Cool Global Biz

S.F. Giants World Series Title Brings Together People More Than Politics and Religion . . . At Least, For a Day

 

 

Baseball's San Francisco Giants and an estimated 1 million fans celebrate the Giants' World Series  triumph in their victory parade Wednesday in San Francisco. ESPN interviews Giants stars Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum. Video clip courtesy of ESPN on YouTube.com.

 

HEAL THY CITY. A sports championship brings together people in civic and communal pride like no other single event. Politics and religion cleave people more than heal us. But a World Series title by baseball's San Francisco Giants, one of the best-coached teams and well-run organizations in pro sports? Everyone's a brother and sister.

In downtown San Francisco, small acts of grace are everywhere. Drivers in choked traffic patiently let herds of whooping fans cross the streets. Rag-wearing homeboys in a shiny lowrider wave their Giants caps at an elderly Chinese couple, who smile broadly and wave back. Instead of jostling to see the players, tall parade-watchers let shorter fans squeeze in front of them.

During the victory celebration and program at City Hall, Giants pitcher Sergio Romo hails the diversity of teammates and fans, calling them "different faces from different places." Manager Bruce Bochy praises the ballplayers' "never-say-die" attitude in a rough season. And CEO Larry Baer points out the valuable "life lessons" and "teachable moments" our children can learn from the Giants, including perseverance and teamwork. Baer adds: "Let's celebrate what we have as a team, as a city, as a community."

Yes, a world championship every day would be nice, eh?

 

Leadership, Management & Workplace Lessons from S.F. Giants World Series Win

 

PETER DRUCKER MAY not have been a baseball coach. But the late management guru could have written a whole volume on the San Francisco Giants, masters of the cardiac comeback and a case study in sports leadership.

Led by low-key manager Bruce Bochy and a business-like front office, the Giants once again defied fate and won the World Series on Sunday against the high-powered Detroit Tigers. Like a well-run company firing smoothly on all cylinders, the Giants swept the Tigers in four straight games to win their second championship in three years.

So what workplace, management and leadership truisms can be gleaned from the Giants' amazing run?

 

Calm and Steady Does It. Business leaders don't have to be loud, bold, fast-talking CEOs or coaches. Managers and executives come in all stripes. The Giants' leadership -- manager Bochy, CEO Larry Baer, general manager Brian Sabean -- is refreshingly calm and low-key. From the building of their baseball stadium to the rehauling of their teams every few years, the Giants' big moves -- at least, those we know about -- seem to be rock-steady and consistent, with extra innings and the long haul in mind. 

"China Heavyweight" the Real Thing, No Flying Warriors or "Rocky" Fantasy

 

 

Movie trailer for "China Heavyweight," a new documentary by Yung Chang on young Chinese boxers Miao Yunfei and He Zongli. Video via YouTube.

FOR ASIA WATCHERS and sports lovers, there's a fascinating story in the Asia Society's blog on "China Heavyweight," a new documentary about boxing in the Sichuan province of China. The film, by acclaimed director Yung Chang, looks at young boxers Miao Yunfei and He Zongli and their coach as they train for China's national team and the Olympics. The New York Times calls the film a "remarkably tender portrait (that) positions a particularly violent sport as nothing less than a lifeline to the 21st century." Can't wait to see it. It's the real thing. No flying kung fu warriors or "Rocky" film fantasies.

 

• Asia Blog, "Interview: Yung Chang Steps Into the Ring with Documentary 'China Heavyweight' " by Sherley Wetherhold.

 

Lot of Chi Energy in the House: Kung Fu Magazine Celebrates 20th Anniversary

 

Kung Fu Magazine's 20th anniversary celebration last weekend in San Jose, California, U.S.A. Promotional video courtesy of Kung Fu Magazine and publisher Gigi Oh, on YouTube.

