2004 Academy Awards Revisited

Recalling the controversy over the Best Picture selection at the 2004 Academy Awards, I think it was much ado about nothing. Brokeback Mountain had won numerous awards that year, including the Best Director Oscar for Ang Lee but I think Crash - which was little known at the time - rightfully won the big prize.

Brokeback Mountain was very scenic and featured a very appropriate soundtrack, transporting viewers back to Wyoming in the 1960s. The film carried the positive message that love isn’t limited by gender or race but a far deeper emotion. But although the film was enjoyable, it had only one major theme and I think there is a lack of depth to the picture. Crash is far more multi-dimensional. The fact that it was seen by far few people doesn’t limit the style and substance that it shoes.

Crash talks about racial prejudice and the relationships between members of different ethnic groups. The stories of various African-Americans, W.A.S.P.s, Red-Necks, Persians, Cambodians, and Hispanics become intertwined during a forty-eight hour period and every interaction - even between family members - is coloured by racism. Nobody is totally good or bad and hardly anybody gets what they deserve; human relations are a lot like the many car accidents which occur on the streets of Los Angeles.

First impressions are inevitably wrong (and it’s not always the situation where they guy who seems to be bad turns out to be good but seemingly innocent victims are revealed to be slightly more malevolent than they first appear). In a scene between Graham Waters, a detective played by Don Cheadle, and Flanagan, a member of the District Attorney’s office, it is understood that they may get a situation wrong but they need to start criminal proceedings because the court of public opinion is already underway.

The screenplay is tragic at times, uplifting at others; there are insightful moments and humourous ones. By showing all the sides of a situation, the film shows how everyone’s perspective differs. At the end of the film, despite everything that happened - and continues to happen everyday - business continues as usual and humans continue to interact with each other. Paul Haggis directed an amazing ensemble cast in a film.

Dead Poets Society

The schoolmen were schoolboys fist, Stephen said superpolitely. Aristotle was once Plato’s schoolboy. Previous graduates of Welton Academy go one to teach English Literature, run the school, and eventually pass on and merely occupy a place on the wall. The current students face numerous challenges trying to live up to the expectations of the school, their parents, and the ghosts on the wall.

Occurring in the 1960s, Dead Poets Society accurately captures the clash between generations. Only Mr. McAllister, a self-described realist who teaches biology, seems to understand and appreciate what is happening. Society, the school, the students, and finally Mr. Keating all lose their innocence during the film as the conflict becomes a conflagration.

During a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Neil Perry is not merely repeating his lines but giving a monologue to his stubborn father, to no avail. At the end of the film, as Mr. Keating leaves, the students who realize that they must stand up to arbitrary rules and follow what they believe to be right are the ones who will make their lives extraordinary. Mr. Keating had taken the fall for the sequence of events but as he leaves the school, he sees the students’ response and understands that he has partially reached his goals.

To me, Dead Poets Society is an excellent film because everything (acting, direction, screenplay, soundtrack, set design, even the overall colour scheme) combines together to create a series of overarching themes and a mood, becoming greater than the sum of its parts. To Catch a Thief, The Shawshank Redemption, The Matrix, and The Graduate are other examples of this synergy.

Irrespective of the fact that key scenes have evolved through pop culture, moving from classic to clichéd it is still enjoyable upon a second viewing. Those two jackanapes in the Cineplex “preview show” (before the trailers) would have ruined the ending anyways.

Maybe I will start next year’s marketing class with something out-of-the-box, like a team-building exercise involving paper airplanes. Or maybe I will only follow the Trigonometry teacher’s approach and deduct one mark off the final grade for every missed homework assignment. “I urge you not to test me on this point.”

What I Learned this Summer, Part III

Earlier, I wrote about trying to learn as much as possible from other sports. According to a moderately recent study, the skills and attributes that volleyball coaches believe are important to success are not necessarily those that determine the winning team during each match. For whatever reason, the coaches put more value on physical attributes and experience when victory was actually primarily determined by the ability to pass the ball, agility to change direction, and shoulder flexibility (Marey, Boleach, Mayhew, & McDole, 1991, p. 163). This is not merely an indictment of volleyball coaches but an advisory that coaches of all sports need to be mindful of their assessment techniques.

