4.7.2026 – simple, be expert

simple, be expert
treat people well, honest, push …
without browbeating

I have no idea who this lady is.

We were on the beach on Hilton Head Island with the grand kids on Monday when this lady walked by with her family.

She saw my sweatshirt (and my swim trunks … and after I pointed it out, my M earring) and said that we needed a picture so I was happy to oblige.

She wished me luck in the game that would played that Monday night for the Championship of the Free World between UConn and Michigan.

I said thank you and smiled.

Her husband asked, “Don’t you want to wish us luck?”

“Nope!” I said.

Sorry, but not sorry, and not taking any chances that any of my wishes for good luck might land on the court at the end of the game fall on them huskies.

Nope no way.

And so Michigan won.

“How did they win?” you might ask.

According to Joe Rexrode of the New York Times but originally from the Lansing State Journal when we both worked from Gannett (Once a sparty always a sparty) described what Dusty May did at Michigan writing:

The bigger picture is simpler. Be an expert in your craft. Treat people well. Be honest with them. Push them without browbeating them. Create an effective working environment.

May’s staff takes pride in both the evaluation and development of players, and it can get granular — they like to take potential recruits to a gym with a rack of basketballs. The guys who can’t help but go grab a ball and start shooting are probably the ones who love the game to the extent required. *

Goodness, that is worth repeating isn’t it?

The bigger picture is simpler.

Be an expert in your craft.

Treat people well.

Be honest with them.

Push them without browbeating them.

Create an effective working environment.

Simple.

Ken Burns made a film on the life of Frank Lloyd Wright.

In it, Architect Philip Johnson says about Wright, in an interview:

“Try to define the genius of a man who you realize is a genius when you are talking to him and more of a genius when you get to know his work …

its probably one of this things that doesn’t go into words …

probably a matter of how moved are you by his work and his personality …

in this case both …

I hated him of course, but that’s only normal when a man is so great …

its combination of hatred, a combination of envy and contempt and misunderstanding …

all of it gets mixed up in his genius.”

Johnson then talks about what Wright did with his famous house, Falling Water, “I don’t know how he does that. If I did, … I would do it too!”

What Dusty did with Michigan?

Simple.

That’s why so many other coaches did the same thing.

*Michigan’s Dusty May knows what they’ve been saying, but he’s getting the last word By Joe Rexrode

4.6.2026 – definitely know

definitely know
don’t have all the answers, but
am always looking

Reading through the papers this morning and all about how Michigan will win the big game tonight and how Michigan won’t win the big game tonight.

I came across one of my favorite columnists, Nancy Armour, and I was thinking, isn’t she connected with Michigan somehow so I clicked on her name to see if it linked to a bio.

It didn’t and she isn’t (she went to Northwestern) but the link had a little line of Who-I-Am and Ms. Armour wrote:

[I am A] Columnist for USA TODAY Sports, writing about a little bit of everything. I definitely know I don’t have all the answers, but I’m always looking for more of them.

I like that.

I like that a lot.

I couldn’t easily use that line for this blog.

I am a self proclaimed poet, writing about a little bit of everything.

I definitely know I don’t have all the answers, but I’m always looking for more of them.

4.5.2-26 – why do you look for

why do you look for
the living among the dead?
remember, told you

Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

Luke 24 (New International Version)

Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens – The Women at Christ’s empty tomb (1640)

4.4.2026 – the distortion and

the distortion and
weaponisation of faith
deeply saddening

Adapted from the article, As Team Trump wage unceasing war on Iran, evangelical nationalists are destroying any moral world order we once had by Simon Tisdall in the Guardian on April, 4, 2026 where Mr. Tisdall writes:

For most practising Christians, the misappropriation, distortion and weaponisation of faith to justify death and destruction, sow divisions, excuse war crimes and bomb Iran “back to the stone ages” is deeply saddening.

Christians – who celebrate Easter on Sunday – believe Jesus was crucified for the sake of all mankind, for the forgiveness of sins, not for vindictive vengeance, pride and domination.

Pope Leo spoke for many beyond the Catholic church at a Palm Sunday mass in Rome in forcefully rejecting attempts by zealots such as Hegseth to conscript Christianity.

“No one can use [Jesus] to justify war,” he said, quoting Isaiah. War-makers’ prayers would go unanswered. “Your hands are full of blood.”

I grew up in the Evangelical Church (Pre Trump).

I grew up

singing Onward Christian Soldiers and The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Onward, Christian soldiers,marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!

And

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

As a little kid in Sunday School and Tuesday Bible Club, we sang a song the closed with the line “For I’m in the Lord’s Army, YES SIR!” and when you hit the Yes SIR!, you yelled it out and saluted like a Marine Drill Sergeant.

We also sang a song that went:

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

It just came to me, typing out these words that the first couple of songs are written in the 1st person and about me.

That last song is in the 3rd person and is talking about Jesus.

Maybe that’s where the disconnect comes in.

Still …

That line from the article, “Christians – who celebrate Easter on Sunday – believe Jesus was crucified for the sake of all mankind, for the forgiveness of sins, not for vindictive vengeance, pride and domination.“

Thinking about what Pope Leo said. “No one can use [Jesus] to justify war.”

And that kids song:

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Do you really want to choose up sides?

4.3.2026 – initiate offense

initiate offense
shoot outside and score inside
pass, rebound, defend

Lendeborg’s performance is a big reason why the Wolverines are in position to do so. He unlocked Michigan’s offense, the ultimate wild card for a coach with May’s extensive playbook. He’s the versatile linchpin of a big-ball bully lineup that has stuffed opponents into lockers all season, able to run fast breaks, initiate offense in the half court, shoot outside, score inside, pass, rebound, defend. He’s shooting better than 37 percent from beyond the arc on the season and has developed a lethal Euro step that has defenders backpedaling out of posters in transition.

“(My mom) really dug me out of the hole that I was in,” Lendeborg said. “This is pretty much a dream come true.”

Adapted rom the article, Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg was meant for this Final Four moment. His mom made sure of it by Justin Williams who covers college football and basketball for The Athletic
April 3, 2026 5:30 am EDT

A team that has stuffed opponents into lockers all season with a key player who:

is able to run fast breaks –

initiate offense in the half court –

shoot outside –

score inside –

pass –

rebound –

defend –

Versatile?

The online dictionary define versatile says that “Versatile describes a person, tool, or material capable of doing many things well, adapting to new tasks, or having multiple uses. It implies flexibility, adaptability, and being “all-around”.

Versatile is indeed the word for a basketball player who is able to run fast breaks, initiate offense in the half court, shoot outside, score inside, pass, rebound, defend.

Versatile!