A story: I got selected as one of 2 employees to represent the Atlanta District in a knowledge Bowl that comprised 9 different Districts of the Southeastern Area of the USPS. You might ask yourself I guess why in the world would the Postal Service have any interest in determining which of the 9 Districts in the Southeastern Area, had the best command of all the rules and regulations contained in the Domestic Mail Manual? This was the nature of what I did at the Postal Service, when I retired I was the Manager of Business Mail Entry for the Atlanta District.....which in a nut shell meant I had oversight responsibility of the Postal Service's interaction with the mail it accepted from customers and the mailing industry in the Atlanta District......Mail Entry generated almost 1 billion dollars for the Postal Service on a annual basis in the Atlanta District.....which meant knowing the rules inside and out, as well as having a spotless record with being SOX compliant financially.
The contest was held in Nashville, TN and I had roughly 1 month to prepare for the contest.......The 1st round we were pitted against the Alabama District, and the Atlantic/Gulf Coast District....the contest was played under the same guidelines of the Quiz Bowl Neutral mention above. As the contest started the Alabama District was always buzzing in before the question was even completely read. At our 1st break I looked at the two members from the Alabama District and matter of fact asked "What are you two, clairvoyant?" While I know it was wrong to judge a book by its cover, I had through casual conversation prior to the contest, sized these 2 ladies up as not being the sharpest tools in the tool shed........which amplified even more how these 2 could so easily know the answers before the questions were even completed.......the lady closest to me quickly responds by saying "We'z been studyin this stuff, and we'z knows it!" In my mind without speaking a word and just smiled, but thought....."Yeah right!" I looked over at my partner and calmly told her, "Look....when the contest resumes at the point you think you know where the question is going..... you buzz, don't wait for him to finish the question!" My partner asked why and I told her loud enough I'm sure for my Alabama contestants to hear....."Because something fishy is going on here, there isn't anyway they have that kind of command of the Domestic Mail Manual......otherwise we're not going to have a chance at this!"
So the contest resumes and I did as I had suggested to my partner, I was buzzing like I had a twitch that could only be controlled with medication. My partner wasn't much help...she never answered a question in the 2nd round, but I was able to get us to within 30 points by the bonus round, after being down by almost 200 points. The bonus question was what are the 5 elements of the intelligent mail barcode........we had studied for this and penciled our answers, but unfortunately 1 of our answers wasn't allowed and we lost by 10. The HQ Manager that put this contest together, would later tell me at a gathering in Chicago that he had in fact discovered that Alabama District and another District cheated and had some how been provided all the questions and answers. It was a vindication of sorts for me, because despite them having all the questions and answers I had come within 10 points of still knocking them off!
I hear you Neutral, but for me there's something about knocking off the team that your not supposed to beat........maybe I'm different, I've been told more than once I'm too competitive all the time. I love it a mature and physically strong Venice team takes on IMG and knocks of STA in the same year, or seeing Lakeland knock off.......... STA this past year.......or watching Manatee knock off a STA team with 3 players on the team that will later play in the Super Bowl......I'm all about making them feel like they were in one helluva of fight....win or lose......and when the wins come......cherish them forever!
Southeast has had some coaching issues the last view years, compounded by the opening of a new school this year which is going to have an impact with enrollment numbers at Braden River, Lakewood Ranch, and Southeast.........if you playing because your eye is on a championship, then you need to prepare yourself to get there...Southeast right now doesn't do that for you.....You don't think there might be a reason why Coach Meachtle left Southeast, and now finds himself at Cardinal Mooney?
Go Canes Go!
