A thank you to those protecting us

To all the soldiers presently protecting our freedoms at home and abroad,

I would like to personally thank you for the sacrifices you have made and are making to allow me the freedom to write this. I know the work you do is difficult, and it is a severe strain to be away from your homes and your families for so long. Knowing myself and my reactions, I am aware that I couldn't do what you do on a daily basis. I know that at times it seems as though you're isolated, but I want to ensure you that I and several of those like me stand firm in support of your efforts. May your efforts continue to be successful, and may you be blessed in all your endeavors.

Sincerely,
Aaron J Coyner

Even legends can overstep their bounds

Welcome to the initial rant of my blog under normal circumstances I will post about music, sports or news events that seem interesting.

In this case, I bring up the events of last Tuesday in college basketball. I know we live in a time when the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play have taken a back seat to highlight reels, cheap shots and yes the occasional brawl. That being said I would expect better of a hall of fame coach not named Bobby Knight. The events I refer to occurred in Tuesday's game between Temple, coached by hall of famer John Chaney, and Saint Joseph's. In the second half of the game, Coach Cheney put in a number of little used reserved with sole instruction to commit hard fouls and be extremely physical in response to what Chaney saw as fouls that weren't called. Little used Nehemiah Ingram was used as a "goon" much like what occasionally occurs in hockey when its played. Chaney's actions came into question when a hard foul committed by Ingram resulted in a broken arm for one of the St. Joe's players.

I understand that John Chaney is a hall of fame coach and an excellent teacher of zone defenses. I must also give him credit for being able to advance deep into the NCAA tournament on a semi-regular basis with a small school like Temple. Unfortunately, none of that will stick in my mind as long as his incidents of misguided behavior. The "goon" tactics were the second instant of his emotions getting ahead of his coaching. Ten years prior, following a loss to Massachusetts, Chaney burst into a press conference for then UMass coach John Calipari and threatened to kill him.

Unfortunately, John Chaney's basketball credentials are in my mind overshadowed by his outbursts. He may still deserve my respect as a basketball coach, but due to behavior like he displayed on Tuesday I'm not sure that I can respect the person drawing the plays