Ouch.

KU got kicked in the teeth.
The previously undefeated Jayhawks should feel humbled if not ashamed to lose so magnificently to a "rival" so historically bad they barely deserve the label. kstate (which is never capitalized) stole KU's pride in a schoolyard fight after boasting promises/threats of victory, then knocking the Jayhawks to the ground. Does one victory in a quarter century make it a rivalry? Well, it does now.

At the beginning of the school year, if I could have asked for one victory for football and basketball, they would have been wins against mizzou at Arrowhead and kstate at Bramlage. How ironic that KU would ultimately lose both games AND that those supremely damaging losses would be our only ones all year. Hats off to our rivals, who rose to the occasion when it truly mattered, leaving KU with very impressive one-loss seasons, but- oddly enough- no bragging rights.*

*...except, of course, for the bragging rights KU owns in virtually all other areas indicative of institutional excellence.

COMS 201: Intro to Leadership

Since I'm teaching a class on leadership this semester, it occurs to me that some of my students may be reading my blog. And since one of the assignments is for each student to keep a "journal" throughout the semester, it's likely they might refer to my blog as an example. With that in mind, this entry is written for the benefit of my students.

Your journal entries, especially if you choose to keep a blog like this one, should each be about as long as the paragraphs that follow. In other words, each entry should be long enough to introduce a topic, demonstrate an opinion and form a conclusion. For example, I might throw out a topic like, the recent South Carolina democratic primary, and talk about it from a leadership perspective...


Heading into the South Carolina primaries, Hillary Clinton was suffering some backlash from her husband's involvement in the campaign. While President Clinton's endorsement carries weight, especially given his wide popularity, it should be a given when you consider he's married to the candidate. So, to what extent does his campaigning help Hillary? Or more to the point, to what extent does his campaigning on her behalf undermine her efforts to be seen as a strong and independent leader?

Running as the woman who would be the country's first female President, she is having to overcome issues that more traditional candidates (i.e. old white men) would not, such as the double-edged sword of coming off as strong and assertive. Among male candidates, these traits are often construed as characteristics of a strong leader (positive). However, female candidates displaying the same traits are in contrast often viewed as overly aggressive or antagonistic (negative).

Barack Obama's significant victory in S.C. demonstrates, to me at least, that Hillary has been hindered more than she's been helped by her husband's support. Obama's remark during the New Hampshire debate only added fuel to the fire when he said in reference to the political power couple "I'm not sure who I'm running against." Hillary will need to find a way to become the more high-profile, personable and dynamic half of the Clinton couple. Overshadowing her husband may take some doing, but it will be much easier if and when he decides to play a more supportive role... by providing less support.

(Note: the opinion expressed here is mine, and frankly, is not the point. The point, rather, is to demonstrate how you can frame an opinion on a leadership topic. I do not intend to promote any candidate.)

LeaderShape 2008

Whenever I see a KU bus, I can't help but feel proud. It used to be that this sense of pride came from my experience helping KU build a new identity system, standardizing colors, logos and whatnot. I was even asked to be on hand to approve the paint color on the first bus when it was made. Now that I've attended LeaderShape, I see KU buses in a whole new way.

On Day 1, these big blue buses dropped off some 60 wide-eyed students to experience LeaderShape, an immersive 6-day leadership camp, for lack of a better description.

By week's end, the group had developed incredibly close relationships through a variety of team-building and vision-sharing exercises. They left the camp with great optimism and enthusiasm, and I'm confident that each one will become a powerful leader in his or her community, engaging others to create positive change. Watching them board the big blue KU buses, I felt pretty good about the things they were going off to accomplish.

So today, my perspective is changed. When I saw a KU bus on campus this morning, I couldn't help but think of the potential inside- the potential I witnessed at LeaderShape- the potential that exists at a place like KU and inside all of us. Now when I see a KU bus, I know those people are going places.

Sweet Victory

KU's improbable 12-1 season ended with a remarkable victory over #3 ranked Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. The victory is without a doubt KU's biggest football win ever, making this KU's best season in history. Which is also to say, Missouri was able to beat the best team KU's ever had, during a season that witnessed KU's single worst defeat in history. Sweet Orange Bowl victory? Absolutely. Still Bitter? You bet. Here's to a 12-1 season. Let's not forget the one.

Bleeding Kansas

Saturday's game was so bad, I don't know where to begin. There was nothing good about it, particularly the location. Rather than discuss the value of revenue and national attention, I'm reminded of a lesson I learned at an early age, when someone wanted me to bet on a KU game, looking to profit from my blind loyalty. I told that person what I still believe. Simply, that pride is worth more to me than money. The game was KU's 1984 upset of #2 ranked Oklahoma, arguably our biggest football victory ever. With that in mind, let me try to put Saturday in perspective. My top 5 worst losses in KU history:

#5 - OU clinching the Big 8 hoops title in Allen Fieldhouse, watching Wayman Tisdale cut down our nets.

#4 - mizzou beating KU in Allen Fieldhouse in the late 80's, a match-up of the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the nation.

#3 - kstate's win at Memorial Stadium in 1994 when they tore down our goalposts and began a decade-long winning streak.

#2 - Arizona's surprise upset during the '97 NCAA tournament at Birmingham, defeating a 34-2 team that was arguably KU's best team ever.

#1 - Saturday. By far.

Is Apple Rotten?

Much has been said about the new innovative iPhone, which Apple's rabid fans gobbled up when it was initially released. Now, just a few months later, this core group is turning on Apple, threatening what has become a hallmark of Apple's brand: consumer loyalty.

