I was watching ESPN’s Monday Night countdown before the Dallas/Buffalo game when Ed Werder talked of a list that Bill Parcells gave to Tony Romo.. A list so powerful, that Romo reads it at the beginning of every season and the end of every season. Apparently, the information’s not quite as useful during the season… Anyways, ESPN gave Bill Parcells a segment to divulge the contents of the magical scroll, and he presented his quarterback commandments.
1. Press or t.v., agents or advisors, family or wives, friends or relatives, fans or hangers on, ignore them on matters of football, they don’t know what’s happening here.
2. Don’t forget to have fun, but don’t be the class clown. Clowns and leaders don’t mix. Clowns can’t run a huddle.
3. A quarterback throws with his legs more than his arms. Squat and run. Fat quarterbacks can’t avoid the rush.
4. Know your job cold. This is not a game without errors. Keep yours to a minimum. Study.
5. Know your own players. Who’s fast? Who can catch? Who needs encouragement? Be precise. Know your opponent.
6. Be the same guy everyday. In condition, preparing to lead, studying your plan. A coach can’t prepare you for every eventuality. Prepare yourself and remember, impulse decisions usually equal mistakes.
7. Throwing the ball away is a good play. Sacks, interceptions, and fumbles are bad plays..Protect against those.
8. You must learn to manage the game. Personnel, play call, motions, ball handling, proper reads, accurate throws, play fakes. Clock, clock, clock, don’t you ever lose track of the clock.
9. Passing stats and td passes are not how you’re gonna be judged. Your job is to get your team in the endzone and that’s how you’re gonna be judged.
10. When all around you is in chaos, you must be the hand that steers the ship. If you have a panic button, so will everyone else. Our ship can’t have panic buttons.
11. Don’t be a celebrity quarterback. We don’t need any of those. We need battlefield commanders that are willing to fight it out everyday, every week, and every season, and lead their team to win after win after win.
These are quite good thoughts for people who are the “quarterback” of a family as well as a football team. I read them the second time w/ the focus on rearing a child instead of winning a game. Lots of similarities, I think.