THE CONFIDENCE GAME ~ By Paul Pilarcik's kid . . . Kate, absolutely

THE CONFIDENCE GAME

  

~ Recollections from Paul Pilarcik's kid, Kate

"Confidence is contagious. 

  So is lack of confidence." 

Mr Lombardi looked me solid in the eye when he let that one fly by. I remember it well. I didn't hesitate. I winked back, and then went for the slant ... deep out ... deep in ... short post. It was a stop n'go and I caught what Bart's rifle arm could throw.

With only 47 seconds left to go, I knew we had to win. Winning was the only thing. It had been drummed into all of us so long, so well. There was no way in Titletown, I'd let us fail. Y'know, I felt Coach's momentum before I actually heard him. He was chargin' right along the sideline, takin' no chances any of us would drop the ball. This game was it. This game was all.

"If you can accept losing,
  you can't win."

    

I knew how fire-in-the-belly serious he was. Today, there'd be no grin. Well sure, naturally, he wanted us fired up -- 

   

"Kid, if you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm."

Sheeeeesh, Coach Lombardi. What a guy. Born a Gemini in Brooklyn, he came ready-equipped to form a team and lead that team to double season wins of the first two Super Bowls ever played. Vincent Thomas Lombardi's dynamics were forces of an indomitable dual nature that began at the line of scrimmage and didn't let up til the endzone, when the final whistle blew.


"Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile." 


Goals? My life sure had 'em. Back when I played for Coach, and how! Most definitely, here and now. How could it be otherwise? In '67 and '68, when we took out Kansas City, and then the Oakland Raiders -- (the team whose coach named the Bowl "Super") -- Coach Lombardi had the team focus wholeheartedly on the "W", to make legend great. No jive, just jargon ~ over and over, this was destined fate:

"If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" 

Life's all about keeping score, making goal line stands, being an open receiver, and somedays, glorious somedays, even perfecting a sanctified Hail Mary pass. Well sure, in the super game of Life there are shifty officials, illegal procedures, botched incompletions and sometimes, when the blitz is really on, intentional grounding. That's when my hero, my Dad, who looked to Lombardi as his hero, would ask, "What are you gonna do Kid? You know you can lick anything. Just always give it your best. Always."

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up."

© 2012 ~ Author/Sports afficiando ~ABSOLUTELY*KATE

CREDITS ~ All quotations are Coach Vince Lombardi's or Coach Paul Pilarciik's as noted.

Iconic Lombardi photo from the Canton Football Hall of Fame

Celestial Dad Paul photo from the Pilarcik family collection

  My Dad is Paul Pilarcik. He taught me football. He taught me Lombardi. He taught me Steelers. All I had to do was sit in the living room and watch TV with him. Oh yeah, I had to be quiet too. I sure did learn a lot though. My Dad, in his own strong, quiet, humourous way, coached my life. By example, by training, by the all-out drive to reach the 'necessary line'. First and ten, do it again. 

And he believed THE BEST in others so fully,

that there was no choice, no option play ~

If knocked down, Confidence got you up.

THANKS DAD. 

~ Kate 

I didn't really play in a game with Coach Lombardi, but I bet if I met him, I would've listened to his fortitude gain yardage . . . and I'm sure I would've winked. Yeah, I would've. And who knows - with superb pass protection?

  

I could - go - all - the - way . . . 

But this weekend's Super Bowl plays out to the gridiron gumption between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, not the Green Bay Packers, not even the worthy Pittsburgh Steelers. Lombardi once coached the Giants though, did you know that? Hmmm. Why, Lombardi's the kind of caliber of a man you'd think they'd name a trophy after one day. Hmm, imagine that. But can a team out-Belichick Belichick? The coach with the locker room poster from a centuries' old Chinese philosopher of war:

EVERY 
BATTLE

IS WON

BEFORE 

IT IS 
FOUGHT

{ We shall see what we shall see. }

Enjoy the weekend. Enjoy the game.

Thanks for comin' round to see "THE SHADOWS OF OUR NOIR" in stunning author shows *AT THE BIJOU* time after time and then some. They start up again the week following the Super Bowl . . . but now ~

a classic word from our sponsor

~ Absolutely Steeler*Kate


~ Believing in the Best that's yet to Be.