The Two Sides of Sports

I suppose, since I’m a coach, it goes without saying that I’m a big sports fan. That doesn’t mean that I don’t see the negative side of sports. I see the overzealous parents who drive their kids too hard, the way top athletes are spoiled and never held accountable for their poor behavior, and the ugly business side of sports that cause teams to dump fan favorites, inspire labor disputes, and lead to all the contract holdouts and demands of greedy players. However, when all is as it should be, sport reveals character like nothing else I know. You find out who is truly tough, who has the most guts, and who can rise above adversity to perform at their highest level. This weekend I got to see both sides of the sports coin. On the negative side, Brett Favre has decided to hold the Green Bay Packers hostage for about the third year in a row. On the positive side, I saw what had to be one of the greatest tennis matches in history as Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in the men’s final at Wimbledon.

Favre, who retired six weeks after finishing up his 17th season last year, has decided he wants to play football again. This really doesn’t sound so bad on the surface as he is truly one of the all time greats to play the quarterback position. The problem is that Favre has pulled this routine several years in a row now and it is getting old. Favre has placed his team in a bad position. The Packers have three choices: allow Favre to return (and start), trade him, or release him. The Packers silence on all this speaks volumes. They really want him to stay retired. General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy have worked hard with Favre’s long time back up Aaron Rodgers getting him ready for the season. Rodgers has waited patiently for years for his shot and now, again, Favre has jerked the rug out from under him. The Packers really can’t trade or release Favre. Thompson and McCarthy don’t want to be known as the guys who ran, arguably, the greatest Packer ever out of town. Neither can they afford the backlash they would get if Favre were to lead another team to the playoffs while Rodgers struggled. I think Brett Favre should play football as long as he wants to and is able. I just think he needs to quit his flip- flop act so his team knows how to plan for the future. John Madden often says, “The great thing about Favre is that he is like a big kid out there.” That may be so, but kids tend to be selfish and self absorbed. They fail to see how their actions affect others. At some point all kids need to grow up and act like adults. That time is here for Brett Favre.

Meanwhile, over in jolly old England, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer staged a Wimbledon final for the ages. I’m not really a huge tennis fan. To be honest, Wimbledon is about the only tournament I pay much attention to at all. However, you did not have to be John McEnroe to recognize the greatness displayed on Centre Court this past Sunday. Nadal, the up and coming French Open champ, was taking on Roger Federer, winner of five consecutive Wimbledon titles. There have been whispers this year about Federer slipping a notch. Nadal only upped the ante at the French where he humiliated Federer in straight sets. By the time this 4 hour 48 minute marathon was over, you realized that Federer hasn’t lost a thing. Instead, Nadal has just come on like a freight train. Federer showed the heart of a champion after losing the first two sets and fending off two match points in a fourth set tie- breaker. Nadal showed his mettle by regrouping after losing what seemed to be a commanding lead to win the deciding fifth set 9-7. Gone is Federer’s 65 match winning streak on grass and hopes of becoming the first man since the 1880’s to win six Wimbledon titles in a row. Instead, Nadal as ascended to the Wimbledon throne and wrested the title of best in the world from Federer (whether the rankings reflect it yet or not). However, if it were ever possible for two opponents to come out looking like winners, this was it. Rarely have I witnessed the guts, mental toughness, athleticism, and sheer will to win that I saw Sunday from these two men. It got right to the heart of why, despite the bad in sports, I remain a fan. It is the kind of thing that made me want to get into coaching all those years ago. I hope some of my athletes watched this match. I don’t coach tennis but the intangibles on display on the grass court of Wimbledon transcend any individual sporting discipline. What I hope my kids saw was what it takes to be a winner. A big thank you goes out to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the reminder of just how good sport can be. They gave their best so I will leave you with mine.

My best…