The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat! In Life and Sports!
Sports, oh my love and passion for sports! There is so much that can be gotten form sports! Today, I add this chapter because it is hard to sleep, and it is 2:30am. I don’t want to watch everyone talk about the “underdogs”! I mean I absorbed it through various ESPN outlets this week, but enough, game face time! Today is our day! I have butterflies in my stomach that while almost every game I have them, but today, today is different! So proud to support the Philadelphia Eagles!
A movie wrapped up where any aspect of success that I have experienced might have come from! I had a playbook since I was 14 years old. I had no idea that these were my goals and more importantly a plan to reach my goals! It was always in writing and usually in my pocket, so no one could take it from me! I love that “Silver Lining Playbook” could portray what the love of the game can do for a family! It certainly did not hurt who they casted in it! Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Bobby De Niro! They were real people who treated our city great while filming! It came out on a year that we were 4-12! It was the year that Andy Reid (head coach at the time) lost his son Garrett and I think it was right before our preseason would begin. I resonated with Andy Reid because he was the father of 5 children! He lost his oldest son! How devastating! Accidental overdose. There but for the grace of God go I. It was ugly, but then we had the movie! I watched Rocky a whole lot that year! This year would end, and we would come back and stand a little taller next year! Any of my children can attest that every opening season I would want each players story! At the Olympics I would hear the stories and always routed for the person who faced the most challenges to get there! Their souls are usually a little more filled than the athlete who cruised through tough practices and that was it! Get knocked down! Count it as a blessing and get back up! GET BACK UP!
Our city was very blessed with Carson Wentz! A tremendous human being, on and off the field! It was a sad day he got hurt, no doubt! It was a day that challenged many believers! Not for one second for me though! Carson Wentz wasn’t dead and would be on the sidelines! Everything happens for a reason and Nick Foles was given the chance for redemption. He has hung in there with us! He has bled green while not in the spotlight! He cheered for Carson and was excited for the team! In life and especially in the NFL do you see sincere support! He had so much pressure and disbelief from so many! Carson was “the answer” and now what? Rise and grind Philly! Rise and grind! But hey, that is what Philly is all about! Knock us down and then watch us rise! Hey Tom Brady, I respect you for the athlete you are, but you may have wanted to retire a champion. I hope your stitches hold up nicely for you Tom, but, I would put money on Bobby Bortles and the Jaguars today! They are hungry! You got to be hungry! I hope we face the Jaguars! I hope we can see Fournette. He is one I say keep an eye on for sure!
I know our city will lose its mind with this win, but please Philly, let us show the world how gracefully we can handle victory! We can do it. Ask yourself when about to celebrate, “what would Carson do”. He is a good solid human being! He will want our city to shine and pretty much give the finger to everyone who say we are going to lose it and set the city on fire! Set the city on fire with your soul being full! Take it home! Tell the kids a good night story! Count your blessings! Send all your good energy and excitement to the hype of the big game! This is OUR year!
I would play sports and I would attend sporting events often throughout my life! I remember when I was about 6 years old we were watching a Phillies game and they were playing the Pirates. My Dad asked me who was my favorite player and I did not have the capabilities of running stats and odds just yet, but I did know a home run when I saw one and Bill Robinson, hit a grand slam about 3 seconds after the question. No doubt, I did not know what home town team meant at that age, but I was a Pittsburgh Pirates fan and followed Bill Robinson (#28) through his career and he did end up coaching for the Phil’s later! It was when Tug McGraw came along I learned the fire in your belly with a whole city experiencing the same thing! Bob Boone, Mike Schmidt (aka per Harry Kallas, Michael Jackson Schmidt) these were the players that bought our city together by winning championships! These were the men who said, “tell us we won’t win and then watch us”. Watching the parade in person, may have been slightly scary, but all the same, it was a feeling that really can not be described!