Scotty Bowman: A Life in Hockey is an awful book. The writing is simplistic, contradictory at times, and there are bizarre spelling mistakes. The book does not follow a linear timeline. I think the life of Scotty Bowman would be an interesting topic for a book but this is the literal example of poor execution. During his coaching stints with St. Louis, Montreal, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Detroit, Bowman experienced plenty of success but some failures. He was characterized as a manipulative personality who employed ingenious hockey strategies.

His mistakes with Buffalo and St. Louis largely stemmed from a lack of patience. He would trade a player because of a minor gripe and often didn’t receive proper value in return. His success came in Montreal and Detroit when strong general managers such as Sam Pollock and Jimmy Devellano refused his trade suggestions. Even Bowman acknowledged this fact when he said how he “has more experience, more patience,” a development which allowed him to win nine Stanley Cups.

Inner Skiing by W. Timothy Gallwey and Robert Kriegel contains good mental training tips and delves into the topic of Tachypsychia while skiing. The high speeds and panoramic views create a mental state where one feels totally at one with the mountains. Gallwey and Kriegel devote a good part of the book to being sensitive and observant. They feel that it is important to remember how a particular skill feels, especially when done correctly. They write about appreciating the environment, using all five senses, and getting as much feedback as possible. Awareness increases control.

A memorable chapter described how the best self-image when attempting to improve oneself is no self-image at all. The authors feel that an open mind has no limits and allows one to reach their potential. A skier may fear increasing their speed or attacking more advanced hills. They can dispel their fear by analyzing the perceived dangers and understanding what they are doing.

Mental fears (as opposed to physical fears which will release hormones such as adrenaline) lead to muscles tightening and infrequent breathing. The athlete may move stiffly or apply inappropriate technique adjustments in order to prevent injury. Each action takes more effort and endurance is reduced. Coaches must help athletes eliminate these fears in order to reach their peak potential.

Football Scouting Methods by Steve Belichick may not offer current football advice but it illustrates the importance of thorough thinking and detail. Bill Belichick’s father was a long-time assistant coach at Navy who revolutionized football scouting, enabling the service academy to achieve many upsets on the football field. Tips that still apply to any coach include self-scouting to eliminate predictable tendencies, asking outsiders to scout your team as a form of self-assessment, and evaluating the scouting report after the game has concluded. Belichick believed that a coach should keep good written records of each players’ skill level and what strategies were successful or required improvement over the years.

On his scouting reports, Mike Krzyzewski has a spot for “Our Offence vs. Their Defence” and “Our Defence vs. Their Offence” to remind himself of the key points for each games and anticipate what adjustments might be made during games.


Source: Marey, S., Boleach, L. W., Mayhew, J. L., & McDole, S. (1991). Determination of player potential in volleyball. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness , 31 (2), 161-4.

What I Learned this Summer, Part II

This was probably the area where it is most difficult to evaluate my progress. Largely because I have not had any specific feedback from students about my lesson plans. I enrolled in a OISE/UT Additional Qualifications course and was able to communicate and exchange ideas with a plethora of business teachers facing similar concerns.

Consequently, I have a much better idea of what I teach, why I teach, who I teach, and how I should teach. Even if I forget the entire Business Studies component of this course, I will remember to ask myself those questions.

Throughout the course, we discussed how to best put ourselves in the shoes of the students who are enrolled in the course. While completing a technology based assignment, we talked about how challenging it can be to try a new task with no prior experience. Sometimes it seems that as teachers and coaches, we have done the same thing so many times we forgot what it was like to do it the first time. I will be sure to help students adapt to their new environment as they enter Grade 9 and comprehend new technologies which may be unfamiliar.

I don’t want to be in class talking about the politics of marketing or on the court talking about the triangle offence if the teenagers to whom I am speaking don’t understand the concept. As a leader, it is my job to break these ideas down into smaller specific instructions. I really want to incorporate more scaffolding in the classroom and in my practice plans. I can’t tell an M.D.P. team that the timing of the camp offence is off without explaining why this is important and how it scoring opportunities for everyone can be increased if we tighten up the execution. As Lao-Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Even Mike Krzyzewski spoke about how the Redeem Team had an attention-span of fifteen minutes and that he needed to mix things up with different speakers, different media, and rhetorical techniques, especially humour. In the The Gold Standard, Coach K writes about how instructing major concepts at the beginning of practice seemed to sap everyone’s energy. The articles and books that I read - along with my assignments for OISE/UT and the National Coaching Institute - demonstrated how much my first two goals for the summer are very interconnected.

