Entries from November 2005 ↓

Let me be clear. As a lifelong fan of the New York Giants, I take a certain measure of delight watching our NFC East Division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, implode under the ego of wide receiver Terrell Owens and his self-centered antics. Hopefully it will cause them to spiral out of contention allowing my Giants to win the division easily.

But as a football fan and a student and teacher of organizational management skills, I watch this latest episode with the mindset of a manager forced to deal with an employee who just isn�t fitting in.

If you�re not up on this story, you�re either not a football fan or have been living in a cave somewhere. Read the background story to get caught up.

Owens just can�t embrace the team concept. Like the spoiled brat who whines incessantly until he gets his way, he insists on mouthing off and alienating his teammates. In one of the most team-oriented of sports, with 52 teammates, he doesn�t seem to understand it�s not all about him.

In fact, if he had a clue, he�d know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Eagles are quarterback Donovan McNabb�s team. They were before Owens arrived last season and they will continue to be long after he�s gone, which should be any day now.

In business, there are employees who are competent and fun to work with; competent and not fun to work with; incompetent and fun to work with, and incompetent and not fun to work with.

The last group–incompetent and not fun to work with–are easily fired. They contribute little and cause disruption. Get rid of them. The first group–competent and fun to work with–are a joy to have in your organization. They contribute and help foster the team concept.

The two in the middle pose challenges for managers. The incompetent and fun to work with, while not contributing to programmatic goals, can help keep the work environment light and enjoyable. They may even be able to learn minimal skills or tasks that allow them to contribute in specifically focused projects.

But the competent person who is not fun to work with is a hard nut to crack. Their skills clearly contribute to the bottom line. They bring tangible results. But the price is often a divided worksite, unnecessary drama and tension, self-absorbed behavior and questions about whether or not it�s all worth it. Terrell Owens is this type of employee.

The Eagles have a legitimate deep threat when he�s in the game. He has the ability to get open and make things happen after the catch. But he is a polarizing force in their locker room, who has worn out his welcome. He�s a drop of piss in the punch bowl. Guys like Owens need to learn that no player is indispensible. The Eagles can survive without him and they will. But the way he�s ruined his own reputation, will any other team take a chance on him? Will he survive without football? I hope they let him find out.

UPDATE: Monday, the Eagles told T.O. to take a hike.

I�m just being lazy and filling the space until I get time to write something more substantive. But I saw this here and here and figured I�d give it a try.

And yeah, there�s some truth to it, except this guy looks nothing like me.

The Boy Next Door Random Gentle Love Dreamer (RGLDm) Kind, yearning, playful, you are The Boy Next Door. You’re looking for real Love, a lot like girls do. It might not be manly, but it’s sweet. We think the next three years will be very exciting and fruitful ones for you. Your spontaneous, creative side makes you a charming date, and we think you have a horny side just waiting to shine. Or glisten, rather. You enter new relationships unusually hopeful, and the first moments are especially glorious. If you’ve had some things not work out before, so what. Your exact opposite: The 5-Night Stand Deliberate Brutal Sex Master On paper, most gay guys would name the Boy Next Door as their ideal mate. In the real world, however, you’re often passed over for more dangerous or masculine men. You’re the typical “nice guy:” without just a touch of cockiness, you’re doomed with boys. A shoulder to cry on? Okay, sure. But never a penis to hold. More than any other type, Boys Next Door evolve as they get older. As we said, many find true love, but some fail miserably in the search. These tarnished few grow up to be The Men Next Door, who are creepy as hell, offering backrubs to kids and what not. ALWAYS AVOID: The Billy Goat CONSIDER: The Gentleman, The Loverboy Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating. My profile name: Bejata

First the hard drive died, and I had to get that fixed. Then some sort of corrupted files pevented me from accessing Movable Type, so I couldn�t blog. I had to get that fixed. Now, the most recent problem involved Dreamhost losing my database and claiming essentially that they�ve never heard of me, despite the fact they have been hosting my site since I started two years ago. Somehow or other the dipshits �found� it, with the exception of my last two entries in October, which I reposted, minus the comments.

It has been a frustrating several days not being able to blog. I was all set to comment on the Chicago White Sox’ exciting sweep of the Houston Astros to win their first World Series title in 88 years. Congratulations Chicago. I similarly missed reveling in last weekend�s ass kicking my New York Giants dished out to the Washington Redskins 36-0. This on the heels of the passing of their owner and one of the most respected team owners in all of professional sports, Wellington Mara.

I missed commenting on the passing of Civil Rights-era pioneer Rosa Parks. While I question the involvement of so many right wing politicos at the Capital Rotunda viewing, it was a fitting tribute to a true legend.

I�ve also missed a chance to comment (on my own blog, at least) about the Noah�s Arc hysteria currently sweeping over the blogosphere (the gay corner of it, anyway). I missed the second episode any way and am watching the third in a re-airing, as I type this. The show perpetuates some of the oldest stereotypes known to man, but it is television after all.

Technical difficulties behind me (for now) I�ll try to get back to regular blogging. I�ll also be looking for a new website host.