 

INSPIRING GATHERING OF martial-arts grandmasters and masters at Kung Fu Magazine's 20th anniversary tournament and banquet last weekend in San Jose, California, U.S.A. Amazing demonstrations by elderly grandmasters from Asia, by San Francisco-based Shaolin monks, by film stars from Chinese kung fu movies, by U.S.-based champions, and by the Tu Family and young Jack Tu, a disciple of global box-office superstar Jackie Chan. Don't try the "iron crotch" trick at home, kiddies. For MMA fans in America, San Jose-based fighting legend Cung Le also attended the dinner. Powerful chi energy in the banquet hall, that's for sure. Congrats to Kung Fu Magazine publisher Gigi Oh. Attended as a guest of longtime friend Effie Chow, a qi gong master and holistic health pioneer at the East West Academy of Healing Arts, who helped to get acupuncture licensed in California in the 1970s.

 

 

Perfomance by the Tu Family at Kung Fu Magazine's 20th anniversary dinner. Video courtesy of the Tu Family.

 

Disclosure: This blogger has no financial or business ties to Kung Fu Magazine, the East West Academy of Healing Arts, or their related enterprises.

 

Go Grandma, Go Grandma: 56-Year-Old Tries Out for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

 

"Texas Granny a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader?" Fitness instructor Sharon Simmons auditions for the world-famous cheerleading squad. News video courtesy of ABC News.

 

OY, THE BIGGEST trending news on Yahoo! is not on world politics or global business, but on a 56-year-old grandma auditioning to be a Dallas Cowboys football cheerleader. Sharon Simmons, a fitness instructor in better shape than 99% of 20-year-olds, has auditioned for the world-famous cheerleading squad, and I'll bet she makes it. The global publicity and positive message for the Cowboys and the beleaguered National Football League would be priceless. In a USA Today story long ago on shattering cultural stereotypes, I wrote about Molly Shattuck, a fitness-and-lifestyle advocate and former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader at nearly 40 years of age. Usually I'd poke fun at these stories, but these ladies are inspirational for folks who can barely squat, much less chorus-line kick. Boomers still rock.

 

A Sign of the Times: Hollywood Filmmaker Lin and Knicks Basketball Star Lin

 

YOU KNOW, WE'RE clearly at a cultural flux, a juncture, a pivot point. Forget the demographic data and studies, which trail the cultural shifts by years. The early anecdotal clues more often tell the tale.

So during ESPN's recent broadcast of the New York Knicks - Los Angeles Lakers game at Madison Square Garden, I caught a quasi-post-racial moment that you rarely see on mainstream TV: A young sports fan held up a hand-made sign hailing Knicks rising star Jeremy Lin, while poking fun at the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, basketball's reigning king over the past decade. "Kobe, Better Luck Tomorrow," the sign read.

As film buffs know, the sign alluded to Better Luck Tomorrow, an acclaimed independent film made 10 years ago by Justin (Fast and Furious) Lin and released by MTV Films and Paramount Pictures. The movie is one of the rare mainstream films in Hollywood history that portray Asian Americans beyond the tired stereotypes. And this clever Knicks fan, in a big ballgame seen by millions, had linked the dots and made the cultural reference.

The success of basketball star Lin and filmmaker Lin (no relation) may be blips in the cosmic scheme of things, but it marks a fresh step forward in U.S. and global pop culture, which more people follow than business and politics. Maybe we're making progress in the new century.

(Photo, above) Better Luck Tomorrow by filmmaker Justin Lin, MTV Films and Paramount Pictures. Better Luck Tomorrow debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002 and is one of the rare mainstream movies to portray Asian Americans beyond the tired stereotypes. Theatrical release poster under a Creative Commons license on Wikipedia.

 

Jeremy Lin of New York Knicks: Smart, Athletic Asian Dude Smashes Stereotypes

 

Highlights of NBA guard Jeremy Lin when he starred at Harvard University. Video courtesy of HarvardAthletics channel on YouTube.

