Thanks for the Icing on the House Money

Still the best logo

None of my metaphors for the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs are working this morning.

The Hawks performance in the playoffs this year isn't "just icing on the cake," because the cake hasn't even been baked yet. We don't even have all the ingredients for the recipe. What we do have is a chef who seems to know what he's doing, and we haven't had that in our kitchen for a long time.

Nor does it feel right to say that the Hawks are "playing with house money" in the postseason, although this metaphor feels a bit more appropriate than the last. Still, you wouldn't necessarily say that the Hawks are ahead of the game just yet. Again, all we know is that we have a smart player holding the cards.

The Atlanta Hawks 2012-2013 MVP

So let's just call these playoffs what they should be: a letter of thanks to the fans who have stuck by the team through the hard times (which for Hawks fans, really means "all the times").

Don't get me wrong. I believe this team can beat the Pacers, Knicks, Celtics, and any other Eastern Conference team that doesn't have LeBron James. I would be extremely delighted - but not drastically surprised - to see Atlanta in the Eastern Conference Finals, admittedly because we play in the weaker conference where every opponent (save for Miami) is noticeably flawed.

But I won't be disappointed - and neither should any Hawks fans - if we don't make it out of the first round, because of the knowledge that we are one of the best "rebuilding mode" teams I've seen in a long time. We have valuable young assets, lots of cap space, and a GM who has earned the benefit of the doubt. 

I'm also calling it a good thing that we didn't wind up in the #5 slot, not only because we would be playing Miami in the 2nd round, but also because I didn't want to spend the next two weeks reading about "Joe Johnson versus the team that traded him."

So then what does success look like for the playoffs? Only that our team plays hard and shows that they care about winning basketball games. We'll be underdogs (and rightfully so) in every game from this point forward, and what's more fun than rooting for a dangerous team that isn't supposed to win, but just might do so?

Just the same, when I settle in to watch the Hawks take on the Pacers, I'll have peace of mind knowing that all I really need to see is what I already know we have: talented players who are committed to building a strong program moving forward. 

If that doesn't translate to four wins before four losses, so be it. 

Our season starts this summer.

Giving Back to The Giving Tree

I just read Donald Miller's blog on the passing of Brennan Manning, an amazing writer who, as Miller puts it, "wrestled as much with God as he walked with God." Incidentally, if you're unfamiliar with Brennan Manning's work, I highly recommend reading The Ragamuffin Gospel.

In the blog, Miller discusses the connection between Brennan Manning's life and the message of The Giving Tree, a poem by Shel Silverstein which you can read here. It was interesting to learn that Manning and Silverstein had developed a friendship in their youth, and that Manning often used Silverstein's poem as a way to describe God's love for us.

After reading the blog and subsequently the poem, I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness I got from the story. Even though one could argue that The Giving Tree ultimately has a happy ending ("And the tree was happy"), it somehow still feels like a tragic story. 

So I tried to figure out what I could do to make it better, or at least, to make myself feel better about it.

In the poem, the purest stage of the relationship between the tree and the boy occurs in the beginning. The tree gives to the boy, certainly, but the boy gives time and love back to the tree. 

And though there are none of the typical elements that make a story interesting in this stage of the poem (conflict, pain, struggle, etc.), I can't help but believe - if this simple relationship between the boy and the tree was all that ever happened - this would still be a wonderful poem.

As the boy grows and develops, his relationship with the tree becomes much more one-sided. He visits the tree only when he needs it, when he can gain something from the relationship. 

Yet, the tree is always happy to see him, and always has something to give the boy based on his present perception of what he needs. Giving to the boy always makes the tree happy, even when it is destroying itself to do so.

When I started to write this blog today, my original intention was to discuss how much more we may enjoy this story if the boy decided to give back to The Giving Tree, instead of just taking from it all the time. It would be a much sweeter tale if the boy spent his life repaying the tree's kindness. 

And of course, I was going to make the obvious connection of serving the God who so unselfishly loves us, and how we would be wise to take actions to repay that kindness.

But I hit a wall.

I had a hard time coming up with examples of things the boy could do that would benefit the tree. After all, what can any of us do to proactively "help" a full-grown tree? Perhaps he could plant flowers around it, which seems like a nice gesture, but mostly trivial in comparison to what the tree does for him. 

After several minutes of thinking, I realized the only thing a human can do to benefit a full-grown tree is to refrain from cutting it down for personal benefit, which unfortunately is exactly what the boy does.

