Good vs. Great

I'm sitting up here in tonight looking at ESPN2 (don't ask me why) looking at a Muhammad Ali vs. this guy named Oscar Bonavena. To setup the backdrop, this was one of the fights Ali fought after his layoff from the ring after he was suspended after choosing not to step forward during the draft. Ali had predicted, as was his tradition, to knock Bonavena out in the 9th round. Bonavena to his credit promised an 11th round knock
out.


Ali and Bonavena during their pre-fight weigh in.

The long and short of it is Bonavena was a hell of a lot tougher than Ali could have imagined. He was like a punch drunk bull. Always pressing. Disrupting Ali's game plan and making him work harder than he wanted to. The fight went past both boxers perdictions. Past the 9th and 11th rounds all the way to the 15th. Where the greatest of all time hit Bonavena with a left that sent him to the canvas three times to end the fight.

Now you may be asking yourself why I am talking about this old fight. Well it got me to thinking. People who are good at stuff have a good showing here and there. Sometimes over achive like Bonavena did against Ali. But the great ones always find a way make everyone look at them a little different. They do something that shows all those who idolize them why they are so much better than they could ever hope to be. The provide the inspiration for little kids who are destined to be great to
work a little bit harder every day and night to improve something about themselves so they can be like that. And that brings me to my thought. Who does Great anymore?

Everyone now-a-days is all about being paid up front. No more proving anything. I'm gonna be great so pay me. Only thing is once you get that pay day, the shoe contract, the coner office, why play hard or work more. I don't have anything to prove. We reward potential instead of production. Now if we get production we are happy. We say "Great. He is doing what he was supposed to be doing". If they don't live up to their potintial, for instance
this guy , then they just sit tight and continue getting paid. But its just not sports. Doesn't seem like anyone wants to be great anymore. It seems like this whole generation just wants to do enough to get by so they can hit the lotto and file a law suit against somebody to get a load of money. Just
doesn't seem to be anybody to look up to anymore. Just a bunch of kids making lots of money when don't know how to be adults themselves.

Can you tell yet I'm getting old lol

just and opinion from
somebody that doesn't matter - mTony