 

LINSANITY, YOU BETCHA. Wrote long ago that Jeremy Lin and Asian Americans could hoop it up. Lin, a New York Knicks point guard extraordinaire via Harvard University and Palo Alto High School in Silicon Valley, is tearing up the National Basketball Association. Shaq calls him a "baby Nash" (as in Phoenix Suns superstar guard Steve Nash) who thrives at moving the ball around and making his teammates better. It's no coincidence that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni coached Nash for many years in Phoenix, when the Suns were playoff contenders.

Lin's star turn doesn't surprise me -- or ColorLines writer Jamilah King, Disgrasian's Jen Wang, former Oakland Tribune editor Bill Wong, and the HuffingtonPost's Dan Treadway-- who show real depth and diversity of thought in their stories. I'm only surprised at how long it's taken b-ballers of Asian descent to make it in the pros. Yellows have played hoops at a high level since the 1940s, when hot-shooting guard William "Woo Woo" Wong starred at the University of San Francisco and Japanese American Wat Misaka played briefly for the Knicks. Raymond Townsend (part Filipino) and Rex Walters (part Japanese) also starred for many years in the NCAA and NBA. And many have played in schools and community leagues on the West Coast for nearly a century.

Football's San Francisco 49ers Reflect Winning Workplace Culture and Management

 

HOW DO YOU handle a soul-crushing defeat if normally-reliable colleagues fall short? Strengthen the fortress and build up your teammates, don't divide and conquer.

After the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers fell short of reaching the Super Bowl, losing to the New York Giants on Sunday, they did not blame the young player whose turnovers played a role in the loss. They rallied around him, and rightfully pointed out that the whole team missed opportunities throughout the game.

Under new coach Jim Harbaugh, general manager Trent Baalke and their staffs, the 49ers' classy handling of defeat reflects their winning culture and season -- a success by nearly every measure. Corporate types can learn a lot about leadership from first-rate coaches and athletes, who handle more pressure in one game than most of us see in our entire careers. In short, act like real and selfless teammates, not self-serving divas. Easy to say, hard to do. Look at any workplace.

 

Are You a Manager on a Mission, Like Denver Broncos Quarterback Tim Tebow?

 

HIS IN-YOUR-FACE spirituality may turn off some folks. His football passes can be wild and erratic. And his power scrambling surely will shorten his promising career. But Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow boasts those magical qualities and intangibles that every executive and manager wishes he had: Fire and spirit. Courage and credibility. Leadership mojo.

You can measure the visible traits of people all day. You can write performance reviews late into the night. But those assessments exist only on paper, only by the numbers -- and only in your biased and fallible judgment. As critics are discovering with Tebow, their damning reviews mean little, and results mean everything. On Sunday eve, the young pro quarterback led his team to another near-miraculous triumph. Pure and simple, Tebow is a winner, a leader who believes in himself -- and who inspires others. Whether he reaches the Super Bowl or not, he is a man on a mission.

Globalization of Sports: German Stars Bring Flava to U.S. Men's Soccer Team

 

THE BORDERS KEEP blurring in sports, as teams and leagues evolve with the globalization of the sports industry. The latest example: the U.S. men's soccer team, which boasts world-class players from Germany whose parents were American soldiers. Coach Jürgen Klinsmann, a former German soccer star, tells the New York Times: "The way things go with soccer globally, we have many more players to come that have dual citizenship and grew up in a different place . . . You see the global chase for players and we’re part of that." As sports fans know, foreign-born athletes in recent years have risen to star in the United States in pro baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, mixed martial arts and other sports.

Jürgen Klinsmann, coach of the U.S. men's soccer team, at a 2008 press conference in Munich, Germany. Photo by Alexander Hauk, on Wikimedia Commons.

 

• NYTimes, "Tutored in Germany, Playing for the U.S." by Brian Sciaretta.

 

CoolGlobalBiz, November 13, 2011