What I Learned this Summer, Part I

Earlier, I described a desire to become a more empathic leader. I hoped to become better at building relationships with other coaches, players, and people in general. I endeavoured to become more sensitive as to what others were feeling and discover how I can help student-athletes on and off the court and inside and outside the classroom. To do so, I read a couple of books which described examples of excellent relationships that resulted in personal development and basketball championships: Red and Me and The Gold Standard.

Bill Russell’s tribute to his mentor Red Auerbach was a quick read that contained several amusing anecdotes. The two worked well together was that Auerbach was tolerant of Russell’s idiosyncrasies because he performed on the court. Auerbach respected all of his players equally but treated them differently, according to their needs and wants. The coach may have a stern image, but he was always open to feedback from others and willing to take suggestions from players.

Russell did not fit the mold of a traditional Association centre but Auerbach did not try to change him; he adapted the Celtics’ systems to suit Russell’s strengths. Likewise, when Bob Cousy arrived in Boston, Auerbach did not curtail his extravagant ballhandling and fancy passes; so long as the ball got to the right person at the right time, Auerbach didn’t care how it got there. Throughout his career as a coach and a general manager, Auerbach never became set in his ways: he perceived how things were changing around him and adjusted his philosophy accordingly.

Mike Krzyzewski talks about taking the time to understand the situation and the people involved (whether it’s the superstars who comprised the Redeem Team, international basketball, or possible opponents). One of the reasons that he titled his book “The Gold Standard” is because he chose not to have “rules” for the basketball team but rather “standards” that the team would live up to, like playing hard every shift, being on time, and representing the United States with pride. He had spoke to some of the team leaders (LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Jason Kidd) to get their suggestions and turned this support into buy-in for the entire team.

A lot of Krzyzewski’s coaching was done on a one-on-one basis. He didn’t hesitate to ask players what they wanted but at certain points during the two year quest for Olympic Gold, he put his foot down and told the team that they were not living up to their standards. Also, Krzyzewski relied on the entire team staff, ranging from assistant coaches to trainers to help sense the mood of the team.

A coaching strategy that I employed with Ontario Basketball’s Elite Development Program over the summer was to try and debrief players as soon as they came off the court. This became an opportunity to provide more personal feedback and also learn more about what each player was thinking and feeling at the time.

Masculin, Féminin

Paul is a young man living in Paris who has recently finished his military service and is now looking for places to work, a place to live, and a place to belong. Madeleine is a photo editor with a French fashion magazine looking for a place to belong. When they meet in a café, they fall in love. However, despite their emotional relationship, they never connect intellectually and remain distant.

According to one of the flashcards in the film, Jean-Luc Godard could have called his film Masculin, féminin “For the children of Marx and Coca-Cola.” Paul struggles to find a cause to believe in, wavering between his relationship with Madeleine, his job, and socialist causes. Despite his desire to remain true to his beliefs, he always comes back to Madeleine.

Even his friend Robert, who chastises Paul for not being more of an activist, abandons his ideals and attempts to go out with one of Madeleine’s friends. As she eats an apple, Catherine-Isabelle explains to Robert that she is not interested in him yet continues to symbolically tempt him.

Modern life seems to become rubbish and pop culture overpowers politics. Both seem repetitive. When signing a petition, Paul remarks that “Last week it was Madrid, this week it’s Rio de Janeiro; where will it be next week?” and Robert replies that it could be Lisbon, Baghdad, or any number of cities. He asks citizens a number of questions during his work as a pollster but feels that irrespective of the question, nobody really tells the truth and chooses instead to hide behind a mask.

Paul becomes so disillusioned with life and believes it is almost meaningless. During the film, he watches number of people die violently: a woman shoots her husband, a man immolates himself protesting Vietnam, another stabs himself, and two prospective muggers pull a gun and shoot a woman on the Metro. Later, Paul dies in a totally random incident that is not even captured on film, only recounted by witnesses at a police station.

Goddard shot the film on a shoestring budget and employs many of his famous methods, such as jump cuts between non-sequitor scenes, monologues that ignore characters on screen and break down the fourth wall, and scenes filmed on location near Place Dupleix in the 15ième arrondissement. It’s a memorable, although slightly confusing, Nouvelle Vague film.

