WNBA is honored at the White House

President Obama and his staff “get it” when it comes to women’s sports.  First, they held the first-ever celebration of the anniversary of the important Title IX legislation at the White House last month.   Then, this afternoon, they hosted and honored the 2008 WNBA Champion, Detroit Shock.

It was hot on the White House lawn this afternoon as the President honored the team.  The WNBA President, Donna Orender (she’s a rock star) as well as their previous coaches, Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn, were also recognized by the President.   The POTUS made a funny remark about honoring the former Pistons (who were rivals of his favorite team, the Chicago Bulls).

The looks on the faces of the Shock players was terrific — smiling and beaming.  I talked to a couple of the players after the ceremony — Katie Smith, Cheryl Ford and Kara Braxton.  They were all so happy and delighted to be recognized by President Obama.  They were not honored at the White House after they won the championship in ’06.

The other important item that the administration does extremely well when they honor sports team is tie in a community service project or partner.  They did this when they honored the Super Bowl Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers, at an event in May (the US military was their partner for that event).  For today’s event, they worked with a couple of the local youth groups.   The kids were absolutely beaming as they got to walk on the White House lawn as well as sit closely to watch and listen as the President honored the team.  Earlier in the day, the team visited with a couple of the youth organizations in Washington, DC (which I’m sure was a thrill for the children).

After attending the Title IX (equality in women’s sports) celebration at the White House last month, I blogged about how wonderful it is to see women’s sports continue to get more and more recognition and visibility.  It’s amazing to see the strides that have occurred over the past couple of decades.  The WNBA has been around for over 12 years … the LPGA is fighting some sponsorship issues but they continue to do fairly well … the women’s tennis tour is doing quite well … and after the previous women’s pro soccer league went out of business, the new Women’s Professional Soccer league is fully up and running.

It no doubts help that the President and First Lady have two young daughters who like and enjoy sports.  The President is obviously a huge sports fan (great move having him participate at the MLB All-Star Game) and the First Lady’s brother is  the head basketball coach at Oregon State University.

As recently as the 70′s and 80′s, a lot of women and girls did not have the opportunity to play and participate in Sports.  But, thanks to Title IX and to many different trailblazers, it’s now a whole different ballgame.  All one has to do is look around … women’s sports is thriving … from youth leagues to high schools to colleges and to the aforementioned professional women’s sports leagues.   This is wonderful to see.  I’ll post some pictures of today’s event on Facebook.   Just look at all of the smiles in the pictures.  Today’s event was surely a home run … make that a slam dunk!

Tom Watson

After watching the British Open for the past few days, I have even greater admiration for Tom Watson.   I wasn’t much of a Tom Watson fan during his playing days … I much preferred rooting for Jack Nicklaus.  But, what he accomplished the past few days is simply remarkable.

The thought of a 59-year old person winning a major championship, regardless of the sport, is mind-boggling.  He would have been at least 10 years older than any champion.

Just think … Tom is more than 25 years older than Tiger Woods!  Yes, he was out there competing his heart out against the younger generation.   All he did was a get a par-4 on the 18th hole.  He made a nice drive into the fairway on the 18th.  He then hit a solid 8-iron right into middle of the green.  Unfortunately, it went off the green.  He still only had an up-and-down to capture the championship.  But, he putted his 3rd shot too far … and a tough 8-foot to make the par.   As we all know, he missed the putt … then played poorly in the 4-hole play-off.

But, imagine what he accomplished.   He’s going to make so many more athletes in the their late 30′s to late 50′s, especially golfers, think they can can continue to compete at a higher level.  He opened many eyes and ears.   This will have a positive effect on older athletes.

The thing I admired the most is how he handled the defeat.  He could have sulked and complained.   Instead, he handled it with incredible grace and dignity.   The mark of a great champion is not just how they win, but also how they lose.  Tom Watson taught many us how to do this in a world-class manner.   He is already one of golf’s all-time greats, but he can now walk away with his head held just a higher.  He is champion and he is one who provided us memories that we will not forget for a long, long time.