Here's the problem with the boy trying to do something to repay the tree's kindness: the tree never asks for it.

All the tree wants is for the boy to play in its branches, enjoy its fruits, and be happy in its presence.

I get this wrong all the time. 


There's so much more to learn from this poem, so much more I'd like to write about it, but I would rather hear from you. What do you think we can learn from this story?

Sometimes We Get Dunked-On

Last night, this happened:

That's DeAndre Jordan of the L.A. Clippers catching a lob pass from Chris Paul and dunking brutally on Brandon Knight.

As you would expect, the internet exploded with jokes and memes, mostly making fun of Brandon Knight for being the victim of one of the most vicious dunks in NBA history. 

Everybody was laughing. I was laughing, and I don't feel bad about it. You know why?

Because Brandon Knight was laughing too.

It wasn't in the scouting reports that the clippers threw lobs lol
— Brandon E Knight (@BrandonKnight07) March 11, 2013

Now for comparison, DeAndre Jordan (the dunker) is a 6'11", 265lb center. 

On the other hand, Brandon Knight (the dunked-on) is a 6'3", 189lb point guard.

That doesn't really sound fair, does it?

In further defense of Knight, if you watch the play closely, DeAndre Jordan isn't the man that Knight is supposed to be guarding. When Knight sees the lob coming, he rotates off his man to help guard Jordan. For those who aren't basketball fans, this is good help defense. 

Essentially, he got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to be a good teammate.

But today, he's not moping about it. He's not making excuses. He knows it was a great play by Jordan, and he was a part of it because he's talented enough to play in the NBA with the most amazing athletes in the world.

Bad and embarrassing things happen to all of us. You can choose to live safely, never putting yourself out there for fear of something negative happening. Maybe you're afraid to try for a promotion because you might get denied, or you're reluctant to send out your book proposal because it may be rejected. Perhaps you're too scared to sing your song in public because you might get booed off the stage.

If you have the guts to try for more, to put yourself out there, sometimes you're going to get embarrassed. When that happens, you can choose to get angry and either lash out or withdraw from the world.

Instead, Brandon Knight got up, dusted himself off, then laughed about it.

That's how you handle getting dunked-on.

Small Group Fantasy League

Let’s start a Church Small Group Fantasy League!

Here’s how you play. 

The typical small group consists of 8-12 people. You and one other person in your group hold a fantasy draft in which you choose your teams by selecting from all the other members of your group. It is imperative that nobody else in the group knows that you’re playing this game, as their knowledge will affect the results. 

Also, if you’re in a married group, it is probably wise that you omit your spouse from eligibility to avoid the awkward decision of when or whether you should draft them. “Listen honey, I’m sorry that you’re not on my team, but I don’t know what to tell you. The other guy reached and drafted you way too early. It’s gonna come back to haunt him later.”

As an example, let’s say I’m in a married group that has twelve people, and I’m playing against one of the other husbands. As ourselves and our wives are ineligible players, that leaves eight people to draft. 

The draft should take place in a typical snake fashion. If I get the first pick, then my opponent would get the second and third, I would get the fourth and fifth, and he would get the sixth. Ideally, you should leave at least two small group members as undrafted free agents, available on the small group waiver wire.

So now both teams have three players each, and there are two additional free agents which may be picked up at any time. To pick up a free agent, you must drop one of your existing players, making them eligible free agents and susceptible to getting picked up by your opponent.

Each week, you choose two of your three players to play for that week. Players score points according to how well they perform in a number of categories that contribute to an optimal small group experience.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the basic points structure, but you’ll want to customize the points depending on your group.

• Showing up - 1 point
• Bringing the book - 1 point
• Proof that they actually did the required reading for the week - 2 points
• Contributing to the conversation - 2 points
• Offering a prayer request - 2 points
• Providing a store-bought snack - 3 points
• Showing up even though their spouse didn’t - 4 points
• Providing a homemade snack - 5 points
• Leading the prayer at the end of the group - 5 points
• Confirmed pregnancy or adoption* - 15 points

*This is a major risk/reward scenario. It’s worth big points up front, but eventually, you know you’re going to lose this player to the “maternity list.”

Here’s a few tips to get you started:

1. The Leadership couple has to go #1 and #2 in the draft. Don’t be swayed by the chatty guy who went to Bible college, drooling over all the contribution points you think he’ll be hauling in. Your first pick has to be solid. Choose consistency over flash.
2. Get to know everybody’s travel schedule. Is your star snack-maker going out of town on business? Check the waiver wire for somebody to pick up the snack-slack!
3. Develop your talent. Is somebody on your team underperforming? You could take your chances in free agency, but maybe the better option is coaching up your existing player. Invite them to a conference, or maybe a covert training session that you call a “prayer breakfast.”