The Fog of War

Robert S. McNamara was one of the brightest minds of the twentieth century yet he was still unable to prevent one of the fieriest conflagrations in modern times from exploding. Reflecting upon his time as Secretary of Defence for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, he grants a lengthy interview with director Errol Morris, who combines the 2003 discourse with archival footage, original tape recordings, and thoughtful music composed by Philip Glass.

McNamara does not limit himself solely his role in the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam but explains his background, education, military service during World War II, and work to revitalize the Ford Motor Company. He reveals that he enrolled in several philosophy courses during his years at Berkley and one can see how his insight is more nuanced than his black and white, statistics-based reputation would suggest.

Forty years removed from the Pentagon, McNamara believes that he has finally gained the perspective and the experience to accurately evaluate his service in the cabinet. Obviously, he devotes a significant segment of the film to his innovative use of statistics in the military (minimizing the “casualty rate per unit of destruction”) and the automotive industry (introducing seatbelts and other inventions to better “package” the driver when they are on the road) but The Fog of War is much more than a risk-management thesis. McNamara talks about different ideas, such as empathy with the enemy in order to understand their motivation and the humility required to reconsider one’s ideas and change course when justified by the evidence.

The overall effect of the film is subtle. War - including tactics such as the fire-bombing of Japan and the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam - may have been chaotic but the film possesses a calm, reflective mood. It is still possible to revisit the decisions of the past and analyze how they could be applied to the present day. McNamara acknowledges that his choices were not always correct but states that it is difficult to make perfect decisions based on imperfect information. Leadership is dynamic and it is better to constantly assess the situation and be willing to change than stubbornly follow the same goals and strategies.

The Bicycle Thief

When Antonio Ricci’s bicycle is stolen, jeopardizing his employment posting bills, his subsequent search forces him to realize that he is not only seeking the actual vehicle and the wealth that it will bring him and his family but also struggling to follow his morals and maintain his integrity.

Ricci had been given a lucky break, a well-paying job that could help his family escape their destitute and desultory existence but his joy is curtailed when the bicycle that he needs to do his job is stolen. The next day, he crosses the city with his son Bruno, encountering a complete spectrum of characters from beggars to bourgeois and from prostitutes to priests. Ricci may have a narrow focus - reclaiming his bicycle - but he allows his perspective to waver and loses sight of what really matters.

One incident in the middle of the film shows Ricci following a man who he believes knows The Bicycle Thief. He had told Bruno to wait on the top of the bridge and when he hears cries for help because a boy is drowning, he is not sure whether to pursue the man or rescue the boy. He contemplates that it might be Bruno and decides to render assistance, only to find that it is another boy and that he has been rescued by others. Afterwards, he takes Bruno to lunch in a nice restaurant and speaks optimistically about how “there is a cure for everything, except death” and announces that the family will be alright.

Later, he locates the thief but without firm evidence, he cannot press charges. In a moment of desperation, he lowers himself to stealing another bicycle. He is caught in the act but the owner pardons him when he sees the desperation on Bruno’s face. At the end of the day, he still does not have a bicycle and has lost a great deal more, especially in the eyes of his son. The ultimate goal was not to regain his property so he could resume his job but teach his son a lesson about morals and Ricci failed on both counts.

The neorealism of Vittorio de Sica’s film is very influential. Today, there are many low-budget films that focus on an impoverished aspect of society but the idea was innovative at the time. The entire film was shot on location in Rome, showcasing all parts of the city, not only the tourist attractions.

The despair of citizens in post-war Italy is shown by the crowded pawn shop and lengthy unemployment lines. Some seek answers from oracles or religion, others from alcohol or sex. Nobody is satisfied unless they take charge of their existence and try to improve their situation.

In every city, there are people facing desultory circumstances but they must overcome these obstacles and move forward. Also, not every life has a happy ending so it is natural that some films must end in an ambiguous or sad fashion. The unemployed or homeless still have families to support. The police or wealthier citizens may look down upon the indigent but their position does not provide them with any greater moral authority. From among the high and low, nobody is necessarily good or bad, merely individuals trying to make their way through life

Basketball≠Moneyball?

A friend asked me to comment on this article, which was published by Michael Lewis in the New York Times. It is related to this article, published on by Howard Bryant on ESPN.com.

