Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Togetherness

to·geth·er·ness

     NOUN

     1.     the state of being close to another person or other people

Middlesbrough 0 – 3 Liverpool

This season we are witnessing amazing performances from our players!  Divock Origi had another great night.  Since coming into the starting XI, Origi has scored in five successive appearances – against Sunderland, Leeds, Bournemouth, Leeds, West Ham and now Middlesbrough.  And how aboutAdam Lallana?  After missing most of November due to a groin injury, he returned this month straight back to form.  For the season, Lallana has participated in 10 goals in 14 Premier League appearances - 5 goals/5 assists.

But this is not a team of individuals or of inflated egos.  This is teamwork.  This is togetherness.   Liverpool leads the league in goals scored – now a total of 40.  Eleven players share those goals:  Origi, Mane, Coutinho, Lallana, Firmino, Milner, Can, Lovren, Henderson, Matip, Wijnaldum.   If you throw in League Cup action, add Sturridge, Woodburn and Klavan. 

But they didn’t score those goals alone. The goals would not have come without the assists of Clyne, Henderson, Firmino, Mane, Milner, Wijnaldum, Coutinho, Lallana, Can, Sturridge, Moreno, Grujić and Alexander-Arnold (who made his Premier League debut tonight.)

Consider this sequence of events and evidence of how we came together for this December 14th fixture:
Goal 1 - Lallana with Clyne’s  Assist
Goal 2 - Origi with Lallana’s assist after 8 one-touch passes in a row   
                Then 8:01 minutes later (according to OptaJoe)
Goal 3 - Lallana with Origi’s assist
681 passes with 88% accuracy.
Defensively we won 83% of our tackles and had 18 clearances. 


Togetherness.  This team works together and wins together.  Sure, we’ve seen some heartbreak together too.  But together we are best.  Of course we know that.  It's the singular idea of, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

LFC Chattanooga invites you to gather together with us for games at The Feed co. Table and Tavern on West Main Street, in Chattanooga. 

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Platitudes and Catitudes

I was dreaming that I was playing basketball. All of my teammates were cats. They were useless. They wouldn't dribble, they wouldn't pass, they wouldn't shoot. They just sat around grooming themselves and looking disinterested. I was running around in circles, covering every position. It was a most frustrating dream.

Later, I was passing through a hallway with posters covering the walls. The posters were all cats, striking exciting poses with motivational captions. You know the kind - a hang-glider "Aim high," a mountain climber, "You can do it."

I woke up with clarity. Platitudes - or catitudes - are nothing without action. Get busy!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Silver linings - Midterm election 2014

From Adam Griffin:
The first in surely a lot of maps to come. This shows the increase in the Democratic or Republican performance for Governor & Senate between 2010 & 2014.
First of all, I'd like to say as a Coordinated Campaign leader in Whitfield and the First Vice-Chair for WCDP, I'm immensely proud of our team and all we did, and the hard work is visible in the numbers!
[A bit of bragging/silver lining] In the Gubernatorial race, Whitfield County swung more (tied with Rockdale) to Jason Carter than ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE ENTIRE STATE (We both got some bragging rights here). Whitfield went from 22.9% for Roy Barnes in 2010 to 28.6% in 2014 (D +5.7)! We held Deal below 67%, which is the best showing in Whitfield for a Gubernatorial, Senatorial or Presidential Democrat since 2000. In the Senatorial race, we moved the needle from 20.5% in 2010 to 24.1% in 2014 (D +3.6). That was a bit below the average swing in the state to Nunn, but we still did well in improving our totals for this part of the state.
We made over 2,000 calls, knocked on several hundred doors, deployed 2,500 mailers, sent out 15,000 robocalls, somehow beat the Republicans at the silly sign game, and had plenty of other interactions to help GOTV for Jason, Michelle and others. In the end, this boosted the number of Democratic voters in the Gov race from 3,725 to 4,501 (D +776) and the Sen race from 3,301 to 3,807 (D +506). I set a personal goal in the Gov race for Whitfield to deliver 4,500 votes (which I thought a bit unrealistic at the time); made it by 1!
I'd just like to close this out by saying that having a solid county party apparatus in place is crucial to accomplishing what we want to in this state in the future. If you don't currently have one, then build it. Use data and modern technology to get the job done, and combine with it common sense and retail politicking. Get the staleness out the way, and always be willing to ask for help. Over the past four years, myself and several others have worked very hard to convert what was just a few people getting together once per month into a real political party with dozens of people that can affect change (or at least for now, begin moving the needle back in the left direction). It'll still be a long time before Whitfield County is anywhere close to flipping, but if enough of the counties like ours begin to make movements like what Whitfield did tonight in the Gov and Sen races, then we'll have a Democratic sweep come 2018. And I have a feeling that if we keep it up and move forward as one, then Northwest Georgia won't be getting ignored for much longer.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Tom Phipps Recognized as 2014 Rakkasan of the Year

September 20, 2014 is a grand occasion.  First it's the birthday of my brother Chris.  Second, it's the day our father, Tom Phipps, will be recognized as Rakkasan of the Year, by the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment Association.  Dad is an active member of American Legion Post 112 and Sons of the American Legion Squadron 112 in Dalton, Georgia. 



