[eDebate] Admiral Crowe, Making a Free Throw

[Art Kyriazis]

October 22, 2007

Re:  The Late Admiral Crowe, Making a Good Argument and Making a Free Throw

I join in the general mourning over the late Admiral Crowe.  I knew of 
him, thought i did not know him.  Requiescat in pacem.

However, I have to point out that General Crowe's quip about "never 
having to make a free throw" as opposing to having to make a good 
argument is, in essence, a twofold shot;

(1)  it suggests that athletics and forensics are or should be mutually 
exclusive; and

(2)  it suggests that those of us who are active in the legal and debate 
fields are necessarily not working out or staying in shape.

I would suggest that neither is the case.  First of all, one of the 
finest academics and speakers I know, one of my own high school 
classmates, Prof. John DiIulio, Jr., who could bench press close to 400 
pounds when I knew him in high school, was a fine athlete, took all that 
athletic ability and became a ferocious student and a tremendous writer 
of papers and books as a penn undergrad and later as the only other 
member of my class to attend Harvard, he as a Ph.D student in the 
government department. 

I'm certain all of your students have quoted John at one time or 
another.  He's a democrat, not a republican, he continues to work out to 
this day, and he's negotiating right now with the democratic party to 
open a faith-based office when the democrats win the white house.  He 
has a big thing going called Public/Private Ventures that is very well 
funded here in Philly, along with his Penn Professorship.  In essence, 
his athletic and workout drive translated into academic and forensic 
ability. 

He's easily a far better speaker than I, and far better than many 
trained debaters and attorneys.  His students adore him.

Prof. DiIulio also wrote a notorious piece early in Bush's presidency 
castigating Bush, after working for him running the faith-based office 
for several months, quitting and claiming that Bush's presidency was not 
policy, but poll-driven, and implying that Karl Rove was in charge of 
things, not the President. 

Let's see....yep, that was right on the money, only he wrote it while 
Bush was basking in the afterglow of 9/11.  Guess he's been proven right 
by events.  He wrote the first and only cogent analysis of the 
dysfunctionality of this white house from the insider's perspective.  
Why bother subpoena-ing email records?  Just have him testify.  He'll 
talk...

Getting onto free throws, I often shoot a hundred free throws when I 
need to clear my mind.  Shooting hoop is a very zen process.  It's like 
going to the driving range.  If you're hitting better than 7 out of 10, 
your mind is clear and you can start to fill it again with thought. 

I play basketball as much as I can at my age with the old guys.  Golf, 
walking, weights, whatever,  it helps me think.  plus always bring my 
kids, they love to do sports.

Athletes often make fine public speakers.  Mike Mayock, who I went to 
high school with, is a commentator for ESPN on football related 
matters.  He's become a fine public speaker.  He does our annual hall of 
fame banquet every year.

Among debaters, i'm certain you can find many who were both skilled in 
debate, and also fine athletes--basketball, tennis, golf, whatever....

The point is, to keep sharp in the mind, to keep logical and thinking 
straight, you also have to keep in shape, to my way of thinking.

Debate for weekends is an endurance sport.  you can't rely on caffeine 
and sugar.  you need to be in shape.  chess grandmasters stay in 
outstanding physical condition for tournaments.  debaters and speech 
competitors should do the same.

--art kyriazis, philly
Friends Select School Debate/Speech Team
Adjunct Coach
American University, former adjunct travel coach

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> Today's Topics:

>

>    1. UTSA Needs Judging at UCO (Roy Eno)

>    2. OU GW (Samuel Maurer)

>    3. Tournament invitation hosted by John Carroll Univers

>       (jbruschke at fullerton.edu)

>    4. Someone from Harvard (Scott Herndon)

>    5. Missing Vandy prefs (Mike Davis)

>    6. Tournament invitation hosted by North Texas (Univ.)

>       (jbruschke at fullerton.edu)

>    7. Tournament Announcement-- University of North Texas:	January

>       8-10, 2008 (Brian Lain)

>    8. Baylor prefs? (J T)

>    9. Loss of a Debate Icon - Admiral Crowe (Daniel Overbey)

>   10. Re: Loss of a Debate Icon - Admiral Crowe (Danielle Verney)

>   11. Baylor Prefs (Matt Gerber)

>   12. Harvard Tent City... (Massey, Jackie B.)

>   13. Crowe the Debater (Massey, Jackie B.)

>   14. Harvard Tent City... (Matt Gerber)

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> Message: 1

> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:17:36 -0500

> From: "Roy Eno" <Roy.Eno at utsa.edu>

> Subject: [eDebate] UTSA Needs Judging at UCO

> To: <edebate at www.ndtceda.com>

> Message-ID:

> 	<7CE039ACB3DF9645B48718D2FDB21DCA09082C at opal1604.UTSARR.NET>

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>

> Hi--anyone out there looking for some judging cash? UTSA needs three

> rounds at UCO (2nd notice). Please respond asap--Skip Eno

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> Message: 2

> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:50:09 -0500

> From: "Samuel Maurer" <chairman.maurer at gmail.com>

> Subject: [eDebate] OU GW

> To: edebate <edebate at ndtceda.com>

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> Cite Request.  Thanks.

>

> Sam

>   

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