Author: Don Yaeger

To LINgit to Quit!

Written on February 22, 2012.

I hate to be late to a party, but I’ll admit I kept waiting on this one because I kept thinking it might flame out. Count me in on the party…but only because I’ve spent the last week learning more about Jeremy Lin the fighter than Jeremy Lin the man-of-the-moment New York Knick Rock Star. Lin’s face is everywhere. The Knicks point guard has taken the world by storm. He has led the Knicks to a 7-2 record since he became...

Owning It…

Written on February 15, 2012.

The road to greatness in sports often looks to us like an unbroken string of successes. We don’t often see or remember the failures nor do we remember how they were handled. We should. In the NFC Championship game three weeks ago, San Francisco 49’ers wide receiver and punt returner Kyle Williams mishandled two punts that led directly to a touchdown and a field goal…and indirectly to his team being eliminated from...

Eli Manning: Quietly, Confidently Chasing Greatness

Written on February 8, 2012.

In August 2011 Manning was being interviewed on New York City’s ESPN 1050 Radio by Michael Kay. “Is Eli Manning an elite quarterback? Are you a top 5, a top 10 quarterback?” Kay asked. Manning simply replied “Yeah…” The firestorm from that one-word answer lasted all season…especially when the Giants were floundering at 7-7 and looked like their playoff hopes were dashed. But every time a reporter or fan threw his answer...

Jimmie Johnson

Written on February 1, 2012.

“What Off-Season?” They are always working towards the next game… The goal is what’s ahead, and there’s always something ahead. After a disappointing sixth-place finish in last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the no. 48 Chevy, knew he needed to reexamine his team dynamic. For most, finishing in the top 10 of their profession would be a reason for celebration....

What We Can Learn From Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady On Success

Written on February 1, 2012.

I’m fascinated by what drives successful people…really successful people. Tom Brady is going to his fifth Super Bowl this week seeking a record tying fourth Super Bowl win. How did he get to such status? In a recent Sports Illustrated article, “Tom Brady As you Forgot Him” writer Michael Rosenberg talked about how Brady was told by then University of Michigan head coach, Lloyd Carr, that despite the fact he had waited...

Let’s Chase Greatness…

Written on January 25, 2012.

Welcome to the first installment of what I hope will become a go-to blog for you. My name is Don Yaeger and I’m a seven-time New York Times best-selling author and longtime associate editor of Sports Illustrated. Some people study academics, some people study mathematics, some study art… I’ve been fortunate to study WINNERS!

Dale Brown

Written on January 1, 2012.

“Records Are Made To Be Broken.” They know their legacy isn’t what they did on the field. They are well-rounded. But that’s not the kind of man Dale Brown is. “Retirement can be a rocking chair or it can be a launching pad,” Brown quipped in a recent documentary about his life, The Man in the Glass. “And I’m choosing a launching pad.” The film, which won several...

Greatness

Written on December 1, 2011.

Greatness Is All Around Us. The only thing better than sharing one inspiring story is sharing several, which is why I’m so passionate about my newest book — GREATNESS. It was truly an amazing experience bringing all of these stories together in one place to help others grow. But what most don’t know is that this book project started because of this monthly Greatness newsletter, when publisher Harry...

Brother’s (Goal) Keeper

Written on November 7, 2011.

Pro sports team executives Brett and Michael Yormark play off each other to raise the bar for individual performance. When New Jersey Nets CEO Brett Yormark needs to find ways to creatively market his NBA team, he doesn’t have to look in the mirror… though sometimes it may seem that way. Often, he calls his brother Michael, the other half of the only identical twins running professional sports franchises in the United...