Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t ever want to finish second again. There is a second-place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win. Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he’s got to play from the ground up – from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That’s O.K. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second. Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization – an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win – to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don’t think it is. It is a reality of life that men are competitive, and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there – to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules – but to win. And in truth, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head-to-head combat. I don’t say these things because I believe in the “brute” nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.

Before Knighthood, a prospect would go through a night of preparation prior to his being dubbed a Knight. There was no theatrics, this was about his internal readiness for the fight ahead. This was a deliberate pause of his own desires to reflect on becoming someone new, who he was, to who he was to become. First thing he did was go to confession, and sometimes he took a bath. This was more than just symbolic, he was entering the knighthood "cleansed" of impurity, which any devout Catholic can tell you helps to meditate on who we are as men and what God wants from us. He needed to be aware of moral responsibility of knighthood, not just the military privilege he was gaining. Often these men would fast, either completely without food or eating much more simply. Fasting sharpens the mind and even after just 16 hours can drastically improve prayer and meditation. It sharpens and hones the senses while opening up your spiritual readiness. He would enter the church, and usually stay the entire night in complete silence, kneeling before the altar. He would recall Psalms, petitions, repentance, and ask the Lord for courage and justice. His sword was placed on the altar, submitting his power to the ultimate Authority, God. He was not allowed to sleep or speak. The fatigue stripped away pride and comfort, meeting himself with the reality of who he really is... The silence is about exposing your identity of who you are... Noise props up our identity; silence brings us face to face with our demons. The young nobleman would ask himself questions as a result, deeper questions like "Am I worth of this charge?", "Will I protect the weak?", "Can I remain faithful under fear?", "What kind of man am I when no one is watching?" The silence and reflection breaks down ambition and prestige into masculine responsibility. This psychological function is called "threshold awareness." The point at which every husband and father will realize he has to transition from boyhood into manhood and duty. Where ambition becomes service, and where the training he received turns into accountability.

What does it cost to be a victim?

So glad to have you here, where we are focused on forming strong men, strong homes, and strong children. This is not my MAIN project, like you, I also have work during the day. This is a community of Like Minded men and women who love Christ, and want to create a spiritual and financial legacy for their families. God bless you and your family, and STAY TUNED. I will be filling the classroom soon.