Hello Insider Family. Every sports fan, athlete, coach, owner, and commentator says that there is no “I” in TEAM. As a former athlete, I was taught to sacrifice my personal goals for the greater good of the team. When that is done, then we are all successful. We win as a team and we lose as a team. It doesn’t profit anyone to be a prima-donna or a superstar, but you never win. I remember thinking I was bigger than the team when I was in high school. I wanted to skip practice, and expected to still start. I walked in the barbershop before pregame walk through to find my coach there. I tried to sneak out before he saw me, but too late. He looked at me and said, “I don’t care if we are up 50-0 tomorrow night. The only time you will touch the field is when you are warming up with the team.” What? Are you serious? I am a returning starter, this is my senior season, it’s our first game of the season, and a home game. I know you are not going to bench me. Fast forward to the next night and when our defense took the field, I was on the bench. No, he didn’t actually bench me the entire game, but he did bench me the entire first quarter, which seemed like an eternity. At that moment, I learned a valuable lesson…with or without me; the team will keep moving forward. No one man is above the team.
I know you remember the exploits of Michael Jordan in the 1990’s. His “Airness” has been hailed as the greatest player that the game has ever seen. I can remember seeing him do things with the basketball in his hands that will never be duplicated by anyone else in this lifetime. His passion to will to win was unmatched. However, we cannot forget that until he started to trust his teammates, instead of trying to be a one-man show, his teams could not conquer the elite teams of that day. Scottie Pippen made one of the most insightful quotes when he said, “You all say I couldn’t win any championships without Michael…well, Michael didn’t win any championships without me either”. The Bulls did not become the dominant team of the 90’s until they became a TEAM themselves. A TEAM of players will beat one player every time. If you don’t believe me, just check your sports history. The proof is in the pudding.
Another example that comes to mind is the New York Yankees. I want you to think back to when they first acquired Alex Rodriguez. For a few years, it seemed that they forgot about the formula that had led to so much success for their franchise, which was team play. At the point that they started putting their focus on him as an individual, he could not deliver when it was needed most. You take that, along with the distractions of living in NYC, where the media scrutiny is at an all time high for the superstars of the game that is a recipe for disaster…even if you are A-Rod. However, last season, the focus came off him as an individual and went back to the team as a whole. As a result, not only was A-Rod able to shine, so was the entire team by capping off their season with another championship. The MVP ended up being the least likely candidate going into the World Series.
My last example is the most compelling one, Brett Favre. When dealing with Favre, it seems that he is, in fact, bigger than the team. He held the Green Bay Packers hostage for 2 seasons before they had enough of his antics and released him. Now he is doing the same thing to the Minnesota Vikings. He has used the threat of retirement for nothing more than a clever way to hold out of training camp and demand more money, which the Vikings have willingly conceded. I would respect him more if he would just “MAN UP” and tell the truth. What is more disappointing to me is that Favre gets a pass for his behavior every year, but other players like Brandon Marshall, Anquan Boldin, or more recently, Darrelle Revis, get scrutinized by the media and called selfish for not honoring their contracts, when they hold/held out for what compensation they felt is/was due to them. So let’s get this straight…there is no “I” in TEAM if your name is not Brett Favre. However, if your name is Brett Favre, then there is not only and “I” in TEAM, the TEAM will bend over backwards for you and tell the world that it is ok. Never mind what this does to your locker room and to the players that are sacrificing everyday for the TEAM. All I can say is the Vikings better win the Super Bowl this year to make it worth all the trouble the rest of the team has to endure to accommodate one player. If they don’t win it all, then it is price you pay for giving an individual superstar treatment. I applaud the Packers for having the testicular fortitude to send Favre packing and moving the TEAM forward with Aaron Rodgers. More teams should follow suit. They are a shining example of showing that one man is not bigger than the team, even if he is Brett Favre. Kudos to the Green Bay Packer from the world’s biggest Dallas Cowboys fan!