Biography of Tom Arthur Phipps

            The following eventful experiences were pivotal in the development of Tom’s faith and growth for service.

            Tom Arthur Phipps was born November 27, 1930 in Akron, Ohio. His parents, Leonard F. and Myrtle B. Phipps who were born and reared in Georgia, had gone north for work during the Great Depression. They brought their family back to Georgia in 1937.

            Tom graduated high school in 1950 at Mount Berry School for Boys in Rome, Georgia. While at Berry, he studied the “Life of Jesus” and became a Christian in 1949. After discharge from the Army in April 1953, he started Junior College on the G.I. Bill and entered the ministry, both in 1954.  Tom earned an A.B. degree from Mercer University in 1959, a Master of Education degree from the University of Georgia in 1975, and finished a Course of Study in Theology at Emory University in the 1980s.

            Tom met Jerri Caldwell while in Junior College and they were married in 1957. They have two children – Cheryl Dawn and Christopher Shawn. They have three grandchildren. Jerri also has degrees in education from Mercer University and the University of Georgia. Both are retired teachers. Tom taught Junior and Senior High School for twenty-one years while pastoring Baptist and Methodist churches. He retired from the ministry in 1998 after getting a pacemaker in 1997.

           Tom was drafted in April of 1951. He took basic training at Camp Breckenridge, KY and jump school at Fort Benning, GA. He was then shipped out to join the 187th Airborne R.C.T. “Rakkasans” at Camp Chickamauga in Beppu, Japan. Tom was assigned to Medical Company and sent to Tokyo for aidman training. He pulled periodic duty in the camp dispensary.  While in Japan, he joined a small Bible group of troopers lead by Chaplain Dr. Robert Rayburn. Chaplain Rayburn and Sergeant Joe Kamikawa were vital mentors for Tom.

            The 187th returned to Korea at Taegu where they barely missed another combat jump. They were then sent to Koji-Do Island to “fix a mess.” Tom served at Koji-Do in a medical tent directly in front of “Compound 76.” He helped treat Rakkasans first, then POWs outside of the tent.  Tom served in Kumwha Valley in patrol action. He served on one night patrol to help recover Lester Hammond’s body. Tom rotated out of Korea in 1953.

            Tom served in the American Legion during the 1990s as a baseball manager and coach, as well as post and district chaplain. Since then he has been serving by transporting veterans to V.A. Clinics. He has greatly enjoyed being Golden Rakkasan chaplain and learned much from career troopers who fought in all three of the following wars: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.


Sunday, November 4, 2012

This Really is Football - Part 4





Today, the 4th of November, 2012, Steven Gerrard will play his 600th game for Liverpool Football Club, leading the side against Newcastle.  In his honour, Shay's Picks features this poem written by a great Scouse and friend, John Lemmon. John passionately supports Liverpool FC and the Hillsborough Justice Campaign. Most days you can find John at Hillsborough Inquests The Cover-Up.
 

Image by Feint Zebra

Stevie G...

600 not out
our captain hard
our mister mom
our christmas card
our tallyman
our man full of zest
our hero in 2005
our captain
just the best...

600 not out
our Stevie G
he 's not scared of man utd
not even cashed up citeh
he can do what he wants
he can take control of the ball
he can terrorise other teams
he just has it all...

our Steven Gerrard
600 games today
haway the lads to visit
just take it away
with carra and suarez
to egg him along
the kop will keep singing
his favourite song....

so today is the day you so richly deserve
we honour you Stevie, you so proudly serve
you've taken us from the highs and the lows
from defeat at home to swansea
to the joy of Istanbul...
and wobbly-legs JERZY
we thank you our Stevie
from the bottom of our heart
now just get out there today
and rip the geordies apart......

YNWA...

johnlemmon...

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Here, oh here is summer!


Here, oh here is summer!
Whose plump, ripe blueberries spring from their boxes before you arrive home ...
Whose dark, hot evenings ring with croaks and droning ...
Whose moon rises bold, and yellow through the trees...
Oh here is summer!


C. Phipps, 2 August 2012


Friday, May 11, 2012

Lessons in Leadership from Bill Shankly

The following is the final assignment I completed for Dr. Raina Rutti's spring Leadership class at Dalton State College. A big thank you goes out to my Liverpool Football Club family,
who endured my informal polling via tweets and posts and gave me their thoughts,
opinions, and insight.  I hope I captured your passion in this writing.
Dedicated to the man himself, here are "Lessons in Leadership from Bill Shankly."