The first article discusses how teams use statistics to assess performances. There are definitely methods to evaluate effectiveness beyond points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and assists. Plus/Minus, Player Efficiency Ratings, Points-Created, and Win-Shares all offer a more balanced approach. Billy Beane decided to eschew batting average in favour of on-base plus slugging percentage and other statistics, which was catalogued in Michael Lewis’ book Moneyball.

Given the success that the Oakland Athletics experienced with a limited budget, Beane and Lewis experienced sudden fame. The term Moneyball became part of the vocabulary of sport to describe any situation where a team relies heavily on statistics. Other General Managers refused to deal with Beane because they felt that he knew something which they didn’t. A film was in production.

Now, the public perception of Moneyball is different and the film has been cancelled. First of all, it will likely be revealed that the Oakland clubhouse from 1999 to 2003 was the one of the most juiced in the majors. Drafting low-ceiling college players pays off when they increase their potential artificially. Secondly, even during their peak, they never won a playoff series (maybe if Jason Giambi had slid into home plate). Thirdly, after the initial crop of stars left, Beane has been unable to replace them.

Is an overreliance on statistics to blame? The Boston Red Sox have won two World Series since 2004 and they also use statistics. However, they also draft elite talent to stock their minor league system who can be called up (Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellesbury) or traded to acquire needed players (Josh Beckett, Victor Martinez).

But like the balance between quals and quants in financial analysis, there is not a single correct solution. A junior gold company may have a great chart but not enough gold in its mines. As New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said: "You need someone with a high degree of common sense that surrounds himself with a strong team to run an efficient business. You have to have a blend, and he'll gravitate toward the best possible solutions.”

Inbreeding of ideas and conservatism are to blame. Taking one idea to an extreme is problematic. According to the Howard Bryant article, some believe that the Moneyball emphasis on walks leads hitters to become more concerned with seeing pitches than hitting pitches. It’s like if a coach told Allen Iverson that he had to pass first because that’s what point guards do.

Red Auerbach was one of the most open-minded coaches ever. Auerbach didn’t care how Bob Cousy made the pass, as long as it got there. He never discussed statistics with Bill Russell, only winning percentage. Those were the best approaches for those particular players.

Michael Lewis wrote about the Houston Rockets and their use of statistics. According to the Houston front office, Shane Battier is one of the most effective players in the Association in terms of how he plays defence and contributes to the team offence. Trevor Ariza is a good signing and I am sure that his high effective shooting percentage and tipped passes were part of the reason that he was signed. However, the Rockets will go nowhere without someone who can take over the game, since it appears that Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady will not play much next year.

When you are allocating the mid-level exception or signing complimentary pieces, Moneyball is a good idea. But eventually, they will need a player who can create his own shot. The Triangle Offence worked well for the Los Angeles Lakers’ second unit but in the playoffs, the team had to relied on the weak-side two-man game or isolations for Kobe Bryant to score.

Using Moneyball in basketball is not a new idea. I’m not sure if the Oklahoma Thunder still employ the idea under Sam Presti but they are in a good situation with a promising young roster and plenty of cap room. Still, they needed to draft an elite player such as Kevin Durant to lead their team.

Any coach should define their own set of statistics that suit their systems and the skill set of their players. Aside from statistics which track points created and chemistry among different combinations of players, these criteria should be revised and updated with each season. After the season, there should be some sort of evaluation to determine if the outcome validates the process.

Interesting stats for basketball include: fast-breaks initiated, moving the ball to the open man, effective shooting percentage, turnovers caused by dribbling or passing in a rushed manner due to overdribbling, ball reversal speed, forcing a pass on an odd-person transition, (1) forcing the dribble and (2) forcing the dribble to the left, tipped passes, help and rotation speed, hedging/shocking the ball screen, boxing out, and low shot-clock situations.

Not all of these situations can be recorded with hard data (such as a shot chart); others are more subjective (like defensive communication). To play up-tempo basketball, there are decision making criteria to watch (initiating the fast break, moving the ball to an open man) but they are mood if the player cannot execute basic skills at high speed. The A’s have guys who can take pitches but not necessarily the bat speed or the eye to hit a cutter into the gap with runners on base and two outs. They reached they have reached their ceiling for 2009 and their record and attendance ($) shows.

The goal is not to do the best you can with less but be the best. The Oakland Athletics and Houston Rockets are not the models to follow but the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Lakers.