December 4, 2024
I was one of the many sports fans who missed the NHL All-Star Game. Grant it, I’m not your typical rabid hockey fan, but apparently, that’s true of many sports fans around the country.
According to the USA Today, the all-stars only attracted 474, 000 households, down a whopping 76 percent from the last NHL All-Star Game played in 2004. (more…)
December 4, 2024
Most of you likely have never heard of Winona State University – the defending NCAA Division II men’s basketball champions.
Winona State is located in Winona, Minn., a few hours from the Twin Cities and where I began my career in sports as the school’s first women’s athletics media relations director. (more…)
December 4, 2024
I read about a neat program where 10 Youth Idols are selected from around the country and paired up with at-risk youth in an initiative to introduce them sports.
The program is called “Backcountry Base Camp” and it was held at the Brighton Ski Resort in Utah. (more…)
December 4, 2024
Our kids never seize to amaze me with their open, honest, candid and at times, naïve comments.
Sometimes they’re just flat-out funny – making everyone in our family laugh – and other times they’re a bit too much attitude, which we address appropriately. (more…)
December 4, 2024
Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Most people would call Chase Utley, the Philadelphia Phillies All-Star second baseman, one lucky guy. But ask anyone who knows him and they will likely tell you he prepared well for a tremendous opportunity last season. (more…)
December 4, 2024
As the Super Bowl, featuring Da Bears and Colts, nears, I’ve been receiving a handful of emails referencing the Da Bears and I’ll be sharing some of these emails with short stories in my blog posts from time-to-time.
Here’s one email I received titled a “True Bears Fan.”
A man had 50 yard line tickets for the Bear’s game. As he sits down a man comes down and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him. “No, ” he says, “the seat is empty.” (more…)
December 4, 2024
I was reading the newspaper and came across an advertisement with a man looking scared of something – of what, I didn’t know until I read the headline, “Real Manly Men Aren’t Afraid of a Little Prostate Cancer Screening.”
You can check out the public service advertisement by clicking on this link. (more…)
December 4, 2024
As someone who was born in Chicago, grew up watching and cheering for the Chicago Bears, and an owner of a VHS copy of the Super Bowl Shuffle – the last time the city was in a frenzy when the Bears won the 1985 Super Bowl – it’s only fitting to share the Chicago Bears Fight Song in today’s post as they prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts in South Florida on Feb 4 in the 2007 Super Bowl! (more…)
December 4, 2024
Yesterday I wrote about the missed opportunity a waitress had to be a good teammate at a restaurant we dined as a family over the holidays.
Since writing the post, I’ve thought about many opportunities I have on a daily basis to be a great teammate – at home, with our kids, with my wife, at church, with friends, with clients, with associates, at the airport…the opportunities are aplenty. (more…)
December 4, 2024
Over the holidays, our family went to a sports restaurant for lunch while out enjoying a fun day together.
We had a great lunch and a few good laughs, before deciding to head into the game room for some more fun. However, it had been quite some time since we last heard from our waitress and she was no where in sight to pay our bill. (more…)
December 4, 2024
I enjoy reading newspapers online and have for years, but my wife enjoys sitting down at the kitchen table every morning and reading the newspaper from cover to cover.
It’s hard for me to believe she takes that much time to read one newspaper, when she could read so many different mediums online. (more…)
December 4, 2024
As I read the newspaper this past Sunday, the headline Coed Marathon Run in Pakistan caught my eye.
I read the story, and although it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s uncommon to see men and women running in a marathon in Pakistan, it was still hard to imagine these beliefs still exists in other country and how lucky we are as a country to have the freedom to experience so many things that we many times take for granted. (more…)
December 4, 2024
In observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day it’s only fitting to share one of his quotes in today’s blog: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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December 4, 2024
There’s something about youthful confidence that makes me smile. I love to see and be around people with positive attitudes, but there’s just something extra special about youth and young people being positive and feeling like they can do anything they set their minds to that I love.
While traveling on business this week, a flight attendant struck up a conversation with me and asked what I do for a living. When I told her I work in the sports business, she responded without hesitation, “I’m going to do the same thing, except I’m going to be a sports agent representing athletes.” (more…)
December 4, 2024
In yesterday’s Question of the Day blog, I answered a question regarding the last “wow” experience I had at a sporting event.
We received some friendly service at a concessions stand prior to a basketball game and it added to the overall event experience for me and my daughter that evening.
This wasn’t the same “wow” moment for our daughter, though.
Our daughter’s “wow” moment occurred when she realized how much the basketball players weighed. You’d think she’d be impressed by their height, but she just couldn’t get over the fact she is only 40-plus pounds and some of the basketball players weighed over 260 pounds.
Each time a player would score a basket she’d check the roster card and tell me how much they weigh. You just never know what’s going to entertain – or “wow” – your child at a sporting event.
