Rock Wall!

This past week I got to take a trip to ESPN for a meet and greet/interview. For me, being a sports journalism major, ESPN is the end all be all career wise in my eyes. I got to meet one guy who had been working at ESPN for 30 years now. He began working there as a janitor just around the building and now helps produce one of the most successful shows ESPN broadcast, ESPN First Take. He explained to me his whole journey from working from the bottom up and shared some advice I've never heard before. He told me, "life isn't simply about moving straight up, sometimes you have to rock wall." At first I didn't understand what he meant, but then I thought about how one climbs a rock wall. When your climbing a rock wall, you don't just go straight up, sometimes you have to reach out side to side and move horizontally in order to reach the top. Once he got his foot in the door, he managed to keep working his way up slowly until he reached what he wanted. He preached to me about how patience is one of the most over looked traits it takes to work in "the business." Overall, after that day, after hearing that advice, I am going to carry that with everything I'm trying to accomplished. Hope you feel inspired.

Effort Has No Odds

This past weekend the sports world was spoiled with a legendary matchup that we will never see again. Peyton Manning vs. Ray Lewis for a chance of playing for the AFC championship. What we had was a moment where greatness stared into greatness. Both have the accolades that speak for themselves over their illustrious career. At the end of the day and against all odds, the Ravens pulled out a charismatic comeback to advance to the AFC championship rematch against the Patriots.

              "Greatness is a lot of small things done well, stacked up on each other," said Ray Lewis. Those few words perfectly describe the career of one of, if not, the greatest linebacker of all time. He is living proof that you don't have to be the biggest or fastest to make a splash in this gladiator game. He prides his career on the effort that pumps through his heart at a rate that no other player has been able to duplicate.  It's like riding a bike, no matter how tired you get, it's never about that one pedal you are pedaling. It's about the next pedal, and if you can get to that next one, your bike will keep moving. No amount of championships can disguise a characteristic like this, and that is what differentiates between being remembered and leaving a legacy. 

#52