When I played football, there were times when tempers flared and practice could degrade into a rather dysfunctional nightmare. Then came the sprints. When we were at each other's throats, our coach would step in and we would run. It sucked. But these tiresome sprints succeeded in reminding us what a joy a brutal practice could be. Our coach would not so subtly remind us that it seemed the only way he could bring us together was to unite us in hating him. No matter what was going on, he always wielded the power to unite us in suffering, a lesson we were never quick to forget. Now, President Obama has unintentionally become America's football coach.