Its not that I don't like to lose. Its more that I can't stand getting the shit kicked out of me.

I'm an excellent loser. I've lost all my life. When I was young my best friend was a kid down the street named Steve. Now Steve was not my best friend by any choice of either of ours, but by the circumstance that we should both grow up in a neighbourhood without another kid our age.

So Steve was my best friend by default.

Steve was also always taller and bigger than I.

Being taller and bigger is sometimes a insurmountable advantage. It didn't matter how hard I worked, or how much I practiced, I lost continuously to Steve.

I give him credit, he never let up. Even after the 15th win of one on one, the 10th straight time he'd been at bat without being struck out, he never once let down his guard and let me win. Not that I can remember. I guess if he ever did I probably would have made such a fuss and pounded and screamed that he would never do it again.

I hated being allowed to win far more than I hated losing.

So anyways, I lost a lot. And I learned that the sun still came up the next day. And I learned that losing isn't so bad, that far worse was the feeling you got when you hadn't tried because you had been pouting or pissed off or deflated. You always try hard, and then it doesn't matter if you lose.

I think it was a good lesson. I don't get very upset by losing.

But I do get upset by being embarassed. I believe that is not acceptable.

I mean, somebody has to lose. But nobody has to get the shit kicked out of them. And if you do, then you better go back to the drawing board and figure out what went wrong and work hard to get better, or get the hell off the field for good.

I think that's fair. And I'll stand by it. For better or worse.

- posted by Sigurd6/17/2004 09:42:00 PM