Lesson One – Have a Lofty and Challenging Goal
“My idea was to build Liverpool into a bastion of invincibility. Had Napoleon had that idea he would have conquered the bloody world. I wanted Liverpool to be untouchable. My idea was to build Liverpool up and up until eventually everyone would have to submit and give in.” – Bill Shankly

As manager of Liverpool Football Club, Bill Shankly had the highest of goals. He took Liverpool to glory by winning, yes, but also by inculcating the club with his character, honesty and sincerity. Transformational leadership is defined as the way the leader affects his followers.  By mandating the goal and its value, focusing on the team, and tapping his players’ need for accomplishment, Bill Shankly was this type of leader.
Every player Shankly signed knew the team objective was to be the best. Every player knew that he was part of the organization and each was needed to achieve the goal. And every one of them bought into Shankly’s vision. They trusted him completely. It was said that if Shankly had told the players the pitch was pink (not green) they would have believed him. Even long into retirement, his players continued to stand in respect and awe of the “boss.”

Shankly's leadership style also exhibited the components and moral aspects of real transformational leadership. First is the charisma, or idealized influence, Shankly held over the players, supporters and the press. His power of oratory is said to have made politicians envious. Shankly believed that natural enthusiasm is the greatest thing in the world, saying, “You are nothing without it.”  Second, he was a true inspirational motivator, having an unshakeable belief in his team, and filling them with his desire to be the best.  “Fire in your belly,” Shankly said, “Comes from pride and passion in wearing the red shirt.”
Showing his moral character, Shankly felt honesty was all important to his team. Honesty would bring out the best of one’s abilities.  He believed that honesty between himself and his players created an unbreakable, almost mystical bond. Guided by conscience, he was assertive, but never superior.

There was also a bond between Shankly and the supporters. His beloved Anfield stadium is a shrine to his memory, his ashes scattered on the pitch. The 15-foot high Shankly Gates and seven-foot tall bronze statue testify that Shankly is iconic, idolized, and revered.

Lesson Two – Go for the Gold!
“If you are first you are first. If you are second, you are nothing." – Bill Shankly

Supporters participating in an informal poll confirmed that respect for a leader hinges on his success, with over 20% of respondents saying Shankly’s most important leadership trait was his ability to achieve results.  The theory of achievement-oriented leadership says that a leader looks for and expects results, believing in his team’s ability to succeed. Shankly forged the path head-on, and then put full confidence in his players to give their best.
As a young manager, Shankly learned all he could of the back-room secrets about fitness and training and he brought that knowledge to Liverpool.  He was hard on his players, if they needed it.  He once said, "For a player to be good enough to play for Liverpool, he must be prepared to run through a brick wall for me then come out fighting on the other side."  He built his formidable team on skill, character, and eagerness, and then he outfitted them in all red so they were intimidating figures as well. 

Shankly had set for Liverpool a challenging goal, and through hard work, continuous improvement, and adherence to the plan, the path he laid truly did lead to gold - or, in the world of football, silver.

Lesson Three – Make the People Happy
“I was only in the game for the love of football – and I wanted to bring back happiness to the people of Liverpool.” – Bill Shankly

In The Truth aboutLeadershipthe authors write that leadership is “an affair of the heart” and that it is the task of leaders to serve others. Leaders, they say, make others feel more confident and capable, and elevate them to a higher plane, both morally and in performance.
While he had a lofty goal, Bill Shankly’s character exuded selflessness.  One supporter said that Shankly had “stark, effortless, and wholly genuine humanity.” He has been called compassionate, and “a man of the people.” He spoke the language of the listener, and had a way of positively engaging all who came into contact with him. He answered letters from fans personally, with graciousness and humility.

Those who played football for him say that Shankly would “make you feel like the best player in the world; and you and the team feel invincible.”  Shankly drummed it into his players that they were privileged to play for the fans, telling them if they gave the fans what they wanted, they would be their heroes. And they were. 

Legacy of the Lessons
Bill Shankly came to Liverpool Football Club in December 1959. The club was, at that time, in the second division of England’s Football Association. Like every manager and team in the F. A., Shankly’s goal was to be first division.  But Bill Shankly wanted more than that.  His vision was to “build Liverpool up and up and up, into a bastion of invincibility.”  Shankly was the first Liverpool manager to win a European trophy, and thus had taken Liverpool to world-class greatness they would never forget. He won only five trophies in his fifteen year tenure at Liverpool, yet each was like a fairy tale for the team and its fans. His is a legacy of a family of supporters, generation after generation, wholly devoted to their team, their manager, and each other.  He transformed a team and some say, the game of football.

His humanity, compassion and positive interaction with all not only showed people he cared, but also garnered the best from any situation, all for the benefit of the club and its supporters.

Bill Shankly set a high goal, brought home the trophies, and made the people happy.  
“Above all, I would like to be remembered as a man who was selfless, who strove and worried so that others could share the glory, and who built up a family of people who could hold their heads up high and say, 'We're Liverpool.’” – Bill Shankly