About a week ago I ran across on espn.com Alex Scarborough's moving piece about the late sport psychologist Trevor Moawad.
Born in Lakeville, Washington, Moawad packed a lot into his 48 years on this earth, a time shortened by cancer that he succumbed to this past September. He kept it secret from his friends and colleagues.
He became a go-to guy for top football coaches Alabama's Nick Saban and Georgia's Kirby Smart, Saban's one-time assistant.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson spent nearly a month at Moawad's home
after throwing the goal line interception that cost Seattle a Super Bowl title over the Patriots.
Marcus Stroman, the former Blue Jays and Mets pitcher (now with the Cubs), was another believer in "Limitless Minds," Moawad's company.
A lot of sports psychology maxims are fairly obvious. I think Moawad's were definitely a cut above. Like my title today: "Starve your distractions, Feed your focus."
Here's one that can help in constructing a team as well as in personal development:
"When you're green, you grow. When you're ripe, you rot."
Moawad's last book was called "It Takes What It Takes". I say that whatever gets us through the next year(s) with some hope and abiding faith is fine with me.
Who really likes wearing a mask except The Lone Ranger? And his mouth wasn't even
covered so his mask never got fogged up. But we have to do what we have to do in the immediate future.
When even our beloved, consoling sports calendars are thrown into disarray, we know
that we are in unchartered waters. Here's hoping that a grain of normalcy returns in the
warmer weather.
I am disappointed that I won't be able to see live and in person the start of my Columbia's women's basketball Ivy League season. But I'll be following on whatever TV or streaming
outlets show their first three big games against Yale (Su Jan 2 at 1P), Princeton (F Jan 7 at 7P) and Penn (Su Jan 8 at 5P).
In the meantime here are some TCM tips for the first weeks in January.
Tu January 4: 345P "Johnny Belinda" (1948) Jane Wyman's Oscar as a deaf-mute brought to sentient life by Lew Ayres. Set in Nova Scotia.
Max Steiner's soulful music is truly a supporting actor. So are Charles Bickford, Jan Sterling, and Stephen McNally playing a truly awful character.
Later that night at 8P "This is Spinal Tap" (1984) - the hilarious rock-a-mentary
Th Jan 6 730A Joe E Brown as Capn Andy in "Show Boat" (1951)
" " 415P Brown in his early Hollywood days gets involved in a yacht race in "Top Speed" (1930)
And if you like murderous people, try this trifecta later on Jan 6:
8P Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope" (1948) inspired by the Leopold-Loeb story
930P Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) with Warren Beatty/Faye Dunaway and
in important roles Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons
1130P Terence Malick's "Badlands" (1973) inspired by Charles Starkweather
Fri Jan 7 8P Howard Hawks's "Red River" (1948) - Montgomery Clift rebels against
John Wayne with Joanne Dru who returns at 1030P in the Noir "711 Ocean Drive" (1950)
with Edmond O'Brien and Otto Kruger
Speaking of Noir, Eddie Muller starts new year on Su Jan 2 12M, 10A
"Repeat Performance" (1947) Joan Leslie tries to relive a night of murder with a happier
ending.
Su Jan 9 12M 10A "Nightmare Alley" (1947) the original without the glitz of today's remake
Su Jan 16 1230A, also 10A - "The Mob" (1951) with Broderick Crawford and Richard Kiley
who before he became "Man of La Mancha" had many roles in Noir films
Su Jan 23 12M, also 10A "Over-Exposed" (1956) very little known about this film even on TCM website. I immediately thought it would star Jayne Mansfield but no, it is Isobel Elsom.
That's all for now. Be healthy and not without faith.
I sign off listening to the serenely beautiful strains of the slow movement in Mozart's Clarinet Concerto K. 622 and remembering hearing the other day the caressing of the oboe and clarinet in Rachmaninov's slow movement of his Second Symphony. Now it's Mahler.
I'm reminded of another great adage - "without music life would be a mistake."
So once again take it easy but take it.