THE BLOG

One of the classic, even iconic, phrases in sports broadcasting history was spoken by commentator Jim McKay in the video played weekly to introduce ABC’s Saturday afternoon Wild World of Sports. I imagine that right now many of you are quoting it to yourself: “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Not only are many of you quoting it, but in your mind’s eye you’re also watching the video of the Alpine ski jumper wiping out at the end of the ski jump. Nothing says “the agony of defeat” better than that wipe out.

For the past several months much of my time apart from work has been spent readying my recently deceased father’s house to sell. Whereas a sales contract came quickly because his house is in one of the most sought after neighborhoods in my hometown, movement to closing has been a trying experience. Whereas my father was a very practical and careful person overall, one thing I have learned is that for some reason he did not think it important to keep up with termite control. An ounce of prevention (annual termite inspections over the years) would have prevented a pound of cure (expensive and time consuming repairs).

Back in the early 80’s when Lynne and I lived in Columbia with our girls, we came home on a Saturday night after Thanksgiving to discover that our house had been broken into and some personal possessions taken. The best way to describe how that made us feel is violated.