Hip Hop class

I had a great night last night … I was able to combine two of my favorite non-profits.

I’m on the board of directors for the Asian-American LEAD organization – a terrific non-profit which promotes the well-being of low-income Asian American youth and families and the Capitol Movement Project — an organization which strives to create opportunities for underprivileged DC area dancers to train and perform at an expert level.

My newest mentee is a wonderful young 4th-grader who’s family is from China.  I blogged about her in the past — she expertly sang a solo song at our AA LEAD annual fund-raising dinner this past Feb.  I was so impressed that she had the guts to get in front of nearly 500 people.

I’ve offered her family to pay for her singing, dancing and tutoring.  So, last night was the first session.  We went to the hip hop classes for 7 to 13 year olds offered by the Capitol Movement Project at their new beautiful dance studio at 14th and Crittenden St.

My mentee was shy at first — especially since this was her first time in a dance studio and the first time taking hip hop lessons.  But, after about 20 – 30 minutes, she embraced the teachings.  She liked it so much, she even took in the training for the Mystics junior dancers.  We were there for 2 1/2 hours!  I’m so proud of her.  I’ll be taking her there for the next few Friday evenings — I know she’ll continue to get better and better.

America is indeed the land of opportunity.  And, I’m very proud of organizations such as Asian-American LEAD and Capitol Movement Project that both do so much to help the children in the greater DC region.  If you’re interested in learning more about either organization, please email me at JimmyLynn@aol.com or go to the sites — http://www.aalead.org and http://www.capitolmovement.org.

Baseball

I went to the Cubs @ Nats game earlier tonight.  I know the Nats aren’t playing too well and have the worst record in the MLB, but I still LOVE having major league baseball back in town.   I was at the Red Sox – Nats series a couple of weeks ago where Nats Park was completely sold out — Red Sox Nation travels well.  I was expecting the same thing from Cubs fans but that wasn’t the case.  There were about 27,000 fans at tonight’s game.

Tonight was Game 1 under the new management regime of Jim Riggleman.  Unfortunately, they played just like they did under Manny Acta.  Overall, they played pretty well but they had a couple of errors and a bad mistake on the base paths (getting picked off 1st base in a 2-run game is inexcusable).

But, I firmly believe in what the Nats are doing.  I like the foundation they’re building with the pitching staff.  Pitching and defense are keys to building a winning club.  And, I like the young arms they have in the current rotation as well as the minors.  Yes, they HAVE to sign the number one pick, Strasburg.  I know his agent is going to try to hold the team ransom but I think they’ll be able to work something out.

They also have a legitimate line-up, unlike last year’s squad.  They have a number of major league caliber hitters up and down the line-up … Morgan, Guzman, Johnson, Zimmy, Dunn, Willingham, etc.   Dunn is among the league leaders in homers and Zimmy, Johnson and Guzman are hitting above .300.

It takes a while to build a winning club.  The Expos had their minor league system completely depleted.  It’s smart to build the foundation first, then let the younger players develop.  This is much than trying to add older, expensive free agents (what both the Orioles and Redskins have tried to do but without much success on the field).  Give it time, DC, the Nats will come around.  We’ll have a winning, competitive team on the field in a couple of years.  For now, appreciate the beautiful ballpark and enjoy watching MLB action (it’s much better than not having any baseball here – as was the case for the previous 35+ years).

NYC

I had an excellent two days in New York City.   A bunch of sports meetings on Monday and Tuesday plus a a great dinner with friends at Rosa Mexicano near Union Square.

I’m continuing to put things in place for my new JLynn Associates business.  It’s going to continue to take time but I feel good about the movement over the past three months.  It’s refreshing to be out on my own, but it’s also a bit daunting.  So many things need to get checked off the list in order to get fully up and running.

Hiring a lawyer, accountant, web designer, etc.  The fact that I’m also going to be partnering with a firm to do business in China and Japan needs I’ll also need to hire multi-cultural agencies to help with creating marketing collateral in other languages.