Your starting lineup must be set at least twenty-four hours before your small group begins. If one of your starting players cancels at the last minute, you get zero points from them for the week. 

Keep in mind that while you have three players on your team, you can only start two each week, meaning you have to decide who you’re going to bench. Players on the bench cannot score points, so choose carefully. Whoever has the most points at the end of the night wins!

What do you think? What are other good points categories for a Small Group Fantasy League?

Here's An Idea: Coffee Memberships

Picture this: you're on your way to work on a normal Friday morning. The sun is shining and traffic isn't too bad. You're listening to your preferred podcast or radio show, like you always do. 

Before you get to the office, you pull into the drive-through of your favorite coffee place (Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, etc.) to grab your favorite cup of coffee to start your day. 

Normally this would be a special treat for yourself, splurging on an alternative to getting up early and brewing your own good-but-not-quite-as-good cup of coffee.

But not for you. You get your favorite coffee every morning, and you don't have to feel bad about how much you're spending. You know why?

Because you're a member.

What if places like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks started selling coffee memberships? For a discounted rate, you could purchase a membership that gets you one cup of coffee a day for a year. 

For example, let's say a regular cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee is $2. That means if I bought a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee every day for a month, it would cost me somewhere around $60. 

Instead, let's say Dunkin Donuts tells me if I'll give them $40 up front, I can have a cup of coffee every single day for a month. They would give me a card that I simply give to the cashier every day, registering that I have used my "coffee credit" for that day. 

The end result is that I get my favorite cup of coffee every day at a better rate because I have essentially committed to my favorite coffee place. In turn, Dunkin Donuts makes more money off me as a customer ($40 a month) than I likely would have spent with them otherwise. Essentially, they're buying my loyalty, resulting in higher volumes of business. 

We already see this in different variations. Punch cards that offer "Buy 10 burritos, get the 11th for free" are essentially making a deal with the customer: spend enough money here, and we'll give you a slight discount because the volume of your business is worth it.

Obviously, coffee memberships would be offered in several tiers. Maybe you don't like regular coffee, and you pay a little more for a "latte membership." Maybe you get a better discount if you buy a 6-month or 1-year membership than if you went month-to-month. Maybe you have a "breakfast membership" that gets you a cup of coffee and two donuts. You get the idea.

Also, membership has its benefits. Perhaps certain places have an express line/drive-through for members, allowing them to get in and out faster. 

Wouldn't this be the best Christmas present ever? Talk about the gift that keeps on giving. "Here Dad, I'm giving you thirty minutes of joy every single day for the next year. Merry Christmas!"

So get at me, Dunkin Donuts. Let's make this happen.

What do you think? Would you buy a coffee membership to your favorite place?

Stuff Bailey Does: Volume 1

My cat Bailey walks into my home office today and immediately starts sniffing around at the carpet, the way cats do when they enter a room. 

Knowing that he likes to sit with me while I'm working, I pull over the other swivel chair and offer him a seat. 

When he looks up at me, I notice something dark stuck to his nose, most likely a piece of fuzz from my black socks.

I start to say "Bailey, what is that on your nose?" 

Before I can even finish the sentence, he uses his tongue to promptly pull the piece of fuzz off his nose and into his mouth. He never takes his eyes off me as he casually swallows it, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Friday Afternoons: Let's Change How We Name Sports Teams

Alright, here's a crazy half-baked idea that would absolutely never happen but is still fun to consider. What better way to finish off a Friday afternoon than debating ideas that will never come to fruition?

What if cities treated the names of their pro sports teams the same way colleges do? That is, one nickname and one set of colors for every team in the city, voted on by the residents. For example, the New Orleans NFL and NBA teams would both be called the Saints. Fans could wear their Saints gear to either game. If they got a baseball team, that team would also be the Saints (again, just like university sports). 

Cities with multiple teams in each sport (like New York) would divide them up by region, creating an even stronger "our part of town vs. your part of town" rivalry. When you think about what this would look like, there's an interesting shift that places the focus more on the city than on the team. For example, instead of saying "the Hawks are playing the Celtics tonight," you would probably say "Atlanta is playing Boston in basketball tonight."

What do you think? Are you on board with this idea? What team name would your city adopt? Leave your comments below.