Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Whoever loves money never has enough;
    whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
    This too is meaningless.

• Ecclesiastes 5:10

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
    or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
    there is nothing left for them to inherit.
Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
    and as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil
    that they can carry in their hands.

• Ecclesiastes 5:13-15

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

• Matthew 6:24

I was thinking about writing something when the coach of my alma mater’s football team left for a conference rival.

But before we get started, I wrote a post about how this was going to be a bad choice for a coach in the long run.  My post can be found HERE.  For six years, he knew how to work the NIL system for the program’s advantage.  And he had three consecutive ten-win seasons.

The sports channel that has a near monopoly on college football touted that this year was the best year that the school ever had, but the school had won the SEC championship six times, all before they had a playoff game.  And I would put the 1962 undefeated team above this year’s team.  Ten wins and zero losses beats a one-loss season any day.   So, as usual, the near monopoly can say whatever drivel they wish to say, for few are willing to argue against them, and none of the opponent opinions have a voice loud enough to be heard.

The facts that were available online and on air were:

• His children had talked him out of changing jobs earlier.
• Both schools were willing to spend equal money on him and the players.
• He had some kind of change in his life which changed his priorities.
• He told a reporter that he was going to do a lot of praying.

As a Christian, I heard warning signs.  He was praying, but to what god was he praying and did the true God even pay any attention?

If he made a change in his life, what was the change?  And if God did not make that change, then he was still rudderless without a paddle – just in nicer clothing.

The six years were entertaining, but there was that key injury each year.  And there were those reckless plays called by the aforementioned coach.

But I agree with him, in an emotional moment.  A team four places behind you in the national rankings gets to play the team that you lost to, your only loss, for the conference championship.  That might make anyone think that at this school, you were not going to get a break. But that is an emotional response.

But that would make being a national champion at that school a better feather in your cap than to go to the school that had a few coaches get a national championship.  No one could deny your greatness by overcoming those kinds of odds.

Maybe my alma mater is snake bit, but they asked for this embarrassment.

There is more forms of greed than the greed for money.  A greed for a national championship is up on the list for coaches, in any sport.  Fame comes with that championship.  Power comes with more than one championship.

Each coach should ask if they cannot win a championship where they are (with money not being an issue), do they deserve to win one at another school?

I would be happy with a team that praises God with every success and goes to a bowl game each year.

National Championships carry a heavy burden.

My alma mater, with what was left of the coaching staff, won the home game in the first round convincingly. They now face the only team that beat them in the regular season.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.