Picture the painting of George Washington. He is in the bow of a row boat standing straight, tall. The wind is in his face. Ice is all around the boat. His men are all hunkered down from the wind. They are weak, freezing, and wanting to quit. The painting was created from the journals of men who were inspired by GW, and who lived to win the battle.

Picture Thomas Jackson. I should recite the “Stonewall” story. I won’t, but think on it anyway. (This post concerns leadership, not the rights and wrongs of old wars.)

Big Ben – “I had to be there for my guys.” Amazing – Big Ben?

Yep, we know Ben is tough. We know he has a high tolerance for pain. Low character guys withstand and overcome in order to establish their own legacy. Many low- character leaders are willing martyrs for the cause of their own glory and legacy, but most crumble when they have to remain standing in the face of extended pain, and potential failure. It’s as different as a QB covered up in fetal position, and a QB who stands in the pocket and takes the hit without protecting himself in order to get the ball down-field. Not judging because I have no real inside info – but it’s as different as what Cutler did to the Bears in the playoffs last year, and what we saw Big Ben do last night in a game they could afford to lose.

I likely differ from most of you who are just sports fans. I see sports as a cultural phenomenon that defines for the masses what we value from humanity. Therefore, I believe players are LEADERS in society – and it makes a difference where they LEAD.

Has Big Ben experienced some sort of epiphany? (Definition: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.) When Ben came out of college I heard that he had been raised in a ‘Christian’ home, and that he was a good kid, but… then we saw him publicly disgrace himself and the Steelers repetitively. What is going on with this guy? There is not a lot of talk going around but here is what I have observed: Ben makes a public apology and appears genuinely contrite. Ben gets married in a private ceremony (and at least for now he has quit publicly chasing skirt.) Ben has begun using the same symbolic gesture that Tebow uses, as he transfers glory from himself to God. Interesting! Meaningful???? I think that Ben knows that nobody wants to hear him talk, (on this subject) it just requires real change and real action. An epiphany?

When I saw B. Ben get back on the field and play yesterday, even throwing a TD pass. I was inspired! His statements this morning say that it was his intent to inspire his guys. (Hindsight: they would have won anyway. He risked their playoff run.) In years gone by we have lots of leaders who took huge personal risks in order to inspire and lead men. George Washington on the bow of a boat, for instance. Thomas Jackson, with bullets flying around him, for instance. A football game is no where near the significance of battles being fought on homeland soil, but Big Ben R. is a leader of significant caliber – at least last night.

Too romanticized for some of you?

I still look forward to Tebow doing the Tebust all over Big Ben and the Steelers in the first game of the playoffs!!! LOL

Tebow has had 3 games of a passer rating of over 100.00 ( 101.7 San Diego, 102.6 KC, and 149.3 Vikings ). He has had 3 games with over 90.00 ( 91.7 Miami, 98.1 Oakland, and 95.4 San Diego ). He has had only 2 bad games of 56.8 ( Detriot ). and 61.3 ( Jets ).
So 8 games and he has 6 starts 90 or better. Sounds pretty darn good for a QB with only 10 starts under his belt. I hope you are looking at this Mr. Elway.