy and the terrain varies, but it is easy to maintain the posted 55 mph and enjoy the scenery. Approaching the village of Etlan, Ragged Mountain reveals her rocky face and falls down to green pastures and gently flowing streams. Shortly after Etlan, we arrived in the town of Sperryville at the junction of Routes 231 and 522.

In Sperryville we decided to take a break and have lunch at the Thornton River Grille. What a pleasant surprise! I had a delicious cheeseburger with homemade slaw as a side. The menu varied from the usual to seared tuna and she crab soup. Great food, friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere made this a stop worth repeating on future rides.

From Sperryville, we joined Route 211 towards Luray to Skyline Drive. We turned on Skyline Drive and rode south. The Drive’s 35 mph speed limit makes it easy to enjoy the gently rolling mountains and breathtaking valley views. We followed Skyline to Route 33 and then it was down the mountain on 33 east to Gordonsville, and 231 south back to our home in Palmyra.

I have traveled all over the United States and I can truly say there is probably no better place to ride than Virginia. The Blue Ridge Mountains, green meadows, babbling streams and stately homes that dot the country side make this one of the most pleasant experiences a rider can have. Yes, Virginia is for Riders!

This is "Smart Power"?

Secretary of Sate Clinton said during the transition period that the United States would now use "Smart Power" in foreign affairs. This would be a mix of diplomacy and defense, and of course insinuated the previous administration was a bunch of knuckle draggers fumbling around the world, knocking innocents with their big sticks. Well we are into the third month of this "Smart Power" and here are a few of the highlights.

First, Ms Clinton gives the Russian Foreign Minister a gift. It’s supposed to be a reset button and have "reset" written on it in Russian. Actually, it translated to "Over Charged". That's right; nobody in our now smarter State Department could be bothered to check the translation. A reset button, what were they thinking? That's the best gift they could think of? Can you image if the Bush administration had made such a gaffe?

Next, President Obama decides to show off his smart power and give the Prime Minister of England a box set of DVDs for his official gift. The DVDs are American movie classics. Besides being a ridiculous gift, the DVDs are not formatted for use in the United Kingdom. Again the Smart Power staff is too lazy to do the detail work. Not to be outdone by this inane act, Mr. Obama again showed off his Smart Power this week by giving the 80 something Queen of England an IPOD. Oh boy, bet she can't wait to hit the streets jogging to the voice of Mr. Obama reading from a teleprompter!

On Tuesday Ms Clinton said, that those members of the Taliban who abandoned extremism must be granted an "honorable form of reconciliation." The Taliban response, "They have to go and find the moderate Taliban, their leader and speak to them. This is a lunatic idea," Gosh, I would have thought after being hit with the smart power thing the Taliban would have just thrown down their arms and embraced us.

I can't count the number of times people told me they were voting for Mr. Obama because they wanted other countries to like us again. Unfortunately, there will always be those that want to harm us and see the United States torn down. I hope we learn we cannot base foreign policy on making others like us. Also prancing around like we are smarter than everyone else only serves to magnify the inevitable gaffes. Perhaps a little more humility and more attention to detail will help.