August 26, 2013

Robert Runcie
Superintendent of Schools – Broward County
600 SE 3rd Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301

RE: It ain’t the chess club – Some comments on the nationally televised de minimis slapping of a Cypress Bay quarterback on his helmeted head by his Coach, Mark Gondolfo, and your reaction to same.

Mr. Runcie,

I met a NFL player 4 years into his 7 year career. He appears from time to time as a color commentator on ESPN. The latter is indoor work with no heavy lifting. The former was not.

He told me that if his high school coach had not given him a beating when he was a sophomore he would not have –A- gone to college where he – B- earned 4 varsity letters and – C - been part of a NCAA championship team and – D- earned his degree from a major university and –E- been paid a King’s ransom for what he had been doing for free most of his life. He is still paid for saying things like “He missed his block” or “Turnovers will kill you” or “He didn’t square his shoulders before he threw into double coverage”. Unless he trips over the mike wires his anterior cruciate ligaments are safe.

And to think it all began with a beating.

I have known a number of successful high school coaches, 2 of whom can be considered legendary. Beyond winning a huge majority of the games they coached they have one other thing in common. They love the kids they coach.

Discipline, triumph, dedication, disaster, exultation, a willing surrender of ego, suck it up, “60 seconds worth of distance run”…Not a bad preparation for life.

The only thing that counts is what his players, past and present, say. I daresay that by the end of the week you will have scores of lettermen from the 5 schools where he coached telling you that he was the most important man in their lives.

One of the most important lessons to be learned from football is that there are rules. 4 downs for 10 yards or you lose the ball. Don’t move before the ball is snapped. Don’t grab the other guy’s face mask. Play all out until the whistle. Leave it all on the field. “The Boys of Fall” tells us of life’s lessons.

One of the unintended consequences of high school football is the socialization of teen age males. “Ain’t a horse be ridden, ain’t a rider can’t be throwed” is as important a lesson as a 17 year old kid can learn.

As a big fan of civilization I prefer order to chaos.

A good football coach, even if unintentionally, coaches that.

Your suspension of him, while politically correct in today’s atmosphere of “All games should end in scoreless ties”, is unjust.

Ask his kids.

Ask the men they have become..







Kevin Smith