We have all heard the story of “Alibi Ike” in one form or another. I learned the lesson on a football practice field in Marion, Ohio, when I was 16 years old. Upper Arlington—The good guys, were scrimmaging the team from Marion. It was at the end of the scrimmage, and the second teamers were playing against each other, in the 95-degree heat and 90% humidity that is what according to one of my coaches was designed by God to temper the steel and fiber of young Ohio football players. I was playing linebacker and one of my best friends was playing safety. This was our first high school scrimmage as sophomores, and we were seeing “fresh meat” for the first time. He had missed a coverage, and Marion scored their only touchdown of the scrimmage. To almost everybody watching and, on the field, it really didn’t matter. Except for L. Marvin Moorehead, our great Hall of Fame coach. He quietly walked over to the player who had missed the coverage. Then he erupted. Everybody on the field and in the stadium could hear him:
ALIBIS DESTROY CHARACTER
All he wanted to know was what happened that caused the broken coverage. When he asked the question, the player gave him a series of theories that were not the answer to the question. Just the facts, please. Anything else is an alibi. Anything else is a feeble excuse that cannot be used to help rectify the situation. Anything else is counterproductive and only lessens our ability to move forward.
That young player on the field turned into one of the most successful businessmen I have ever known. He remembered that story years later in a TV interview before our team’s 50-year championship reunion.
I have thought about that moment and that lesson many times over the past several weeks when I have listened to Jake Tapper during “fake news” interviews on CNN or MSNBC. When I listen to any of the Obama-Bidens being interviewed trying to tell us in spite and despite of what we saw with our own eyes that their “sources” told them that Uncle Joe was at “the top of his game”. When I think of the “Morning Joe” defense of the “Uncle Joe” debate performance, I am reminded of that hot, humid day in Marion, Ohio, almost 60 years ago. “Alibis destroy character.”
When I see people in the Medical profession and in Federal and State governments still making excuses for the Covid mitigation and treatment strategies, and then they make further excuses for the economy that it created—inflation and decreased wages and wealth, knowing that we know and we know that they too should know that there is only one reason for inflation—”too much money chasing around too few goods and services”—Milton Freidman. Or put another way, demand cannot be created when it is not paid for by real work, real jobs, and production—jml
When they criticize DOGE and Elon Musk—somebody that has created real productivity and real jobs and real wealth, and then they cry out about his 11 children—I wish we had elven children ourselves, and then they say—heaven forbid he is a driven workaholic and drug addict, one is left to wonder what part of any of that statement is true. Was Russian Collusion true? Were the “peepee tapes” true? Was the Hunter Biden Laptop “fake news”? When AOC, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Corey Booker tell us they and their ancestors have “been down for the struggle for generations”, when in fact they all came from families of privilege and wealth that most of us never came from.
Then they write books to make money off of the lies they knowingly told us. The only way they can justify their own actions and recreate a narrative that will lend credibility to their futures is to ALIBI.
ALIBIS DESTROY CHARACTER. But one has to first of all have a character to destroy. When I think of character and virtue, I certainly don’t think of the left-wing media and the progressive sycophants on the left who for years have lied to WE THE PEOPLE and now they want to alibi their way to credibility. I certainly don’t think of Jake Tapper or any of the first-string players at NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, or the “crew on The View”.
Joey Bahar, Don Lemon, Whoopie Goldberg, and Jake Tapper on a PBS round table would be like watching MUPPETS FOR MINIONS. No “Inkling” worthy minds in that group!
How is this for a book title. I WAS WRONG AND I KNEW I WAS WRONG.
Out of a job—yes. No advanced money for a book. But at least you would be back on the road toward regaining your honor and what is left of any appearance of virtue in your character—Jake.
