To One Chip Kelly Watcher, Eagles Football Becomes a 'Tao' Thing
By John Ostapkovich
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- If you want to know what Eagles' head coach Chip Kelly is all about, his win-loss record comes from an underlying philosophy that he may not even know he has.
But Mark Saltveit does. Saltveit is a blogger, football fan, standup comedian, palindrome champion (!) and student of the Chinese philosophy known as Taoism.
A Portland, Ore. resident, Saltveit says the more he looked at what Kelly accomplished as coach of the Oregon Ducks, the more he saw Taoism -- that is, relentless work leading to mastery beyond words.
So, Saltveit has written a book, The Tao of Chip Kelly.
"The book is organized around a bunch of thse sayings that he had that really boil his philosophy into some short, catchy phrases, like, 'Win the day,' and, for football, 'Every game is a Super Bowl.' The 'faceless opponent' is another one of the things he talks about," Saltveit tells KYW Newsradio.
Saltveit says Kelly's training methods seek to reduce the pressures of the gridiron with fast-paced, repetitive drills accompanied by blaring music, to pre-create the kinds of distractions that might put others off their game.
Hear the full interview in this CBS Philly podcast (runs 4:46)...
The Tao of Chip Kelly
