Jim McElwain Did a Really Nice Thing
If you earn money you should enjoy it, and it’s great that people out there exists who care enough to try to make a difference for other people.
Saying we shouldn't quantify deeds is simply imposing your own valuation, that they're all equal. That's gonna rankle with some people. In my case, I've had the honor of meeting some folks who not only teach me humility for the extent of their compassion and generosity, but wouldn't dare say so on account of true modesty. While I'm perfectly happy to say this is pretty darn neat, and my opinion of McElwain has changed for the better, I've met some examples of give-'til-it-hurts that compel me to put this in perspective, and say so. In a generosity sense it's a scrappy play, which is great and deserves the cheers, but then again I've had the pleasure of seeing a Mo Hurst thundersack so no, you're not going to convince me the two are the same.
Some of the replies to this post are highlighting how venomous our fanbase can be.
To some extent, yes. The dfference is this thread is about a guy leaving a ton of money on the table in an act of kindness, and you still have reprehensible comments and posters belittling his charity on something he didn't even bring up himself. This isn't a typical football thread.
I can only hope that by 2020, only the dumbest people will keep referring to him as a shark humper. This is a really cool thing he did, and while it won't necessarily make his success at UM a given or that he'll be a perfect fit, does give further evidence that perhaps working at UF makes you look a bit worse than you are as a person.
This was a generous gesture from both McElwain and his wife Karen. I am a bit disappointed at some of the negative comments on this board, but then, they're to be expected. However, a few observations.
- From what I can tell, Jim didn't do this for publicity, or credit, or PR. Sure, they can afford it, and sure, the new family could still afford an expensive house. But please don't bash McElwain as if he was trying to milk this. It was a private transaction, and they declined to commment for the story. Jim and Karen were kind, thoughtful and generous in what they chose to do privately. End of story.
- Some criticized the tone of the article, as if it was too positive and credited the McElwain family too much. I think the author said more than once that McElwain had received quite a few cheap "loser" shots and jibes as a result of the sale price. This was what bugged the author.
- There are more than a few coaches who choose to do charitable and generous things privately. Harbaugh and Beilein would be among such coaches. Articles about this generally aren't linked here, for various reasons. First, the snarkiness of the board doesn't deal well with it. Second, coaches choose to do such things privately, and there is at least some respect for that privacy. Third, often such gestures are tied to religious beliefs, and as such, they are deemed not appropriate, because they're not directly about sports.
- There are a lot of interesting articles out there about giving and generosity. Let's just say that in general, wealthy people are less likely to give than those with less. Note that this is proportionate to total income, and doesn't really take into account disposable income. In other words, a millionaire can more easily give away $100,000 than someone makeing $25,000 a year can give away $2500. But the wealthy are far less likely to give. I guess once they have a pile of money, they obsess about it, and don't want to see it decrease.
- Changing topics, apart from what you think about McElwain, it is good to think about being generous to those in need. And for the record, as much as I'm a Michigan fan, I'm not talking about giving to Michigan sports! Find something you can get behind and support it. If you're religious, be generous with your church, synagogue, mosque, etc. But you don't have to be religious. Bill Gates has done and continues to do marvelous things. If you're atheist or agnostic, get behind Chad Tough, your local food bank, or some other non-religious organization that serves those in need.
- Last comment. Being generous is a habit you can cultivate when you are young, and when you don't have much money. Again, be generous proportionate to what you have, not what you don't have. Be generous with your time, and your mind and your gifts. Research seems to indicate that if you wait until you are successful to be generous, odds are much less likely you will ever be generous.
I was hoping the nice thing was going to be that he decided not to be a coach at Michigan. Now I have tears in my eyes and feel like a shark's asshole.
Was it a family of sharks?