Former Major League Baseball great Dick Allen passing recently sparked a conversation with several of my friends. The topic isn’t new amongst our group. It centers on what has happened to the pro athletes who demonstrated their goofiness, their character, their willingness to show some humor during the game.
That type of professional athlete disappeared years ago. When’s the last time, for example, you saw a pro golfer crack a joke or spontaneously smile solely for the sake of fun? Sure, if they skip a shot across a pond on a par three that rolls righteously into the hole 49 feet after landing on the green, you’ll see that guy burst into a smile. Who wouldn’t?
No, what we’ve been missing – and this has been the case for many years – are golfers like Lee Trevino, who kept up a banter with the crowd, engaging them, not taking himself too seriously.
In some ways, I think that this trend mirrors our society. We’ve lost spontaneity and humor over the last 30-40 years. In many ways, we’ve lost the ability to laugh at ourselves.
Money is a big reason for this. Because pro athletes at the top of their craft MAKE SO MUCH MONEY, they HAVE to take their craft seriously. One crack in their demeanor and who the heck knows what demolition can occur during their next contract negotiation or in their fan base.
These athletes, their agents, and the owners of professional sports teams are quite aware of those pressures. It affects the image the athlete projects. Don’t get too out of line. Don’t say what you might really think politically. Don’t be silly or people won’t think you’re taking the game seriously enough.
Hey, I get that teams and individuals want to win and play their best. But consider this: Don’t you perform your best when you are relaxed? Aren’t you most relaxed when you are being yourself, not tight and constrained?
I know that I play my best golf when I’m having fun, joking around, loose. Dick Allen, Steve Hamilton (famous with the New York Yankees for his “Folly Floater” pitch – check it out on YouTube) and other clubhouse renowned characters played and acted so their personalities came out – they were relaxed and being themselves.
Dick Allen used to smoke cigarettes in the dugout. Could you imagine the hoopla that would cause today?
Recently, during the U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship, Hinako Shibuno of Japan captivated the announcers with her smile. Why? Because it was so unusual. She was happy. She beamed. It was her personality. We were drawn to her.
Sadly, she didn’t win. If she had, maybe we’d see more smiles and less business-like methodical machines at the professional levels.
Shibuno enjoyed herself. That shouldn’t be a story. When you practice a craft you love, that should be the norm.
I remember a story on Dick Allen, that he juggled in the clubhouse. Maybe he was a prankster and a jokester. Maybe he was just being himself and letting the game take care of itself.
Pro sports need the Allen’s and Shibuno’s. They are why we get drawn to a sport. Bring back Lee Trevino.
That type of professional athlete disappeared years ago. When’s the last time, for example, you saw a pro golfer crack a joke or spontaneously smile solely for the sake of fun? Sure, if they skip a shot across a pond on a par three that rolls righteously into the hole 49 feet after landing on the green, you’ll see that guy burst into a smile. Who wouldn’t?
No, what we’ve been missing – and this has been the case for many years – are golfers like Lee Trevino, who kept up a banter with the crowd, engaging them, not taking himself too seriously.
In some ways, I think that this trend mirrors our society. We’ve lost spontaneity and humor over the last 30-40 years. In many ways, we’ve lost the ability to laugh at ourselves.
Money is a big reason for this. Because pro athletes at the top of their craft MAKE SO MUCH MONEY, they HAVE to take their craft seriously. One crack in their demeanor and who the heck knows what demolition can occur during their next contract negotiation or in their fan base.
These athletes, their agents, and the owners of professional sports teams are quite aware of those pressures. It affects the image the athlete projects. Don’t get too out of line. Don’t say what you might really think politically. Don’t be silly or people won’t think you’re taking the game seriously enough.
Hey, I get that teams and individuals want to win and play their best. But consider this: Don’t you perform your best when you are relaxed? Aren’t you most relaxed when you are being yourself, not tight and constrained?
I know that I play my best golf when I’m having fun, joking around, loose. Dick Allen, Steve Hamilton (famous with the New York Yankees for his “Folly Floater” pitch – check it out on YouTube) and other clubhouse renowned characters played and acted so their personalities came out – they were relaxed and being themselves.
Dick Allen used to smoke cigarettes in the dugout. Could you imagine the hoopla that would cause today?
Recently, during the U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship, Hinako Shibuno of Japan captivated the announcers with her smile. Why? Because it was so unusual. She was happy. She beamed. It was her personality. We were drawn to her.
Sadly, she didn’t win. If she had, maybe we’d see more smiles and less business-like methodical machines at the professional levels.
Shibuno enjoyed herself. That shouldn’t be a story. When you practice a craft you love, that should be the norm.
I remember a story on Dick Allen, that he juggled in the clubhouse. Maybe he was a prankster and a jokester. Maybe he was just being himself and letting the game take care of itself.
Pro sports need the Allen’s and Shibuno’s. They are why we get drawn to a sport. Bring back Lee Trevino.