Jack’s Winning Words 1/7/15
“After further review…”  (Football Referee)  I have mixed feelings about slo-mo replays to confirm or over-rule calls by game officials.  Isn’t it part of the game that players and officials make errors?  However, shouldn’t errors be corrected when they can be?  …and how about life?  Should there be a way where we could go back and correct our mistakes and finally get it right?  Or, should we just learn from our mistakes and move on, vowing to do better?    ;-)  Jack

 FROM CLRK IN MICHIGAN:  Haha! I could use that phrase about 20x a day - such irony. ====JACK:  The Great Referee in the Sky often picks up the flag and says, "You are forgiven!" 

FROM TRIHARDER:  Galarraga is Awarded His Perfect Game/No hitter by Baseball.   Bud Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, said that former Detroit Tiger, Armando Gallarraga, would be awarded his perfect game pitched on June 2, 2010 against the Cleveland Indians. After recording 26 consecutive outs, Indians' Jason Donald hit a far ranging ground ball to first baseman Miguel Cabrera who threw to Galarraga covering the bag at first. It should have been the final out. ====JACK:  So, history can be rewritten.====TH:  The wrong call made Aramando Galarraga more famous than if the right call had been made-- and for the right reason:  The supreme class he showed in accepting the apology of the tearful Umpire, Jim Joyce, the 28 out no-hitter.  (Did you see my tongue-in-cheek post on Facebook dealing with this issue?)====JACK:  To me, the best part of the story is the exchange between Armando and Jim...what Scripture has in mind when it talks about repentance and forgiveness.  Most of society is unwilling to give it a try.====TH:  On the other hand, wouldn't we all love the opportunity to have a do-over for acts that ended in tragedy, words that ended causing great harm, costly judgments/opinions we made ... But, yes, mistakes are part of life.  There was an article yesterday about a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 39 years for a murder he didn't commit. He confronted the witness against him whose false testimony convicted him.  And he forgave him.  I don't know that I could expect that kind of forgiveness from anyone.  He's a bigger man than I.====JACK:  He had 39 years to plot his revenge.  Have you heard the expression, "killing with kindness?"

FROM TARMART REV:  Learning from my mistakes and moving on, vowing to do better has served me well . . . when I don't take this good advice, I've become a chronic complainer and tired often of hearing myself complain. 0;-/====JACK:  Most of the time, we're pretty good at hiding our mistakes from others....but there's a reason why one of the symbols for God is a BIG eye.

FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  I guess one of things that makes "regret" what it is, is that we can't take it back, undo, redo, un-say, or "un-ring the bell". Regret can be one of our best teachers, because the sting of the error stays with us. It is also a reminder of our imperfections and flaws, and it can serve heaping servings of humility.====JACK:  I remember this verse from a song...."Don't lose your confidence if you slip,  Be grateful for a pleasant trip,  And pick yourself up,  Dust yourself off,
Start all over again."

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  But pro sports isn't about games...it's about big business.  Players and officials do make errors, but it's got to be sorted out so the "blame" goes where it belongs...wouldn't want to distort the records.  Woe upon us if the players' stats are faulted, their records blemished.  Regarding "life", we are able to go back and correct some of our mistakes, but for the most part we should simply admit we're imperfect, and armed with that knowledge dedicate ourselves to improving as we move forward.====JACK:  When I worked on the drafting table, I always had a well-worn eraser nearby.

FROM MY LAWYER:  A timeless question!====JACK:  I remember this saying..." Most people think that forgiveness is a good idea, until they have something to forgive."

FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  Agree that the reviews and re-reviews slow down the game.  Theoretically, the mistakes “even out” unless there is blatant favoritism by a ref or ump and that’s unlikely.  As for getting it right and correcting our mistakes, I prefer your choice “B” moving on and vowing to do better. 
Your question made a rap lyric come to mind – “everything I’m not, makes me everything I am” by Kanye West (almost a decade ago) when he lost his mother.  If you can get past the profanity, he makes several philosophical arguments in these songs and the piano line is pretty.  I recall some quote about how indecision eventually becomes your decision.  In the same way, I think our mistakes, rough spots, struggles can define us as much as our strengths and successes, no? 
  
FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  Agree that the reviews and re-reviews slow down the game.  Theoretically, the mistakes “even out” unless there is blatant favoritism by a ref or ump and that’s unlikely.  As for getting it right and correcting our mistakes, I prefer your choice “B” moving on and vowing to do better.  Your question made a rap lyric come to mind – “everything I’m not, makes me everything I am” by Kanye West (almost a decade ago) when he lost his mother.  If you can get past the profanity, he makes several philosophical arguments in these songs and the piano line is pretty.  I recall some quote about how indecision eventually becomes your decision.  In the same way, I think our mistakes, rough spots, struggles can define us as much as our strengths and successes, no? ====JACK:  First--regarding the re-reviews...Isn't it interesting that those who make the final calls are hidden in a replay booth?  We never see them, or hear their names.  I've never heard anyone boo or criticize them.  That seems to be the result of anonymity.  It protects the officials who are on the field.  No more, "Kill the umpire!"  I like your reference to the West rap.  It fits.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Even though the Lions lost , to the sorrow of us fans, there were other missed calls during the game also.  It's hard to say if it cost us the game.  People make mistakes. Perhaps the answer is replays.  It will make the game longer but I'm not sure it will change the outlook in the long-run. We will wait and see.  As for life in general, I really don't want do-overs....I have always learned from mistakes both mine and other's errors.====JACK:  Speaking as one who has played the game, any disruptions of the "flow" make a difference.  It's not as much fun for the players or for the fans...  I happen to think that TV now drives the game.

FROM KANSAN DON:  I thought about forgiveness and forgiving.  "Better" accompanies those words.====JACK:  I seem to remember being taught in seminary that you can't forgive without the other person asking for forgiveness.  As an aside, the "Peace Greeting" in worship seems to have evolved into something different from what it was intended to be.

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  Instant Replay is an insult to any good referee. In real life, correcting one mistake changes the rest of your life. I've too many good things to want that. ====JACK:  Refs and umps have to make split-second decisions without the benefit with slo-mo (over and over again).  I don't think we give them enough credit for the good job that they do.

FROM DMF IN MINNESOTA:  I like this one.====JACK:  Often life happens where we have to choose and choose right now, without second chances.  It's amazing that we do as well as we do.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Move on and learn from past experience.====JACK:  Learn!  "Aye, there's the rub."

FROM DOCTOR JUDY:  WISDOM!!!====JACK:  Yes...Learn and move on.

FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  The question requires some contemplation, for me. How does murder fit in? Moving on and trying to do beneficial deeds for others...a possibility. I , for one, am so thankful that God has forgiven my sins. To carry the burden of accumulated sins hampers a person' ability to move on and do for others. Complex question!====JACK:  Murder was one of creation's first problems, following taking the advice of a snake.

 FROM RS IN TEXAS:  Not because the ruling went in favor of the Cowboys (personally I hope Green Bay wins this Sunday), but I guess I would vote to get it right if possible and without reviewing every play and turning it into a 4-5 hour game.  Learning from the mistakes is good too.  As another look back - upon further review the Cowboys linebacker grabbed the Lions player jersey before the pass was thrown, so the correct call should have been defensive holding, a five yard penalty and first down Lions.  Perhaps part of the learning experience is moving on after you've been wronged.  There was a great story recently - here's the link -
 http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/colleges/uc-news/man-freed-from-prison-to-thank-group-that-helped.  The best thing about this story is that Mr. Jackson met with the person who lied and imprisoned him - and forgave him.  Reminded me of Louis Zamperini and The Bird from Unbroken.  Loving your enemies seems to be one of the hardest things in life.====JACK:  It's often been said, but not by God, "I'll never forgive you."