Last week I gave props to the people in sports that say what’s on their mind. Now, I dare ask the question “What if you try to speak your mind, but don’t have one?” Mind, that is.
We’ve never accused athletes of being articulate, well read, or even gooder talkers than the rest of us that didn’t have to pay attention in high school to get by. Let’s face it, we don’t worship athletes for their ability to equate Pythagoras’ theorem, or even their ability to spell big words, like refrigerator. We worship them because they take us away from all that useless info we’ve already forgotten, and divert our attention to more important things. Like balls. The thing that blows my mind is that occasionally they feel the need to flex their intellectual muscle, which clearly hasn’t been worked out in quite some time…..
“In my career, I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity” – Drew Gooden, L.A. Clippers
“We’re gonna turn this team around 360 degrees” – Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks
“Therapy can be a good thing. It can be therapeutic” – A-Rod, N.Y. Yankees
“We’re not trying to circumcise the rules” – Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers
“The reason I’m nervous is because my sister is expecting a baby, and I don’t know if I’m going to be an aunt or an uncle” – Chuck Nevitt, N.C. State basketball
Let’s be honest, we’ve all tried to be smarter than we actually are, but the difference between us and pro ballers, is that we have an endless supply of buddies on the edge of their seat, ready to pull our card whenever we say something stupid. Athletes have yes-men, who are equally un-articulate.
In a world where we feel the need to have more insight, sometimes we should just accept the “110%” quotes, because we may get more pissed off at them for breaking their demi-god status, thinking they’re gonna say something we don’t already know. That’s why we should embrace the action, not the explanation, and enjoy them for what they do, not how they interview. Most athletes will say that they don’t wan’t to talk, but we will still always beg for it. I just keep waiting for the honesty.
“I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid” – Terry Bradshaw, Hall of Fame Q.B., Pittsburgh Steelers
Next week I go after the media and commentators. Y’all are gonna get your asses handed to ya’.
– Balls out
