Winners. They are easy to spot. They just do things differently than the rest. They make the extraordinary look routine, while others struggle to make the ordinary look routine. Winners live in the present, always thinking in terms of "I am or I will". Others are often consumed by their vision of the future - or in some cases, live in the past - but rarely in the now, like winners do. "I could & I did" is the mantra of also-rans. The fact winners live in the moment is what allows them to produce when the stakes are the highest.
In sports (just like in life), you would think the winners would be the most naturally gifted. Those who can run the fastest, think the quickest, or throw the hardest should produce more than their quota of winners. Yet for some reason, when you look at winners as a group - the most physically gifted rarely make the cut. Wilt Chamberlain is a perfect example. Many would consider him the most physically gifted player to ever lace up sneakers. Yet, few would describe him as a winner. While he had all the physical tools, he was lacking more important qualities - like heart, dedication, and a killer instinct. Those traits as well as an uncanny sense of timing is what produces winners.
In sports (just like in life), you would think the winners would be the most naturally gifted. Those who can run the fastest, think the quickest, or throw the hardest should produce more than their quota of winners. Yet for some reason, when you look at winners as a group - the most physically gifted rarely make the cut. Wilt Chamberlain is a perfect example. Many would consider him the most physically gifted player to ever lace up sneakers. Yet, few would describe him as a winner. While he had all the physical tools, he was lacking more important qualities - like heart, dedication, and a killer instinct. Those traits as well as an uncanny sense of timing is what produces winners.
This past Sundays Bronco/Steeler playoff tilt - Tim Tebow, with his usual flare for the dramatic rallied his team in overtime to win another big game. As a 40 year follower of NFL Football, and a lifetime Bears fan, believe me, I have seen plenty of bad quarterback talent. I can safely say as far as Tebow in concerned - I have never seen a worse throwing motion on any quarterback ever. Not only does he have the slowest release I have ever seen - he throws closer to sidearm than overhand. There has never been a quarterback who gets more done with less talent than Tebow. When you combine the fact he has a very hard nosed style of play and a complete lack of talent - its tough to believe he will thrive in the league long term. Having said that, I cannot believe what I have seen from him this year already. He has engineered multiple late-game winning drives. Its one thing to see experienced Quarterbacks do that, its something altogether different to watch a Rookie do it. Peyton manning won only 3 games all season as a rookie. Rookie quarterbacks, no matter how talented, simply do not win in the NFL. The fact he is winning is what makes Tebow so fascinating to watch. He is doing it, as a rookie, in an unconventional way, with little talent, on the biggest stage (NFL Playoffs) in a clutch manner. Stated another way - he produces when it counts the most. In Bagholders book, that makes Tebow a winner.
It will be some compelling drama this weekend when Tebow takes his show on the road against the Brady bunch. Bagholder believes Tebows magical season will come to an end. Brady, a winner in his own right, is also the stuff of greatness. Greatness is an entirely different beast - we will save that for another blog. In the mean time, Patriots on the money line - like Tebow - is a winner!!
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