It is a question that has been argued and debated year after year.
What is your definition of a champion?
We hear the word champion and we think:
'Titletown' (Green Bay Packers)
The 27 World Series Championships of the New York Yankees
The 6 NBA Championships of 'your' Chicago Bulls
Champions are always tied to their championships. Deservedly so, for individuals lay it all on the line for the sake of the 'team'. But are there players who could be considered a champion regardless of whether or not they have won a championship?
Archie Manning, OLE MISS legend (thank you very much) and father of two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, was drafted No. 2 overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 1971 draft. Archie was surrounded by a dreadful cast of players and was unable to make the Saints into winners alone. He constantly ran for his life, being physically beaten up, simply because he was on really bad 'teams'. But...is Archie Manning a champion?
What is the definition of success? Is it only found in winning a championship? Most athletes will tell you that without that illusive ring, their careers were incomplete. It is what they prepared 365 days a year for … the opportunity to be called a champion.
A championship is won by teams though and not just individuals. Even tennis players have coaches, trainers, and support to assist them in obtaining their goals.
In the sports world though we seem to characterize an individual’s greatness by whether or not they can win the BIG one. So-in-so passed for a 2,000 yards every year but he just couldn’t win the Super Bowl. He hit 600 home runs in his career, but he never won the World Series. She was one of the greatest soccer players in history, yet she never hoisted the World Cup trophy.
I choose to believe that the determining factor in what makes an individual a champion is not found in his/her championship wins. While a championship is something that no one can ever take away from you, it should not determine your worth to your team, your city, or yourself. Ted Williams was never able to taste the sweetness of a World Series championship, yet he changed forever the way players approach hitting a baseball. Dan Marino reached one Super Bowl with the Dolphins, but was never crowned champion. Yet he had the quickest release of any quarterback to ever play the game. Some of his stats still make football fans shake their head.
While many define a champion by the number of their championships, I choose to believe that some gifted individuals are born one…then they make the choice as to what they will do with the gift they have been given.
What say you?
