CONFESSIONS OF A CHEERLEADER

Commitment to Excellence

OK, I am coming clean. I was a cheerleader and, in fact, the optimistic cheerleader mentality is a large part of my heart and soul. With the focus on football in this issue and the anticipation of cooler fall days right around the corner, I tried to think about the lessons I learned under the Friday night lights and how they pertained to Austin men. Vince Lombardi once said, “The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen fi eld of endeavor.” I have found that a commitment to excellence is a defi ning characteristic of our city and of Austin men in general. No matter what their chosen fi eld of endeavor and no matter how far they think outside the box, Austin men choose excellence. Cases in point abound and many of them are featured in this issue.
Brian Jones had to beat the odds many times on his way to becoming a successful football
player and a respected sports broadcaster. Neither timid nor weak, he chose excellence. As the Texas Longhorns step out onto the field in September, Mack Brown and his revitalized coaching staff will surely be aiming for nothing but excellence.
Austin City Limits, initially created as a television series to showcase the music of Texas, helped Austin claim the title of “Live Music Capital of the World.” It spawned the ACL Music Festival, contributing to the impression many festival-goers have of our city – excellent!
From the beginning, the team behind ATX Man has been committed to excellence. We strive to bring you the best Austin has to offer, always rooting for our city and those who make it interesting and great. As the editor of ATX Man, I consider myself to be the head cheerleader for the city we love. So bring it on – opening day of hunting season, the roar of the crowd and the barbeque and the beer and the fall festivals with music, fi lm and the literati. We look forward to sharing our commitment to excellence with you.
Hook `em!
DEBORAH HAMILTON-LYNNE
executive editor, AW MEDIA INC