I did check out the new “High Line” in NY.  It’s where the former railroad used to run.  The High Line runs from Gansevoort St, in the Meatpacking District, to W. 20th St.  It’s an elevated walkway with wild flowers and plants growing.  They did a great job with it … it’s apparently designed after a similar elevated walkway in London.

Whenever I blog about NY, I normally always mention pizza.   Unfortunately, didn’t get a slice on this trip but I did have great Mexican, Japanese and Chinese meals!   Oh, and it  hit a spanking diner, too.   There’s nothing like a NY or NJ diner.  Classic.

Miss District of Columbia

I was honored to be asked to serve as one of the five judges for the Miss District of Columbia pageant this past weekend.  The winner will be going to the Miss America Finals in Las Vegas early next year.

We interviewed the 13 finalists this past Friday afternoon at a downtown law firm.  Then, we held the finals last night at the historic Lincoln Theatre on U Street NW.   Last night’s finals featured the swimsuit competition, on-stage interviews, talent and evening gown competition.

This was a new experience for me since it was the first time I served as a judge for a pageant.  But, I walked with a great amount of respect and admiration.

When one thinks of a beauty pageant, most people assume it’s based strictly on looks.  But, that’s not the case.  These women are also extremely intelligent, talented and career-oriented.

Of the 13 finalists, one student is in medical school; one is in law school; one attended West Point; a few of them are in other graduate programs; and a number of them work on Capitol Hill.   It was truly a remarkable group.

In terms of talent, we were blown away — a few of them expertly sang opera tunes; a couple played the piano; one did an artistic Asian dance; and a couple of them dazzled us with their dance moves.

Last year’s wonderful winner, Kate Marie Grinold, set a high bar for this year’s contestants.  She finished in the top 10 of Miss America last year.  Kate Marie, as well as past winners, including Kate Michael (who did a great job with the on-stage interviews) and Shayna Rudd were also there.

Our new Miss District of Columbia is Jen Corey.   She thrilled the packed crowd with her talent (singing an operatic tune).    She also did well across all of the categories.  The Nation’s Capital will be represented well in the 2010 Miss America finals!

Tiger Woods

It was a great day on Sunday in the Washington, DC area as we watched the great Tiger Woods win his own golf tournament, the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club.

My friends and I arrived at CC at 1:00 pm … just in time to see Tiger, dressed in his classic Sunday outfit (red Nike shirt, black slacks), practicing on the driving range.   You could sense the buzz in the air as the crowd was stirring with excitement.

One other thing that jumped out at me when I first walked onto the grounds was the diversity of the crowd.   There were a number of African-Americans and Asian-Americans.  There’s no doubt that this is the “Tiger effect,” who is a mixture of Asian, African-American and Caucuasian.  But, many Asians were also there to root on the defending tourney champion, Anthony Kim.

It was interesting to see the massive crowds follow the final pairing, Tiger and Anthony.  Many of the not well-known golfers only had a handful of fans watching them.  But, with Tiger and AK, people were lining up six-deep to watch their awesome display of skills.

Another interesting thing to see live in person is Tiger’s physique.  He is ripped — there’s no doubt that he spends a good amount of time working out in the gym.  This is definitely in contrast with many of the veteran golfers.

Also, I love hearing the sound of Tiger striking the ball.  It’s a unique sound with his power and fury.  It’s amazing to think that he hits some of his tee shots the length of 3 to 3.5 100-yard football fields.  Crazy, eh.

Tiger did win the tourney by one shot over Hunter Mahan.  It was really cool to see him stride down the 18th fairway.  And, after he made his final putt, he threw his hands up in the air and let out a huge smile.  I’m sure his father was looking down on him with great pride.

In closing, it’s always wonderful to see Tiger’s dedication to the US Military (the military soldiers are admitted free to the tourney).  It’s a dedication to his late father, Earl Woods, a retired Army colonel.  As one who has lost his father, also a retired military veteran, recently, I greatly admire and respect how Tiger is paying tribute to his father by hosting this golf tourney in his father’s honor in the National’s Capital during a holiday weekend saluting the country.

Michael Jackson

Michael, Michael, Michael.  What can one say?  Yes, he is arguably ths most successful pop entertainer of the last half-century.  And, yes, he became so odd and wierd in the past 20+ years.

