In The Mo’Ment: Pros vs. Pride
It’s a Thursday night and on my way home I decided to grab a quick bite at a local restaurant. As it’s “dining for 1”, I opted to sit at the bar and have my dinner alongside a bunch of what seems to be regulars bookended by large TVs broadcasting some sports events.
As I settle in with a drink and appetizer, I notice that to my left it’s the Little League World Series and to my right its a MLB game, Yankees vs Tigers. I’m in New York at the time so as you can imagine, many of my fellow diners were glued to a hopeful Yankee victory while I found myself swiveling my bar stool between both games.
I couldn’t help from thinking as I simultaneously watched the games the connectivity of both televised experiences. On one side I am witnessing 11&12 year old boys with smiles ear to ear as they play in front of a worldwide audience. Their collective goal is uniform — to win the coveted Little League World Series Trophy. A close second- again shared amongst them all, is to one day make it to the “bigs”. While on the other side of the bar, was a game of multi-millionaires who as I watched them I wondered if they even remember the time where they were on the “other TV”.
This isn’t the first time I’ve felt this way. It happens during the simultaneous seasons of March Madness and NBA, as well as the BCS College Football Championships and NFL.
But the wonderment of these kids, who look at MLB players as more than role models.. as idols… are a delight to watch. Every play is met with unparalleled focus, energy, and an appreciation of the present. Imagine if all of our professional athletes played with this conviction, drive, and responsibility all the time? If they were reminded of the time when they were dreamers? Maybe it would alleviate some of these disgraceful events we are witnessing lately with arrogant athletes that forget about their social responsibly and are living a life that disrespects and dishonors their own childhood ambitions. How easily have they forgotten.
I’ve finished my dinner at this point and as I am settling up my check I find myself in unexpected company. By now the Yankees are losing but it apparently doesn’t matter anymore. The bar area has now favored towards the left, and everyone is glued to the outcome of the Mid Atlantic vs New England little league game. And who could blame us? At this moment in time, as we watch these kids will their way to winning, we have much more in common with them today than we do with the fictional characters on the other side of the bar. And maybe… just maybe… we are all remembering in this moment the time when we had that dream too.
Have our professional athletes forgotten their youth and real passion for playing the game? What do you think?
More to come,
JMo’
