I was watching the NFL Draft this past week with some of the guys in here… forgetting my current surroundings for a bit and basking in the normalcy of watching the draft as I would be doing in real life. It was a cool experience… just a group of dudes talking football. Looking forward to next season and chirping away about “our” teams and which players are going to do what this upcoming year.
As I was watching, I caught myself recognizing a common theme for all the players being selected. The groups of loving supporters around them… all smiling ear to ear, girlfriends holding on for dear life to their NFL 1st round prospect boyfriend, friends and family hugging and high fiving because they feel as though they just won the lottery. Ahhh… the bliss of being on top of the world… am I right? Everyone loves you, everyone has your back, everyone is a “ride or die”. Then, at some point, the cameras turn off, the lights go down, real life sets in and we see who the real ones actually are. I started wondering, what percentage of the loyal supporters stick around after the injuries, trades, scandals or any number of other things that life throws at athletes and all of us in our respective jobs or lives?
There is an interesting dynamic at play when someone’s life goes from “normal” to “exceptional” or back down from
“exceptional” to “normal” (or worse). When we are on the way up, everyone wants to be holding onto your arm… always in frame so that the world knows that they are a part of your success. But when someone falls… your demise somehow proves to everyone that they were “right” and they knew you couldn’t do or accomplish things that they themselves can’t or haven’t accomplished. They develop a kind of smugness and seem to get brutal enjoyment out of the fact that the universe is finally setting things straight. People tend to have a schizophrenic relationship with winners. If you’re down for an extended amount of time, you become an underdog and they feel impelled to root for you. But if you’re up too long, they will be there for the entire ride unless somewhere along this ride… you fall… and if you fall, you better get a helmet and a flashlight because even your shadow leaves you in the dark.
In prison, loyalty and honesty are crucial traits for success. When everything else gets stripped away from you besides your word… your word is extremely valuable. Maybe we all (myself certainly included) should examine if these two traits should be just as paramount to us in life in the real world as there are inside these walls.
I hope all the player’s “entourages” surrounding them on draft night ride the wave and are there for the ups and the downs. Only time will tell.
Until then, can’t wait for football season!