About This Blog

Let me first explain why I chose this name for my blog.

It’s not just about football…

I have always believed in the virtue of balance and moderation. As I live life, I continue to like my politics, my economics, and even my religion, all served up on the 50-yard line; right down the middle. Without spin, angle or agenda. The best seats in the house are, after all, on the 50-yard line. What better vantage point from which to observe and consider the great issues of the day? No maneuvering by the Great Talking Points in the Sky, here. If we are to make informed decisions we need reliable, balanced sources; we need to see the entire field, if you will. This blog is one of those sources and the mission of seeing the entire field is in its DNA.

As a newly-minted lawyer, right out of Stanford Law School, I had the privilege to work under a very prominent, well-known attorney. When strategizing on an aggressive position we were taking on behalf of a client on a particular litigation matter, the attorney said something I will never forget: “It’s all well and good to spin our tale as we feel we must…so long as we actually don’t start believing our own BS.”

In our desire to advocate for a client, or to get ahead in our business or in our personal affairs, we get wound up, take hard positions, and dig in our heels. Now, I concede that in some circumstances, such an approach may be warranted, even desirable. We are soulful beings with passions and purpose. And that is all good.

But what is not so good, is, if, in our zeal to advocate, we consistently take such unreasonable or untenable positions, so that the healthy skepticism that should always exist is quashed over time.

When that happens we rob our ability to probe the respective strengths and weaknesses of all the arguments and angles; this variety of zeal paradoxically makes one a weaker and less effective advocate.

This is a widespread phenomena in our political and economic environment. And we have seen some of the consequences of those dysfunctions, writ large, as our economy flounders and the political leadership meanders, split by the gridlock borne of reflexive partisanship.

Look, I have my political views and biases, just as much as the next guy. But do I really need to share my opinions several times each day from the proverbial virtual street corner? I mean, who cares?

Opinions, it is said, are much like rear ends: Everyone has one. Or as President John F. Kennedy put it, far more tactfully, “…we [people] enjoy the comfort of opinions without the discomfort of thought.”

Finally, do remember that I am an attorney and an advocate. I work hard and based on many years of toil and lessons learned, I have developed some pretty decent skills. (Click to see my Professional Bio) As an advocate, I earn a living by helping my clients “win”.

As Vince Lombardi said, “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” Particularly in litigation, the ball needs to not only stay on that “other side" of the 50 yard line, but needs to be driven in the other guy’s end zone. But even when I am advocating hardest, precisely because I am singularly focused on getting the best result for the client, on “winning”, I will never be that lawyer -- I will never be that person -- who believes his own BS.

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