Taking a small step back from just the golfing world on this post to take in the broader picture. The last few weeks have been riddled with underdog stories across all of the sporting world.
None more obvious than the Block Party that took over the PGA Championship two weekends ago. Michael Block, the formerly(?) humble PGA Club Pro down in Southern California who captivated audiences with his stellar play at Oak Hill (and ace!) while many of the worlds best crumbled under the pressure. There’s been a billion stories written about Block, and a few more now after his podcast and media tour went a little too far. His success at the PGA got him numerous sponsor invites to PGA events later this season. He hired an agent, did an alleged 30ish interviews and essentially changed his life (and that’s not even taking the $200k check into account). Michael Block has been grinding away for years as a teaching pro. But he’s certainly no slouch. He’s dominated the SoCal club pro scene for years and has played in a few PGA Championships. But never saw any sort of success like he did the other week. $200k and countless endorsement and media deals later…safe to say he’s glad he kept working his ass off.
On the hardwood, Jimmy/Himmy/Himothy Butler has carried his 8-seeded Miami Heat all the way to the NBA Finals. He beat Giannis and the #1 Seed Bucks, absolutely took over against the Knicks in Round 2 and most recently took down the deepest roster in the NBA in the Celtics. Now Butler and the Heat are Finals-bound. Butler’s story is well-documented. He went from homeless, to undrafted, to one of the best players in the league. The job is seemingly never finished for Butler, who has a famous work ethic and demands the same out of his team. And while I think I’ve seen Jimmy Butler swear and try and square up with opponents more than he smiles, I think he’d be the first to admit he wouldn’t change a thing about his past. It molded him into the fiery competitor he is today and has been one of the best NBA players of the past decade.
And across the pond, little old Luton Town is Premier League bound. Their stadium fits barely 10k, which pales in comparison to all of the other stadiums across the league. The entrances to their stadium are nestled between (and within!!). Just a few years ago, Luton Town was playing in a league that isn’t even recognized by the Footballing Association. Now? They’re playing in the biggest league in the world. Luton Town has spent years in the terrible cycle of promotion and relegation. Coaches and players have come and gone. But one, Pelly Mpanzu, has been with them through it all. And now he will become the first non-league player to EVER play for the same team in the Premier League. He stuck it out, and now will likely see the biggest paycheck of his lifetime.
Now if you know me well, you know I love sports. All sports. I think sports are integral to life. I think there is no better reflection of life itself than sports. Both playing the sport and the fandom. Sports can break your heart. Sports can wring out every last bit of hope you have left…but sometimes, and very rarely, can a sport provide such a moment of elation that it makes you forget any pain and suffering you’ve ever experienced. To quote another underdog story in Ted Lasso…”it’s the hope that kills you.” With every game, every match, every season comes renewed hope. Hope that you or your team will do better. Hope that the wins come a little easier and more often. And damn does it hurt when those wins don’t come too easily. And the same goes for in life. The hope kills, man. Sometimes you don’t get the girl. Sometimes you don’t get that promotion. But the hope is what gets you up in the morning. It’s what keeps the wheels turning. Because the hope will not kill you. It’s gonna hurt like hell sometimes, but it will never kill you. And when it’s all said and done, the hope? That’s all we as humans have.
And with one of the best (fictional) underdog stories ending today (May 30th), it only felt right to leave you with what I deem to be one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard. And certainly the most uplifting.
Belief doesn’t just happen because you hang something up on a wall. All right? It comes from in here. You know? And up here. Down here. Only problem is, we all got so much junk floating through us, a lot of time we end up getting in our own way. You know, crap like envy or fear, shame. I don’t wanna mess around with that shit anymore. You know what I wanna mess around with? The belief that I matter, you know? Regardless of what I do or don’t achieve. Or the belief that we all deserve to be loved, whether we’ve been hurt or maybe we’ve hurt somebody else. Or what about the belief of hope? Yeah? That’s what I wanna mess with. Believing that things can get better. That I can get better. That we will get better. Oh, man. To believe in yourself. To believe in one another. Man, that’s fundamental to being alive.
Great stuff.
Also one of my favorite (of many) Lasso-isms
We get to start every day new!
Could be one of your best ever D! Loved it and thank you!