Monday, September 12, 2005
'The Echo I heard this weekend ...': Reader No. 1 and I were trading emails yesterday about Katrina management, plans and bureaucracy in general. Here are three Reader No. 1 points:
"1. David Brooks (whom I greatly respect) is surely right by pointing out the failure of government. But he does us no favors by blaming The System. 'Endemic failure' is good rationale for bureaucratic tenure. People should be held responsibile.
"2. The Governor of Louisiana and Mayor of New Orleans are doing a better job skating by the press than is the President.
"3. The Echo I heard this weekend most was 'how could so many fail to react to the most anticipated disaster in American history?' Is it possible that when the behavioral and decisionmaking experts at Harvard write the book on Katrina, this will be exactly the point: one reason people failed to act is BECAUSE knowing in advance, they expected someone else to take responsibility? This will contrast with the amazing heroics of 9/11, a disaster which no one had time to anticipate - only time to react. Alternative possibility: between fear of lawsuits, fear of ceding control from state to federal government, it's all the lawyers' fault."
'Let it go! Let it GO! LET IT GO!': It's all Reader No. 1 this morning, with the following message slugged 'Let it go! Let it GO! LET IT GO!':
"Congratulations to Drew Bledsoe on winning his Cowboys opener. But how many Superbowls does Tom Brady have to win before Globe NFL Beat Writer stops writing drivel like this?
" ''(Quote from Keyshawn Johnson) 'Even though Tom Brady has won three championships, if Mo Lewis doesn't hit Drew in the sternum, do we ever hear of Tom Brady in the NFL?'
''One would imagine so, but who knows? ''
"Let's see... Bledsoe was the QB of a Patriot team that was 7-18 in the prior 1 1/2 seasons. Since his departure, the team has let go of two Pro Bowl defensive backs who were still above-average at their position because their salaries were out of line with their value to the team. Why would Bledsoe, on a $103 million /10 year contract, have fared any differently than Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy? And who would have succeeded Bledsoe?
"I also like Borges pulling the emphatic Keyshawn quote 'Even though Tom Brady has won three championships...' Three championships merits an '...even though.' For Borges, this sentiment from Bledsoe seems to be the difference-maker:
" 'I'm happy for them but I'd be lying if I didn't admit it's hard to see the organization have all that success after I've gone. It's OK to acknowledge I helped dig that organization out of mediocrity, but that's bittersweet now.'
"Believe it or not, it is possible to be grateful, and not hypocritical, for:
"1. what Bledsoe and Parcells (and others) did to dig the organization out of mediocirty;
"2. what Brady and Belicheck (and others) did to win 3 championships.
"P.S. -- Who will be first to dub the homeless New Orleans Saints 'America's Team?' They deserve it."
"1. David Brooks (whom I greatly respect) is surely right by pointing out the failure of government. But he does us no favors by blaming The System. 'Endemic failure' is good rationale for bureaucratic tenure. People should be held responsibile.
"2. The Governor of Louisiana and Mayor of New Orleans are doing a better job skating by the press than is the President.
"3. The Echo I heard this weekend most was 'how could so many fail to react to the most anticipated disaster in American history?' Is it possible that when the behavioral and decisionmaking experts at Harvard write the book on Katrina, this will be exactly the point: one reason people failed to act is BECAUSE knowing in advance, they expected someone else to take responsibility? This will contrast with the amazing heroics of 9/11, a disaster which no one had time to anticipate - only time to react. Alternative possibility: between fear of lawsuits, fear of ceding control from state to federal government, it's all the lawyers' fault."
'Let it go! Let it GO! LET IT GO!': It's all Reader No. 1 this morning, with the following message slugged 'Let it go! Let it GO! LET IT GO!':
"Congratulations to Drew Bledsoe on winning his Cowboys opener. But how many Superbowls does Tom Brady have to win before Globe NFL Beat Writer stops writing drivel like this?
" ''(Quote from Keyshawn Johnson) 'Even though Tom Brady has won three championships, if Mo Lewis doesn't hit Drew in the sternum, do we ever hear of Tom Brady in the NFL?'
''One would imagine so, but who knows? ''
"Let's see... Bledsoe was the QB of a Patriot team that was 7-18 in the prior 1 1/2 seasons. Since his departure, the team has let go of two Pro Bowl defensive backs who were still above-average at their position because their salaries were out of line with their value to the team. Why would Bledsoe, on a $103 million /10 year contract, have fared any differently than Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy? And who would have succeeded Bledsoe?
"I also like Borges pulling the emphatic Keyshawn quote 'Even though Tom Brady has won three championships...' Three championships merits an '...even though.' For Borges, this sentiment from Bledsoe seems to be the difference-maker:
" 'I'm happy for them but I'd be lying if I didn't admit it's hard to see the organization have all that success after I've gone. It's OK to acknowledge I helped dig that organization out of mediocrity, but that's bittersweet now.'
"Believe it or not, it is possible to be grateful, and not hypocritical, for:
"1. what Bledsoe and Parcells (and others) did to dig the organization out of mediocirty;
"2. what Brady and Belicheck (and others) did to win 3 championships.
"P.S. -- Who will be first to dub the homeless New Orleans Saints 'America's Team?' They deserve it."
