Politics and Sports...Too Bad the Former is not More Like the Latter Part II: Making the Calls

In sports by and large--a bad call happens and folks criticize the call and not the person making the call.  In politics a decision that some constituents do not like becomes their "bad call"--and unlike in sports-- it becomes all about the person and not the "call."

In sports there are competitors, spectators, and referees.

Referees manage the games and make the calls during the games to insure that the rules are followed and that the game is played fairly.  Referees and Umpires know the rules, they apply the rules, and for the most part they tune out the noise from the spectators and apply the rules to the game.

Sometimes the referees make a bad call--and the call is challenged.  Sometimes the calls are upheld, sometimes they are overturned.

People get mad at the calls, sometimes loudly criticizing the calls (particularly in baseball)  Umpires take it for the most part--the screaming and yelling from the stands--because typically the criticism is of the "call"--not the "person."  Sometimes players are ejected though if they don't let the situation go--and depending upon the level of personal attacks aimed at officials--sometimes spectators are removed as well.  We've all seen this.

But typically at the end of a game after one side wins and one side does not win--good calls and bad calls and all aside----- the issue of the referees fades into obscurity.  As it should.

I mean, who actually remembers the name(s) of the official(s) that blew the Saints/Rams Missed Pass Interference Call in 2019?  --the referees were not even named in the scahing press reports of the missed call. It was a bad call--a terrible call.  It was a missed call--and everyone knows that.  But the call was bad, not the person! 

The person is a human and humans make mistakes. 

In that instance--the participants on both side of that play worked together to insure such a bad call would never happen again and followed the process to change the rules of the game to allow instant replay reviews of Pass interference calls.

So what the heck do referees and umpires and penalty calls have to do with politics, you ask?

A lot.

In politics, particularly on the County Commission, we have to make tough "calls" on many of our votes (zoning changes, ordinances, taxing decisions, land value determinations, union negotiations, etc.)  We utilize our common sense, we apply the "rules" (ordinances, laws, regulations) and we make "calls" (votes)--often times with an evenly-split, vocal and motivated constituency on both sides of an issue.

But here is where the huge differences come in.

In politics and particularly on the county commission--folks zero in on the person if a "call" does not go their way.   And it can get very personal in a mean-spirited, ugly way in a real hurry---just over one vote on one position/proposition.  It is not about the call, it becomes about the person.

And then the attacks come.

I've seen it first hand and it is quite appalling.  A good person makes a vote on something because he believes this is the right thing to do and that person is demonized and trashed online, at meetings, and in the press (sometimes even  by the press)

A retired commissioner with whom I spoke about this phenomenon confirmed it to be true when he said to me  "Jeff, you can do something for someone on twenty different occasions--fixing pot holes, getting a road repaved, doing something with zoning, or whatever.  But on that 21st issue--if you have to say NO or you can't fix the problem for whatever the reason--they will turn on you, they'll forget the good you have done.  That's just the way it is"

Yes indeed, and it is a shame.  It does not turn into just one call with the call being criticized--it becomes personal with the action ("call") being weaponized.  I've lived it personally now over the last three years on a number of decisions I've made.

So yes, in this instance, it sure is too bad that making "calls" in politics couldn't be more like making "calls" in sports.  Because, just like the referee or the umpire--politicians are humans too--and none of us are infallible.

Politics and Sports....Too Bad the Former is not More Like the Latter Part I: Sportsmanship

Roger Federer and Randy Couture are/were tremendous competitors in their respective sports--but both were/are uncommonly humble and gracious in their pre- and post- match comments.  Both men displayed tremendously good sportsmanship in both victory and defeat....

Even though not a word of it was mentioned in our Church Service this morning--most everyone in Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, The United States, and the entire world-- knows what today is:   Today is Super Bowl Sunday.  Even people who love college football but disavow the NFL know what game is on today.  Most of them will be watching it, too, even if they don't admit it.  The two best teams in the NFL will be playing a game and only one team will be victorious, earning the distinction as the best football team in the world.  It will be fun to watch-lots of friends, parties, good food, funny commercials, cheers, boos, yelling and screaming, halftime shows, and hopefully a good game to boot.

What the heck does this have to do with politics, though?

Nothing, really. 

But Politics is often described as a "blood sport."  "Brutal--not for the faint of heart"  is how I have heard it described.  It is brutal and it is most definitely a competition.

There are similarities.

But there are big differences, too.   Huge ones. 

It really is too bad that politics is not more like sports in some respects, though.

In sports, two opponents concentrate on beating their opponents on the field or on the court--it is not personal for the most part, it's just that the two opposing teams/participants want to win.  Before the match, there is a handshake typically.  Fighters touch gloves.  Then the competition happens and the outcome becomes the end of the intensity.  Then there typically is a handshake or a hug.  Baseball and Football teams from both sidelines/dugouts  often huddle up after the most intense of games and kneel down in mutual prayer.  It's called good sportsmanship.  It's common in sports, uncommon in politics.

