Mind Games: How Mental Illness in Sports is No Laughing Matter…

♣ Being “Crazy” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… ♣

“Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy.”

— Nora Ephron

Editor’s Note: I originally started this blog on September 29, 2009, but got sidetracked by life and never got around to finishing it.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — To be a professional athlete, you have to be a special. Physical gifts, mental toughness, strong will, and a competitive fire are all key to success. And, well, you also have to be a little crazy. You have the zany old-school craziness of late Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych talking to the ball, and grooming the mound. You have the outlandish behavior of Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, who declared himself the “greatest of all time” when he broke Lou Brock’s stolen base record (with Brock standing next to him), slid into home plate after hitting a home run for his 3,000th career hit, and often spoke in the third person.  You have the nuttiness of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee who amongst other wackiness claimed that his marijuana use made him impervious to bus fumes while jogging to Fenway Park. o_O This type of eccentric behavior behavior is good for a laugh, doesn’t really hurt anybody, and actually adds to the appeal and charm of a player. That’s not what I’m here to talk about. This blog deals with the not-so-sunny side of nutty that goes either unnoticed in pro sports or, worse, is ridiculed by those who don’t understand it.

Ignorance is Bliss: Detroit’s Acceptance of Being Dumb…

♦ Fat, Drunk, & Stupid is No Way To Go Through Life…♦

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!”

— Derek Bok, Harvard University President 1971-1990

DETROIT — Detroit is a place that on the surface wants you to strive to be successful. That is, until you actually achieve success. Once that happens, all bets are off. One of the keys to being a success, as I have always been told, is to get a good education and continue to learn even after you get the degree. My mother taught in the Detroit Public Schools for 38 years (1966-2004) and saw some of the most talented people of multiple generations pass through her classrooms. Succeeding in spite of the numerous deficiencies of DPS should be considered a badge of honor. Detroit’s schools, like many other things in this area, are the worst in the United States. Whether it’s the stunning 22% graduation rate, a mind-blowing 77% of 8th graders scoring “below basic” on standardized math test scores, or the widespread and rampant graft and corruption of the school system itself, Detroit isn’t exactly a bastion of higher learning. So when I read in the Detroit News this morning that the current president of the Detroit School Board, Otis Mathis, is essentially a functioning illiterate, I found it equal parts ironic, maddening, and insulting. Let’s Go.