A vision is something that consumes you like a fire

From Gwen Knapp's column yesterday comes this quote from Niners coach Mike Singletary:

"When I look around the NFL, I'm amazed by how many people have a dream and how few have a vision."

The difference, he said, is that a dream ends up being passive, accommodating disappointment.

A vision, he said, "captures the imagination. A vision is something that consumes you like a fire, won't let you eat, won't let you sleep until that vision comes to pass."

[Thanks, Ken!]

You don't learn to swim until you get into the water

Great Q&A in today's USA Today with 82-year-old Don Keough, who served as president of Coke during the 1980s. He has a book out titled "The Ten Commandments for Business Failure."

A couple of highlights from the interview:

-- On not resting on your laurels: "I've always been afraid of the word success. People, companies and countries can get into trouble when they start to think they're successful. They get arrogant. It's awfully easy to get to 40 and say, 'I'm tired of sticking my neck out. I'm going to play it cool.' It's very easy to be afraid of the future. Don't do it."

-- On being first to admit a mistake: "In corporations, CEO and mistake become a contradiction in terms. If a company's had a bad year, a typical shareholder letter from the chairman will be, 'We had a challenging year.' That's why I like Warren Buffett's honesty. If you read his annual letters, the first thing he'll point out is mistakes."

-- On insulating yourself: "It's easy to get in a bubble and have lunch only with associates and staff. If you don't bust out of that bubble, it's hard to get honest and direct information. During (World War II, Winston) Churchill had people whose only function was to give him bad news. Every day, they had to give out the worst-case scenario. Hitler, until he went into the bunker, thought he was winning the war because nobody was telling him the truth."

-- On remaining curious: "I can remember once when I was in school. I told my mother that I hated one subject. She said, 'That's your problem. That material is very worthwhile. You just have to take a new look at it.' I've lived a long time, I'm an old man. I've always been curious about the future, never spent a lot of time worrying about the past. Kids in school right now have some of the most exciting days in the history of the world in front of them. You don't learn to swim until you get into the water. People need to plunge into life."

Having the courage to try something new

After going 1-15 last season, new Dolphins coach Tony Sparano started off 0-2 as head coach in Miami.

It was at that point that he made the bold decision to try something different: "the direct-snap-to-a-running back, sleight-of-hand Wildcat formation."

In the 76 times the 8-5 Dolphins have used the formation this season, they've gained more than 450 yards and scored eight touchdowns.

Recalls Coach Sparano:

"We were all miserable at that point. I didn't feel like we had an identity in the run game. I also felt it was getting harder to put Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in the game at the same time and get them touches.

"I called [offensive coordinator] David [Lee] ... and said, 'Look. Here's what I want: Tomorrow when we get back, I want three runs, maybe a pass out of this Wildcat package … We need to find something we can put our arms around as an offense that can create space."

Of course, the "Wildcat Formation" isn't new. According to this article, it's "legendary coach Glenn "Pop" Warner's 1907 single-wing formation designed for multi-faceted, future Hall of Fame halfback Jim Thorpe. The last single-wing tailback to win a Heisman Trophy was Princeton's Dick Kazmaier in 1951. Kazmaier watched highlights of the Patriots befuddled by galloping ghosts."

"My reaction was one of amusement that something from 57 years ago would be resurrected and create a spark," Kazmaier, 78, says. "The single wing is a timeless treasure.

Adds Miami QB Chad Pennington:

"It goes to show the fundamentals of football never change, that the importance of blocking, tackling and executing never changes. You have to give coach Sparano credit for having the courage to bring something to the pro game that hasn't been done in a while. It creates good angles for the offense."

Since MIA unveiled the "Wildcat," a number of other NFL teams have introduced their own versions of the formation.

"It's all part of what makes this game exciting, coaches and players constantly trying to get an advantage," [Cardinals coach Ken] Whisenhunt says. "Defensive coordinators have to spend time working on it in practice. That's what you want, make them take time away from preparing for your base offense."

Coach Sparano is quick to deflect praise, saying: "We didn't invent it. We copied it from a college team."