You see, politics becomes personal.  It gets ugly.  It is irrational and the hatred just oozes from many that find themselves involved in tough "competitions." This is unfortunate.

Roger Federer, Peyton Manning, and Randy Couture are three of my favorite personalities from the world of sports.  They all are/were in tough competitions during their careers. Big Matches/Games/Fights--often with world championships on the line. They each won some and lost some--that's just the way it went.  But these men were humble in victory and gracious in defeat and that's what I see is missing a lot from politics.  No trash-talking before, just good sportsmanship before, intense, fierce competition during, and gracious, humble speeches after--and that really is how a lot of great sports figures operate.  It's how I want to be.  But it is hard.

I fall short so frequently in so many respects--just as many do---it's hard to even try to aspire to have the level of sportsmanship these three men (and many others) have displayed but I will say this:  With respect to sportsmanship and demeanor---I want to try to be the type of political competitor that Federer is as a tennis player, Couture was as a fighter, and Manning was as a Quarterback.  Respectful of the opponent, respectful of the game/sport, appreciative of the spectators/supporters, and gracious for the opportunity to play--humble when victorious and gracious if things don't go my way.  It ain't always easy to do this in politics, though.  😏

In some respects, it's too bad politics is not more like sports.

Yes, There are Blue Crabs in Perdido Bay Part II

Blue Crab like the one I pulled in, above, are becoming more and more prevalent in Northern Perdido Bay, North of the Lillian Bridge, according to a resident with whom I spoke yesterday who has lived in the same house on this bay since 1974...

This past weekend I went to Perdido Bay, on a 39 acre waterfront property the county owns on the northern portion of this water body (and future site of a new boat ramp and water access point for citizens) to prove that yes, Blue Crabs do exist in Perdido Bay still.

And I proved that on Sunday.
(You can watch the short video of me pulling in crabs via this facebook post--if you want visual confirmation a la the famous coach Parcells Coors Light Commercial........)

But then by happenstance I had the opportunity to speak with another D1 constituent about another issue.  Once we got that separate issue handled, we spoke about Perdido Bay.

You see, this individual lives on Perdido Bay, north of the Lillian Bridge.

He's lived in the same house on this Bay since 1974.  He's seen a lot over the years.....

So I asked him what he thinks about the health of the bay as of late, since he has lived here so long.

"It has improved over the last several years, it is getting better.  I see dolphins, lots of fish, and crab" he stated.  "My neighbor puts out crab traps and he can get between 10-20 per day.  We have even seen some soft shell crabs--and we had not seen them here before for many, many years" he stated with emphasis.

He also spoke about something else that gives a tantalizing clue about the bay's overall health.  "I see the sea grass is coming back on the shore of my property over the last few years--and it was gone for quite some time but it is coming back" he stated.

So yes, despite the doomsday assertions of some and the ridiculous, inaccurate, and fabricated cartoons in the PNJ that show green sludge being dumped into the bay (no green sludge is being dumped by IP--I confirmed that when I went to the discharge pipe and put eyes on it personally)--Perdido Bay is making a comeback!  Perdido Bay is NOT dead.  (and if it could speak for itself, I have a feeling Perdido Bay might channel Mark Twain's famous quote: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated!")

Quint Studer on Why We Should Appoint rather than Elect our Superintendent of Schools in Escambia County

Nationally-renowned speaker, writer, and entrepreneur Quint Studer-- CEO of Studer Community Institute--joins Escambia County Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh for a discussion about the need for Escambia County to move from the antiquated model of an “Elected Superintendent of Schools” to the modern, efficient “appointed” Superintendent of Schools model.  This decision will rest in the hands of Escambia County Voters this November—as it will be on the ballot for the people to decide.  And Studer makes a compelling case for modernizing our system via moving to the “Appointed” system like 99.6% of the rest of our nation’s schools.  Watch the brief interview with Quint Studer, above, to hear his thoughts on this pressing topic.

(I have long-supported the appointed model for many reasons, and I have often written about this topic here on this blog...Interestingly, in 1967, Escambia County Voters came up just ONE (1) vote short of going to the appointed superintendent like the rest of the nation does.  Hopefully in 2018 we can get this passed and move our education system, locally, into the 21st Century!)

Bergosh Bulletin for July: How to Create Efficiency in the Criminal Justice System Locally

The July edition of the Bergosh Bulletin is now live.  This month, we are speaking with stakeholders in the criminal justice system locally to see if efficiencies can be created to save money and reduce our overcrowding issue in our jail while simultaneously maintaining community safety as our #1 priority.  It is an interesting discussion.