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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December 4, 2024
What would it be like to soar like an Eagle?
David McNally, in The Eagle’s Secret, says, “All eagles were born to soar. It is why we were created. Our power, however, comes not from what we can see, it is the unseen. It is the wind, not our wings, that lifts us to the high places. It is our vision, not our eyes, that makes us rulers of the skies. But, above all these, it is our spirit, not our speed, that leads us to be strong and free.”
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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December 4, 2024
I’ve always had a fast pace. In track, I was a sprinter. On the football field, I used to have “wheels, ” and in basketball, I enjoyed running the fast break and chasing after loose balls.
Today, I’m awfully confident no one would credit me with having “wheels, ” but I still don’t mind chasing down a loose ball and I’m always enjoy running a fast break, although I have trouble finishing my shot just as I did years ago!
My pace these days – whether working or spending time with my family – seems to be the same as it was years ago, but probably not as fast as friends in the east and probably not as slow as friends in the south.
Some people caution me to “slow down, ” “enjoy the moment, ” and ask, “Why don’t you just relax and go with the flow?”
Well, “relax” isn’t something I’ve ever been comfortable with and I’ve tried on several occasions to just “go with the flow” – as my wife encourages me to do from time-to-time – and it just doesn’t seem to fit my personality profile.
I likely was standing in the “impatient” line when they handed out the “go with the flow” characteristic, because I struggle mightily with it, and “patience” isn’t my strong suit.
So, for those of you who know me, if the next time you see me and I look like I’m being impatient or in a hurry, know that’s probably the case and just “relax” and “go with the flow!”
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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December 4, 2024
I read a short story by Stephen Covey that illustrates the importance of not only working hard, but working smart.
Here’s Mr. Covey’s short and impacting illustration:
“Once upon a time, a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.
“The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees. ‘Congratulations, ’ the boss said. ‘Go on that way!’ Very motivated by the bosses’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 15 trees.
“The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring 10 trees. Day after day, he was bringing less and less trees.
“‘I must be losing my strength, ’ the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
“’When was the last time you sharpened your axe?’ the boss asked.
“’Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees…’“
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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December 4, 2024
Mother Teresa once said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” For some people, this comes natural. They just have that God-given personality to make others feel good whenever people are around them.
My wife is one of those people, and anyone who has ever spent any time around Susie knows what a kind, gentle and giving person she is to everyone she interacts with on a daily basis.
To me, it’s an amazing quality, because I surely don’t have this ability. It is, however, one of those qualities I’ll continue striving to improve this year.
As a sports business coach and mentor, I really enjoy working with and assisting people any way I can and it would be quite an accomplishment this year if I could say that most people who came to me walked away better or happier.
A lofty goal and one I’m sure to fall short on from time to time, but I won’t need to look very far to see this in action each and every day. I know I can count on my wife to be a great example and there’s no doubt Susie will help me improve this quality that comes so naturally for her.
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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December 4, 2024
I don’t watch television all that much, but I’ve been able to catch bits and pieces of bowl games the past week and I’ve enjoyed the close scores in many of the games through New Year’s Day.
Over the last few years, and with the close lost between Nos. 1 and 2 Ohio State and Michigan, there’s been a lot of talk about creating a college football playoff. Although I’d enjoy seeing a football playoff, I’d like to see the bowls somehow included in the playoffs.
I’ve had the good fortune to experience 15 bowls over the years, and whether I was working or attending the festivities and games as a fan, I enjoyed each and every one of them.
Although some of the bowl match-ups don’t seem to attract the attention or TV ratings the NCAA basketball tournament has during March Madness, there’s certainly some great match-ups and significant tradition with many of the bowls I’d like to see continue for years to come.
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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December 4, 2024
Our family recently went to a sports-themed restaurant that has several televisions and a big screen to view sporting events, an arcade / game room, and a large restaurant. It’s a neat place with good food.
We finished our meal and were anxious to make our way to the game room, but sat about 15 minutes waiting for our waitress to return with our check.
Another waitress passed by our table twice during that time, looked at our table of empty dishes, and continued on her way. As she attempted to pass by a third time, I said, “Excuse me. Could you please let our waitress know we’re ready for our check?” The waitress said, “Sure, ” and continued on her way.
I turned to my wife and said, “She could have been a good teammate – especially in a sports-themed restaurant – and let her fellow waitress know we had finished our lunch and were ready for our check about 10-15 minutes ago.”
Within 30 seconds, our waitress appeared with our check; we paid and were on our way.
Many times we have opportunities to be a good teammate and yet we decide “it’s not our job” or we “don’t have time” to stop and help someone else.
This situation emphasized for me the opportunities I have to be a good teammate – to my wife, to my kids, to my friends, to everyone I come in contact with and I hope you too will consider taking the time or going the extra mile to be a great teammate to others in 2007.
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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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