Thursday May 17, 2007

The Red Carpet

The Red Carpet
I was watching the HBO special where the company created a new lifetime achievement award for comedians and Jerry Seinfeld won the first award. In his acceptance speech he made fun of awards and award shows. To paraphrase, Seinfeld said he did not need awards. The humor was in the irony that the entire event was to honor his career. But he added that comedians don’t need awards and that all of the Hollywood and Music award shows are meaningless. He poked fun of the red carpet and the importance we place on who is wearing what and who is “with” each other. Seinfeld said of actors, “I don’t know why we are so fascinated with actors. Playing dress up and repeating lines written for you in not genius. Roll the cameras, put on these clothes and pretend to be somebody else. Now say what we told you to say. This is not genius.” Seinfeld said every hotel, car dealership and insurance guy has some award for excellence on his/her/its wall. Seinfeld asked, “Who cares about your Gold Star excellence in service award.”

I love Seinfeld and thought his acceptance speech on awards and the awards show was brilliant. But the reason it is brilliant is because it is so true. The American Comedian Award did not seal the deal for my thoughts on Seinfeld.

Last week, Jeff Davis was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. I am happy for Jeff and his family but I did not need the College Football Hall of Fame to tell me how great Jeff was.

We found out this week that Jim Bundren will be inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame. I think that is great and I hope he and his family enjoy it but I don’t know anyone else from Delaware and I did not need anyone telling me he was great. I saw it with my own two eyes.

Last week, Clemson announced it will induct eight former athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame. Again, I knew they were great before the announcement.

For some reason I guess we feel the need to create awards. I guess being a four star prospect is better than being a three star prospect. Gold certificates for achievements are better than silver ones. But they are not the genius of the person or the event.

If only Gaines Adams would have been a five star coming out of high school.

I could not imagine a higher honor in this lifetime than the Medal of Honor. Clemson has had three recipients of this prestigious award but would any of the three be less if they had not received it. Jimmy Dyess is the only American to win the Carnegie Medal and the Medal of Honor and we are very proud of his accomplishments but the real stories are the lives he saved by his heroic actions not the medals.

Please understand that I respect many awards and comparing the Medal of Honor to the Hall of Fame is like comparing the Hall of Fame to the Oscars in that there is a distinct level of priority and importance we should place on each.

Does it really matter if Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa get into the Hall of Fame? Each has a story. Rose was a Hall of Famer as a player but is not in the Hall of Fame nor should he be. But does that take away from the kind of player he was?

The beauty of Lucas Glover, who will inducted in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame this fall, is his story. Glover has an unbelievable relationship with his grandfather, Dick Hendley, who was inducted in 1984 into the same Hall of Fame. Dick was a great football and baseball player at Clemson but an even better grandfather. Their story is much more eventful and meaningful than the Hall of Fame inductions at Clemson.

Khalil Greene is one of the most interesting athletes to come through Clemson in recent memory and his story is amazing as well.

Lester Brown is one of the greatest running backs in school history and to me his nickname, Rubber Duck, and his celebration dance are more interesting that his Hall of Fame induction.

Woody Dantzler was one of the most productive and exciting players in Clemson history. I was at the NC State game in 2001 so I don’t need to see his plaque to tell me he was a Hall of Famer.

There is a saying that states, “I would rather have my experiences than my youth.” I guess us old folks can use that from time to time to make us feel better about getting older. But consider myself blessed to watch the Lester Brown-Ted Brown battles of the 70s. I saw Greene hit .470 in 2002. I was blessed to see Boogie McIntyre’s three-pointers. I was there when Nelson Welch kicked the field goal at Virginia to cap the greatest comeback in Clemson history. It was cold but I was fortunate to see Dantzler to Gardner against USC in 2000.

Please see the humor in our view upon most awards. But on a serious note, I do think it is awful that more of our young people can tell you about American Idol than the Medal of Honor.

Hall of Fames are nice honors and a nice way to remember the past greats. There are over 200 members of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and by my count I have seen around 60 play or coach. I wish I could have seen them all but at least we have their plaques. But where is Jim Davis'?

My apologies to those Gold Star Service Winners for Excellence in Commitment and Dedication to Customers Award Winners. Maybe next year some will be able to sell enough to get to the Platinum Sales Level and your family can get the trip to Costa Rica. I think I am going to start writing my acceptance speech for the awards dinner at this year’s Blog Convention. I wonder what I going to wear?

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