But, I was always a huge MJ fan.  I grew up on his music — and I loved “”Off the Wall” and “Thriller.”   I did like the Jackson 5 music as well as some of his later albums, but those two albums were the favorites.

I DJ’ed for over 15 years, including DJ’ing over 500 wedding receptions.   I used to always say that Michael Jackson was a dj’s best friend since if you have played his music, you could get the dance floor going (especially at wedding receptions).

I also worked in promotions and marketing at a few Washington, DC radio stations.   Since concerts were a big part of our job, I’ve probably attended 150 – 200 concerts, but I can easily place Michael’s concerts at the top of the list.  Nothing else really came close.

The way he moved and danced on the stage was incredible — the fans would shriek with joy and amazement (it might have been how the fans reacted to the Beatles in concert in the ’60′s).

I’ve seen many, many great acts (U2, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Rolling Stones, Who, Janet Jackson, Dave Matthews and on and on), but none matched the fervor of a MJ concert.

So, although he was out of the limelight the past few years … and although he did so many wierd and odd things, the memories I will take away are those two dynamic albums and the memorable concerts I was fortunate to see.

RIP, Michael.

General Jack Guthrie

We honored and buried one of my heroes and role models, General Jack Guthrie, this Tuesday at an incredibly moving ceremony at Ft Myer Chapel and Arlington National Cemetery.

The three heroes in my life — my father, General Guthrie and Uncle Art — are now resting in peace in Arlington National Cemetery.   First, Uncle Art was interred at ANC on Sept 11, 2007; then, my father was interred there last May 22nd; and now General Guthrie is buried right next to his beloved wife at ANC.

I’ve written and blogged in the past about the importance that General Guthrie had on my life.   And, after hearing the tributes and witnessing the ceremony, it once again validates what a great and important person he has been in my life.

The Guthrie family has six children and I’m considered the 7th sibling — it’s a wonderful and humbling honor.  I went with the family in the limo to Ft Myer on Tuesday morning at around 8:15.  As we got out of the car, I was blown away at what I witnessed.  There were literally hundreds and hundreds of soldiers in the parking lot — they were assembling for the ceremony.

Both my father and uncle, who were an Army and Air Force officer respectively,  also had the military honor guard at their funerals — but 4-star generals, rightfully so,  are accorded a special ceremony.  It turns there were over 400 soldiers there!  It was such a heart-warming sight.

The ceremony at Ft Myer Chapel started at 9:00 am — various family members delivered and moving tributes about the General.   It was powerful — and the tears flowed throughout the ceremony.   At around 9:30 am, we went outside for the processional march from the chapel to the burial site.

This was an incredible scene.  The US Army Honor Guard led us for the one-mile walk to the site.  There were eight horses pulling the casket.  Right behind the casket was the rider-less horse with the boots placed backward.  The site of over 400 soldiers leading the way is something we will never forget.

At the burial site, the US Army Honor Guard was simply spectacular.  The band played “Taps” as well as a couple of other songs (yes, I cried hard during the playing of “Taps.”)   There was a round of 17 shots fired individually by the Army soldiers.  This is an incredible honor afforded to the highest-ranking generals in the Armed Services.   Then, there was another round of 21 shots (3 rounds from 7 shooters).

Next was the flag-folding ceremony, then the presentation of the flag to the family.   The perfection of the soldiers during this presentation is something incredible.

There is simply no better way to honor a person.  The military sends their men and women off in the most honorable way.  People that witness this for the first time walk away in amazement.

I’ve now seen this for three years in a row.  It’s hard to see  and I’m emotionally fragile.  But, I feel fortunate that three heroes in my life all lived into their 80′s — they lived long, wonderful lives.   And, the thought of the three of them together is something that gives me peace and strength.

Thank you, Dad.  Thank you, Uncle Art.  Thank you, General Guthrie.  You three showed me how to live life the right way.  And, I hope to honor you for the rest of my life by trying to live by the lessons you taught me.  I love you and I miss you.  Peace.