Inch by inch … life by life…

 

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In Oliver Stone’s film Any Given Sunday a football coach (Tony D’Amato, played by Al Pachino) makes an inspirational speech to the team …

Either, we heal, as a team, or we’re gonna crumble inch by inch, play by play till we’re finished.
We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me, and we can stay here or we can fight our way back into the light we can climb outta hell one inch at a time.
…
But, you only learn that,when you start losing stuff you find out, life’s a game of inches.
So is football, because, in either game,life or football,the margin for error is so small.

I mean, one half a step too late, or too early, and you dont quite make it, one half second too slow, too fast, you dont quite catch it, the inches we need are everywhere around us , they’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second.
On this team, we fight for that inch.
On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us, to pieces for that inch.
We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know,when we head up all those inches,thats gonna make the difference, between winning and losing!
Between living and dying!!
I’ll tell you this: in any fight, it’s the guy who’s willing to die,who’s gonna win that inch and I know, if im gonna have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch
because, that’s what living is!
The six inches in front of your face!!
Now, I can’t make you do it: you gotta look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes!
Now, I think you’re gonna see a guy, who will go that inch with you.
You’re gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him.
Thats a team, gentlemen, and, either we heal, NOW, as a team, or we will die as individuals.
That’s football, guys.
Thats all it is.
Now, what are you gonna do?

 

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Recorded by Kev Clark

Kev is the lay leader of the Pathway fellowship. Married to Binky, and has 3 children - and is a dab hand at DIY and has interesting views on fancy goldfish