January 25th, 2006 - Repairing that rep.
What we are, and how we are perceived, are two very different things. That applies to you, me, everyone, everywhere.
Now - imagine if we were famous? Imagine if everything we did ? from getting caught nasal grooming at a stoplight to grazing gummy bears in the bulk food section of the supermarket (guilty!) ? became news fit for public consumption.
That?s what high profile athletes deal with. Whatever they do, for whatever reason, matters. So when they are accused of doing something that is kinda nasty, illegal or not, the media drums it up to a big story that, no matter what the final outcome,
that athlete?s reputation takes a direct hit. It goes down, and is virtually out. The seventeenth century satirist Joseph Hall put it like this:
?A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.?
That?s the mental asterisk we fans apply to any of out sports figures that are caught in flagrante embarrassmento. Regardless of what they do from there on out, we preface a story about them by saying, ?you know the guy? He was the one who??
This brings us, of course, to Kobe Bryant. You know the guy? He was the one who was accused of rape and admitted adultery? The player living legend Phil Jackson labeled "uncoachable"?
Just this week, (great timing by the way), GQ magazine called Kobe the ?fifth most-hated athlete in all of pro sports.? He was just a hop, skip and a chump behind Terrell Owens. Ouch.
Bryant must have got an advanced copy because on Sunday he decided to do something about it. If you?ve seen them play, lighting up the Raptors isn?t that hard to do this season, but to score 81 points? Now that?s a night to remember. I actually watched that game. Bored out of my mind by the lopsided NFL playoffs, I flipped to see what kind of a beating Toronto was taking from the almost as lowly Lakers. When I tuned in Toronto was actually winning so I hung in to see if they could too.
What I saw was one of those special performances that will, most likely, be talked about forever. It wasn?t like the Raptors made it easier for him either. They were in the game for most of it. Kobe simply decided he would beat them. Himself. And he did.
Instantly the debate started to rage. Just how good is Kobe? Better than MJ? Jordan never scored in the 70?s. Slacker! Better than Wilt? His 100-point game came against chocolate factory workers. The point of his 81 points was - all the talk was about Kobe the player, not about Kobe the creep.
Reputation repaired? Who knows ? but lighting it up sure makes anyone easier to like.
The same thing with time.
A couple of days after Kobe?s stole the lead story on sports broadcasts from the NFL, Mario Lemieux announced his retirement from hockey. Praise poured in from all quarters listing his magnificent achievements, waxing on about his unparalleled skills with the puck, and contemplating just what his numbers might have been if he was not injured or if he hadn't missed five seasons entirely.
Not a disparaging word was heard ? about why he quit the game the first time, or about the reason for his subsequent return.
When he first retired in 1997, he stated that he hated playing the game, so he quit. He declared that the hockey in the NHL was terrible, and that it was no fun anymore ? to play or to watch. The hockey world was outraged. Canadians wanted to disown him for dissing their precious sport, (despite the fact that he was right). He became almost a pariah.
Then, in 2000, he announced we would be returning. Hockey fans, who must have the shortest memories in all of sports, were excited. However the media pointed out, (correctly), that the salary that was owed to him was now caught up in ownership costs. The only reason Mario was lacing them up again was so he could get his money. He wasn?t in love with the game again. He just wanted what was his.
Flash ahead five years, all of that has been forgotten. Mario was ?Magnificent? once again.
Reputation lost. Reputation found.
For athletes, and for all of us for that matter, this damaged reputation stuff can be avoided, if we only pay attention to what the coach, John Wooden said:
?Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.?
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com!
What we are, and how we are perceived, are two very different things. That applies to you, me, everyone, everywhere.
Now - imagine if we were famous? Imagine if everything we did ? from getting caught nasal grooming at a stoplight to grazing gummy bears in the bulk food section of the supermarket (guilty!) ? became news fit for public consumption.
That?s what high profile athletes deal with. Whatever they do, for whatever reason, matters. So when they are accused of doing something that is kinda nasty, illegal or not, the media drums it up to a big story that, no matter what the final outcome,
that athlete?s reputation takes a direct hit. It goes down, and is virtually out. The seventeenth century satirist Joseph Hall put it like this:
?A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.?
That?s the mental asterisk we fans apply to any of out sports figures that are caught in flagrante embarrassmento. Regardless of what they do from there on out, we preface a story about them by saying, ?you know the guy? He was the one who??
This brings us, of course, to Kobe Bryant. You know the guy? He was the one who was accused of rape and admitted adultery? The player living legend Phil Jackson labeled "uncoachable"?
Just this week, (great timing by the way), GQ magazine called Kobe the ?fifth most-hated athlete in all of pro sports.? He was just a hop, skip and a chump behind Terrell Owens. Ouch.
Bryant must have got an advanced copy because on Sunday he decided to do something about it. If you?ve seen them play, lighting up the Raptors isn?t that hard to do this season, but to score 81 points? Now that?s a night to remember. I actually watched that game. Bored out of my mind by the lopsided NFL playoffs, I flipped to see what kind of a beating Toronto was taking from the almost as lowly Lakers. When I tuned in Toronto was actually winning so I hung in to see if they could too.
What I saw was one of those special performances that will, most likely, be talked about forever. It wasn?t like the Raptors made it easier for him either. They were in the game for most of it. Kobe simply decided he would beat them. Himself. And he did.
Instantly the debate started to rage. Just how good is Kobe? Better than MJ? Jordan never scored in the 70?s. Slacker! Better than Wilt? His 100-point game came against chocolate factory workers. The point of his 81 points was - all the talk was about Kobe the player, not about Kobe the creep.
Reputation repaired? Who knows ? but lighting it up sure makes anyone easier to like.
The same thing with time.
A couple of days after Kobe?s stole the lead story on sports broadcasts from the NFL, Mario Lemieux announced his retirement from hockey. Praise poured in from all quarters listing his magnificent achievements, waxing on about his unparalleled skills with the puck, and contemplating just what his numbers might have been if he was not injured or if he hadn't missed five seasons entirely.
Not a disparaging word was heard ? about why he quit the game the first time, or about the reason for his subsequent return.
When he first retired in 1997, he stated that he hated playing the game, so he quit. He declared that the hockey in the NHL was terrible, and that it was no fun anymore ? to play or to watch. The hockey world was outraged. Canadians wanted to disown him for dissing their precious sport, (despite the fact that he was right). He became almost a pariah.
Then, in 2000, he announced we would be returning. Hockey fans, who must have the shortest memories in all of sports, were excited. However the media pointed out, (correctly), that the salary that was owed to him was now caught up in ownership costs. The only reason Mario was lacing them up again was so he could get his money. He wasn?t in love with the game again. He just wanted what was his.
Flash ahead five years, all of that has been forgotten. Mario was ?Magnificent? once again.
Reputation lost. Reputation found.
For athletes, and for all of us for that matter, this damaged reputation stuff can be avoided, if we only pay attention to what the coach, John Wooden said:
?Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.?
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com!
