As I watched Andy Roddick play the match of his life...and still come up short of the necessary resolve, grit, and game to defeat a champion of Federer's stock...I began to ruminate on another talented guy that...just...can't....finish: Phil Mickelson. Both of the guys are extremely talented...both were, at one time, tauted as "the next big thing" in their respective sports...and to be fair...both have had wonderful and productive careers...Mickelson with three major championships...and Roddick with his U.S. Open title. Still, neither has lived up to expectations...and why is this?
The easy answer is that each is a contemporary with another who is arguably the "best ever" in his area....namely, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. If Federer didn't exist, Roddick would have at least one Wimbledon...and probably another U.S. Open title...and, jeez...when one thinks of what Mickelson would've done on a "Tigerless" tour...it gets down right depressing for the guy. But this can't be the only answer...I mean...even Gary Player and Chrissy Everett won against Nicklaus and Navratilova....every now and then...and on multiple occasions. It can't just be this...
But...what if it is? What if the psychology behind the realization that...were it not for one person...you would be the greatest of your generation...is so weighty that it is inescapable and causes a self-defeating paralysis...at the very moment when one needs to summon a higher performance...to change gears...to ramp it up...take it to another level...or whatever cliche you want to use?
What must it feel like to succeed at levels higher than anyone around you for your entire life... to be told that you can re-write record books...only to find one other person...who isn't marginally better than you...but so much so that it isn't even up for discussion? Is there personal resignation...or is there an innate drive to overcome...after so many disappointments?
1 comment:
Interesting points. Life, and particularly sports, is full of also-rans. Not that there's anything wrong with second place, other than being the first loser.
I'm not sure the comparisons between Phil and Andy go much further than that though. Phil has had considerably more success on the PGA Tour than Andy's ever had. Phil is, and has been, the world's second best golfer for some time. We can't say the same about Roddick.
The Bills come to mind as the most obvious also-rans but not sure we can compare individual to team sports in this case. It wasn't always the same team that beat Buffalo, while Roddick and Phil have both met their demise to one particular person in their respective sports.
But I'm rambling.
Hey, I'd love to perhaps exchange blogrolls if you're so inclined. Drop me a line at the website if you so inclined.
Chris Humpherys
http://sportschump.net
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