Apple has relished its role as the underdog computer-maker, but it is now becoming a major player in consumer electronics, fulfilling a promise to make Macs a digital media hub. The iPhone is just the latest entry- albeit a significant one- following the success of the ubiquitous iPod. As customers and investors reacted positively, Apple surprised them by dropping the price $200 only 2 months after it's release. To make matters worse, a recent security update wiped out user-installed apps, which Apple seeks to curb. It's assumed that Apple's strategy was to skim off the cream and drop the price to attract a broader market, while controlling their proprietary software, at least for awhile. Meanwhile, CEO Steve Jobs has been vilified, and Apple has suffered significant backlash.

My take? Steve Jobs is not an enemy of the people, nor has he lost his soul. He's a businessman- and a good one at that. Not only has he understood the market and leveraged consumer trends, he has capitalized on them and even driven the industry. The challenge is that he must deal with the army of followers he has created who demand both greater innovation and near infinite customization.

Apple is at a turning point. The point at which David becomes Goliath. Having stayed true to their brand- like so many of my "Best Brands"- they have grown. Nike faced this turning point years ago, and now they must deal with start-ups like Under Armour who have inspired a new generation. Even though Nike will always stand for "innovation", they can no longer fool anyone into thinking they are anything but the major player in the industry. Apple may not have to dominate market share to be perceived as the industry leader, and they will undoubtedly be faced with upstart competition in the near future, created in their own image. More than ever, Apple must continue to reinforce their brand as delivering the most innovative products consumers demand. If the iPhone is any indication, I think Apple will ripen.

Big. Big. Big.

How big was Saturday's win in Manhattan? Any game against kstate is a must-win for the Jayhawks. This win was big for several reasons. Heading into the game 4-0, a loss would have had a devastating impact on the season. A win, however, makes KU's 5-0 record more than just legitimate and brings with it a national ranking. Consider the following...

A road win in the Big 12 conference is rare, and this was KU's first road test of the season- arguably in the most hostile stadium in the conference. KU had not won a game in Manhattan since I was in high school. Coach Mangino, like his predecessor, had never won in Manhattan. Jake Sharp's first quarter touchdown was KU's first TD in Manhattan since 1999.

This win was also KU's 3rd in 4 years, which finally gets things back to normal. KU has won more than half of all games in Manhattan, and commands the series overall. For perspective, the Snyder-era "turnaround" that brought 11 consecutive ksu wins fell just 28 wins short of evening the series. In other words, if I was unfortunate enough to live through such as string of losses, I would be 64 when the series would finally be even, or "competitive."

But the main reason I became so invested in this year's edition was because of my involvement with KU's visual identity project. I'm proud to say that KU has never lost to kstate with the new KU logo on our helmets. Let's hope that streak continues. Hats off to a big win for KU.

In Memory of Al Oerter

Al Oerter died today at the age of 71. The 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist can be considered the greatest Olympian of all-time, not only for his incredible come-from-behind Olympic victories spanning 4 Olympiads, or for his numerous Olympic and World Records. Oerter emulated the 3 Olympic ideals of excellence, friendship and respect perhaps better any athlete I know.

I'm fortunate to work in the Adams Alumni Center for the KU Alumni Association, where the All-American Room pays tribute to the greatest KU athletes of all-time in a series of painted murals. Fittingly, Oerter's likeness occupies the symbolic centerpiece above the fireplace, representing the best characteristics exhibited by these famed Jayhawk champions.

On the occasion of Oerter's last visit to the University of Kansas in 2004, I was honored to emcee his induction ceremony to the Kansas Relays Hall of Fame. At that time, I penned a letter to the editor that was published in the Lawrence Journal-World, which appears below, in tribute.

To the editor:

You can tell a lot about a person by his handshake, which begs the question, who has had the strongest grip of anyone I've met? This I can answer with certainty. It was Al Oerter. When I was a boy, my dad took me to the Kansas Relays where I got to meet the former Olympic discus thrower and shake his hand. I vividly remember his giant hand engulfing my 9-year-old mitt. Yet Oerter was a gentle giant who assured you everything was under control.

The handshake of this four-time gold medalist did not merely suggest his strength of character. Oerter's strength was his character, always competing with class, winning with dignity. Arguably the greatest Olympian of all time, he returned this weekend for the first time in 20 years to be inducted into the new Kansas Relays Hall of Fame. Let's all welcome this KU track and field legend and give him a hand.

David Johnston, Lawrence (4/18/2004)

Al Oerter
1936 - 2007

Thought for the Day

I thought you'd enjoy this cartoon, sent to me by a friend. For the record, I did not run 10 miles today, or last month for that matter. At this point, it might take a bear to get me back in shape. Grrr.

Nike's Air Native

This week, Nike unveiled the new Air Native N7, a shoe designed and marketed specifically to Native Americans to promote health and wellness issues toward a population affected by high obesity rates. The shoe was designed to have a "culturally specific" fit and look, and it will be distributed solely to those populations through tribal wellness programs and schools at wholesale prices. In some cases, individuals may receive the shoes at no cost.

Niche marketing and cultural segmentation are certainly not new ideas, nor is Nike's approach to giving back to a particular community. But Nike's approach here is not altruistic, nor is it pure public relations. It's good business. I think it leads a trend we'll see that capitalizes on increasing consumer personalization, cultural affinity, and global consciousness. And it's a good thing.

Nike's Sport Culture division has taken these insights into account for the past several years to create trend-forward products appealing to credible "connectors" or "mavens", as Malcolm Gladwell calls them, on the streets of Manhattan or at Miami Beach. I predict Nike's efforts to serve the Native American market will be rewarded with consumer loyalty and commercial success.