1. Well, I got one right. I picked Baltimore
to win. I was glad the Super Bowl was a good game.
2. I missed the halftime
show with Beyonce and Destiny’s Child. I’ve heard many say they were
responsible for the lights going out.
3. I have heard more talk
on Drones this week than I have since the last Star Wars movie I saw.
4. I have finally opened
up to using SPOTIFY. It’s free on Facebook, and it basically places the world’s
entire library of music on your computer.
5. To help me understand innovation and
organization better, I recently completed reading my second biography on
coaching great Paul Brown—PAUL BROWN
by Andrew O’Toole. For those of you who do not know or remember, Brown coached
the Cleveland Browns from 1946-1962, and later, the Cincinnati Bengals.
Basically, Brown founded both teams and owned the second (although the
Cleveland Browns were named after him.)
So what about Paul Brown? Like many people who are extremely
successful, Paul Brown's years of pro football success extended approximately
ten years—and no more. The years before his coaching the Cleveland Browns demonstrated
a coaching genius on the ascent. He coached a high school team to a state
championship; he then won a national championship at Ohio State. Both were accomplished
before he turned forty.
The
genius came to fruition in his first ten years with Cleveland from 1945 to
1955. There Brown was the most innovative and entrepreneurial coach in NFL
history. Inventing the facemask, the playbook, filming practice, scheduling practice, practicing how to practice, Brown
changed pro football forever. It was no secret that the championships (seven!) won
during those years were due to his innovation. However, unlike many
entrepreneurs who founded a company and moved on, Brown chose to remain with
his “company.” That was his downfall and led to his firing at Cleveland.
Later,
he started a new franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals, from scratch. To a lesser
degree, he enjoyed a great deal of success. No great innovation in Cincinnati,
but they were a good franchise whose early years were, at times, remarkable.
We
remember Paul Brown primarily for what he did during a decade. Based on that evaluation,
he was amazing.
