Tag: Chasing Greatness Blog

Lesson’s from an All-Star Mom

Written on March 28, 2012.

Chipper Jones, the amazing third baseman for the Atlanta Braves, announced last week that this would be his final season in Major League baseball. This 19th year – all spent with the same team – will lead him “into the sunset,” he said. He is taking that rare opportunity in sports to retire on his own terms. Coming into this last year, the numbers Jones has already accumulated virtually assure him a spot in the game’s...

Why March Madness Pits David Against Goliath

Written on March 21, 2012.

It’s my favorite sporting “event” of year. March Madness, the NCAA Basketball tournament, is in full force. Some call it the Big Dance and one reason is that some of America’s smallest colleges get to appear at the ball like Cinderella. You get to pull for teams with mascots like Greyhounds, Jackrabbits, Racers, Catamounts, Zags, Delta Devils, Hilltoppers, and Gaels. Gaels???

Peyton’s Place – How One Person Can Elevate A Team

Written on March 14, 2012.

Sad to see it end, but so glad it was handled with such class. Last week, the incomparable Peyton Manning, after sitting out a year with injury, was released by the Indianapolis Colts. His exit press conference, with the team owner that was cutting him standing just feet away, should be the standard for all “good bye” events. Manning’s eyes watered… while he was thanking the equipment managers!

When A Loss Doesn’t Have To Be A Loss

Written on March 7, 2012.

With all due respect to my friends in Alabama, it is “The greatest rivalry in all of sports.” That’s how Dick Vitale refers to the legendary tussles between Duke and the University of North Carolina basketball teams and I agree with him. You have a private school in Duke less than fifteen miles away from a major state university in UNC. Both are perennial contenders for the national championship. UNC leads the all...

What Is Your “Why?”

Written on February 29, 2012.

In the discussion about chasing greatness, there really is a starting point. Anyone who is in the pursuit of a champion’s life has to know their “Why.” No one has ever sustained Greatness without a strong sense of why they were driven to it.

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...

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...