Radio and TV sports broadcaster, and former NFL great RB, Spencer Tillman, was a regular on the Houston “Texans Access” show on Sports Radio 610 with hosts Marc Vandermeer [voice of the Texans] and John Harris every Monday during the NFL season [with this great analogy by Spencer Tillman taking place and relayed on this radio show on Oct. 15, 2015].
On this Monday, October 5, 2015, Spencer was on to talk about the Texans utter debacle against the Atlanta Falcons. Marc Vandermeer, the Texans radio announcer, asked Spencer, ‘with all of the QB problems and injuries among the wide receivers and after such a disastrous performance given in every aspect of the game [offense, defense, special teams, coaching], what can the coaches possibly say to the team to get them ready to play [with confidence that they can win] against their division rival, the Indianapolis Colts, on Thursday night?’
Spencer Tillman, without missing a beat, gave this brilliant analogy, using the words from virtuoso legendary violinist, Itzhak Perlman, during one of the concerts he was performing in.
Spencer said that he was recently at this classical concert featuring Itzhak Perlman as violinist in a sonata for violin and piano. During the beginning of the second movement of the sonata, Itzhak Perlman’s violin broke a string-noticeable to the audience. Oh, no, how can you possibly play a virtuosic violin piece with only 3 strings. After a brief pause, Perlman took his bow and pointed it to the pianist to start the movement over again. This got a huge ovation from the audience. With only 3 strings, he was able to adjust playing the rest of the piece and played it brilliantly. When it was over, the crowd stood up giving him a thunderous ovation. Itzhak took his bow and this time pointed it to the audience, as if telling them to be quiet.
What Itzhak Perlman told the audience, is what Spencer Tillman said the coaches of the Texans should tell the Texans players to get them ready for the game on Thursday night. Itzhak Perlman told the audience, [paraphrasing], ‘Sometimes out of adversity, you can show your true worth [as a great violinist -or whatever you are] by performing your best with what you have available.’
Wow, what great insightful words from Itzhak Perlman and what a great analogy by Spencer Tillman relating that to a struggling football team.
Well, since this quip is from the iconic Israeli/American virtuoso violinist, Itzhak Perlman, please turn up the volume and watch and listen to Itzhak as soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, with Maestro Daniel Barenboim leading the Berliner Philharmoiker: [By the way, this time with all four strings] 🙂
Bravo, Itzhak and Spencer!
Classical Music With Big Mike 