Winners vs losers in pro sports

I love watching the sports highlight package every morning. Watching the finals in any sports competition is something that gets me excited. The storylines, the individual players, the characters create a play suitable for Broadway or Hollywood. The excitement and exuberance with winning is a vicarious moment.

In observing recent interviews by two professional athletes I saw the difference between a winner and a loser. Both athletes are considered all-star performers at the elite level. Both have had personal success in their respective journeys. Neither have won the championship in their elite sport yet. One is destined for greatness and one is going to struggle to get his name remembered with the passage of time.

Phil Kessel is a professional hockey player. He is a consistent point per game player, which puts him in the top 5% of all players in the NHL. He has been criticized as a selfish player, a player that can't make others around him better. In his sixth year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his coach got fired. When asked what he could have done different to prevent his coach's dismissal, he called the reporter an idiot. He asked the media scrum if they thought the firing was his fault. He got mad. If this was the only flare-up, I would not pass judgement. But it's not. The team's leadership, which Kessel is included, stopped saluting fans after a fan tossed a jersey on the ice in disgust for their poor play.

His attitude to the media may be an indicator to his attitude in the dressing room. If it is, a poisonless team cannot be built around him. He's rotten. He's a good player, but probably a bad teammate. His character is now being questioned.

Andrew Luck is a professional football player. He was drafted first overall in 2012 NFL entry draft because of his total package as a player/professional. Even as a 21 year old kid, his professionalism makes Kessel look like a child.

Last weekend, Luck had to play a football battle which could have been scripted the "Best quarterback of all time" vs "The next one". Luck is "The next one".

In the media scrum, one reporter asked Luck if he could take the "Great" one. Luck's response was one of quickness of wit. He asked, "Do you mean like one on one?". With a reference to a boxing duel or a basketball match, he broke the question with humour. He then said, "I don't face him, our defense does. If our defense does a great job and I do what I'm supposed to, we could beat their team".

He rephrased the question to a team approach. He didn't look at individual glory or praise. He knows it's a team game in which he plays a leader's role.

Luck used the media to promote his team. Kessel is used by the media to promote the media.

Luck will win a championship because he already thinks like a winner. Kessel may not. He thinks like a loser.