Sport Short - Phil Jackson

It's not just because he still carries that aging hippie vibe so well.  It's not because he still looks as though he forgot to take the hanger out of his jacket before he put it on. It's more the ironic smile, the look in his eyes when the question is too dumb for words, the recognition that it's really just a game.

Phil's who he is and the rest of the world can get on board or get out of the way.  He'll be happy to show you the path, to leave books in your locker, to encourage you to find your better self, because he knows that his life will be as enriched as yours by the transformation.

Phil's a big fan of The Peaceful Warrior Way.  Dan Millman, the author, is a self-help guru with none of the creepiness that might have just sent shivering up your spine.  We met at the Cuters' high school, parenting students in the same grade. He had the look that Phil sports, the one that makes you feel as if he knows the secret.... and that he'll share if you ask him.

I don't know what the secret is, but it's got something to do with quotes like

There are no ordinary moments

Willpower is the key to success; successful people strive no matter what they feel.

So today, as Tony Kornheiser dismissed the notion that Phil's presence on the Knick's management team would be of any value at all, I had to smile. Phil is not obsessed with the game, he has other interests, that makes him unable to bring his full attention to the job in the way like Larry Bird or Jerry West, and that makes him less than perfect for whatever job it is that the Knicks are offering.

That's right, denizens.  Without knowing what is on the table, he knows that Phil can't do it, won't be successful at it, won't make a difference in the long run.

I wish I were that certain about uncertainties.  I think it's time for another Peaceful Warrior quote:

Faith means living with uncertainty - feeling your way through life, letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark.

I have faith in Phil Jackson.