The Phillies parade in 2008 came right on time! It was when the world needed something to celebrate, but especially the country and for sure every REALTOR and mortgage banker. They reminded me what an incredible difference it makes when you “believe”. Believed I did! My family may have eaten a whole lot of Ramen noodles, but I did not give up my dream! I had experienced 2005 in real estate, I could survive 2008! People get married, divorced and die! People have bad neighbors which taught me if you need it you will find it! I found my niche in helping families remain in their homes and went to battle with the big banks. Give good will out and you will find a way to survive! Make a difference! Anyway, thank you 2008 Phillies! Many of us needed a win! My family went to the parade and my youngest 2 saw and heard more that day and we will call that a “character building” day for sure! One to remember, no doubt!
Hockey, football, basketball and baseball were something that I enjoyed! Maybe at first it was what made my Dad happy because he had someone to share it with, but it made me happy at the time and looking back I am very grateful! There are not many women that have the same knowledge or love for sports. Many tolerate it because they feel they should, but I disagree! If you don’t like it start a book club or plan wine tastings on big game days! You are slightly annoying when I am subjected to your questions and especially the question of “how do you know anything about sports”, please bitches!
One of my memories of almost every holiday was spending it at the racetrack. Liberty Bell was night races and was for the turf runners! Keystone Park, now Philadelphia Park, was where my very first job at the age of 14 would be. My love for horses and how you could see in their eyes if they were ready to win or not! It was always in the paddock, (which my Dad discounted, he always went with the race forms stats) that I watched the faces of the jockeys and confidence they had for their partner and how the horses carried themselves! This was key! Me and my sister learned how to play games by picking up all of the losing tickets on the ground! We did look forward to the soft pretzel. hot dog and could usually split a soda. On the holidays there were no give aways. There were no souveniers to purchase. There was a great big field to wander about with the crazy men in the stands! I clearly I remember my sister making $2.00 for punching a man in the mouth because his tooth hurt him so bad! We, of course, kept that a secret and bought ourselves ice cream before we would get our hot dog dinner!
A Triple Crown winner is something that is rare and many question the rules. You can be a fresh horse with a great record that skipped the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and still be able to show up to challenge a horse that had competed. I am asked what do I think? I think when the rules were made long ago the spirit of the races were more united, but it was always the rule and every now and then you were upset by a fresh face! Same goes, I guess, for the safety of our players (especially our children). Brain damage is a real thing! You can not question science (unless of course you think global warning means the earth should always be warm to make it true, no names mentioned here)! Anyway, me and my son witnessed live and in person The Belmont Stakes with California Chrome’s run for crown! It was so close that we were determined and went back and actually watched American Pharoah do it in June of last year! AN experience of a lifetime! I knew the ins and out of that track and managed us access to the trainer’s section to watch the race! Incredible experience! Believe and achieve baby!
First, I had been a participant, fan and student of each sport growing up. I played softball, field hockey, basketball and flag football! My kids would let me utilize some of my skill with all their sports and let me learn much about wrestling, soccer and lacrosse. The thrill of victory and agony of defeat are the words that we would hear on our sports channel. If they didn’t have an impact of my life I am not sure what did!
There are wins and losses that every human being faces throughout the course of life! Because of the agony of defeat, can we ever know how to truly appreciate the victory! Hope is what gets us all through "any given Sunday", so to say! There are wins and losses that every human being faces throughout the course of life! Because of the agony of defeat, can we ever know how to truly appreciate the victory! The births and the deaths. The weddings and divorces. The everyday ups and down daily. I am very grateful I learned how to deal with both success and failure throughout my life! What might have seemed as gloating, well maybe in sports I did, but in life; my wins were precious, and I absorbed and embraced them knowing that I would need the strength and confidence from them to suck up and endure the never-ending losses and challenges that I would face.
Les Brown was the first speaker that I had resonated with. He told the truth! He shared his beginning, his struggles (that resembled some of mine). He shares his love for his mother, brother and children. His “It’s Not Over, Until I Win” speech completely plays repeatedly in my head! The story revolves around his son Wesley and a game of checkers! His son wanted to win, and he would not throw a game after playing many. What a valuable lesson! No matter how hard it gets and no matter what it may take, take the hurt from a loss and use it to your advantage! Be the underdog! Wait until someone counts you out and see how powerful that is and thank them later! You can also let it bury you, but you certainly have not come this far, to go only go this far!
It’s not over until we win! This is our year! E-A-G-L-E-S! Keep your cool with today’s win Philly!