Monday, April 02, 2007

Michael Jordan and becoming a man.

I always wonder why certain people seem to transcend their medium so much. I always think about Michael Jordan will forever be remembered as the face of Basketball. There are just certain associations people have and Jordan and basketball are two that are for MOST people forever linked. And that's not just linked in the US. That's in the world Jordan is a brand that means something all around the world... That's crazy. Through merchandising and branding Jordan has become as successful of a conquorer as Alexander the Great was.

I just compared Michael Jordan to ALexander the great in a semin coherent(At least to me) way.... I now remember that I am posting after taking a sleeping pill... I hope this is coherent in the morning.

So there is a correalation as to why people (Like myself) get misty watching od Jordan clips or thinking about what he meant to a generation of sports fans.. I think the appeal is in his hero's journey. He was NOT an instant success. Like most people. He didn't win a championship for 6 years. And he kept progressively getting closer while being beaten down by a bully that he would have to overcome(The Detroit Pistons sent him home in the playoffs 2 years in a row and beat him up physically read "The Jordan Rules" ) but he was dedicated and worked on himself. he tirelessly found ways to get around by taking what was given to him(Surrender) and eventually it was struggle, struggle, sweep. He firmly swept the Pistons in 90 and they walked off the florr without shaking hands in a dramtic bully-like way once they realized they were whipped. And then he consistently was the hero. Game in and game out if the game came down to a do or die situation he came through more times than he didn't.

The amazing thing about Jrodan's killer instinct and late-game theatrics was that a LOT of those games were win or lose. Most people don't realzie the difference between a game winner and a game tier. A game winner means score and the Bulls win or miss and they lose. That's a game winner. the final decision rested sorely on Jordan's abiity to score on a team expecting him to try to score. And time and again in win or lose situations (no matter the pressure) Jordan's team won. Single handidly because his supporting cast kept him in the game long enough to be down by 1 with up to .4 of a second left. because if Michael shot it, you win.

That's pressure. In 88 he knocked the cavs out of the first round of the playoffs and catapulted Chicago into the second round. Fice long games with a team that was a perenniel 50 game winner. mark Price's Cavs were not today's Knicks or Bobcats. They were the favorites in that series. Craig Ehlo will forever be remembered as "That guy Jordan hit "The shot" over. Game, series, season Chicago. They lost to the much better Pistons in the next round where "The Bad Boys" D was too much for Michael and a young Scottie Pippen to overcome. The next year Pippen( who many use as a an argument against jordan's greatest ineffectively) was psyched out all series by Dennis Rodman and then had a "migraine" in the 7th game and could barely see... Jordan scored 50 with migraines or 38 and the game sealer in the 5 game against Utah in the 98 finals, the much overlooked game before he hit what should have been the final shot of his career against Byron not Bryon Russel. And yes he did shove him, who cares great players will always try to get away with as muc as they possibly can. they only become "dirty" when they are INTENTIONALLY trying to hurt other players(like "The Bad Boys" D.

Over that summer Jordan sick and tired of being pummeled by the Bad Boys in the playoff, hit the gym and gained 30 pounds of muscle, now instead of getting punished when he would drive to the basket, he dished out punishment. He got much better with his post up game as well developing the move that would be his signature over the rest of his career, the fade away jumper. Micahel adapted his gameto deal with the real life situations. That's where a lot of guys go wrong with women. They keep doing the same things when they aren't working. They aren't willing to learn new things and expand their social reportoire. They think that if 99 times a woman rejects them with the wrong body language or tonality or opening line or wardrobe or facial expresssion, the 110th time it might work. Learning about how to become a more attractive man, makes you a better person more adapted to the challenges of modern life. "The Bad Boys" teams were tough teams that won back to back championships. Dating can be hard too. It's ok to get some help and develop your own fadeaway jumper of a personality to get the woman of your dreams.

Well he came back and the Bulls swept the Pistons, because he had adapted and they had no answer for his scoring and his leadership. They then beat the Lakers in 5. But Michael's challenges were not over. The same way your life problems will not be over when you can get laid a lot. Now he had to defend the crown and win another title. The first defense was all about dominance as the Bulls announced that a new dynasty had risen in the east. That sounded like one of the voice overs on the tapes I used to watch that recapped Jordan's career. You know like the ones they offer for free on the Sports Illustrated ads on TV. If you ever wonder who orders Sports illustrated to get the cheesy ass freee video. it's me. But the next year Michael had to learn a new lesson as to he lost the MVP to Charles Barkely and the Suns led the league in wins. But in the Finals the Bulls only won as Jordan passed out of a double team and John Paxson hit the three to win the game. It was pick your posion with Jordan once he learned to trust his supporting cast. The same way that a crucial step of learning to become a man or a PUA lies in learning to trust yourself and not bend to what other's want you to do. Namely other teams trying to get michael to try to beat a double team when an open teammate could score too. Not as well but in addition.

Any way point non-sports fans care about is that as a man it is crucial that you over come a great struggle in your life. this can be failing with women, but always make sure that you remeber that the people who are remembered as the BEST of their peers and generations like Jordan suffered a lot of set backs before he really got what he wanted. It's the same way with becoming successful with women or maturing as a man. It takes practice and effort and the ability to make the adjustments you have to make. That's what this is about fixing what YOU are doing wrong. And it takes a shit load of guts and responsibility to do that. That's why I give 100% of myself on bootcamp all the time. Other guys game on the second night of program, but I realize that the real value is in having a guy who knows what he's talking about either watching you or in set with you giving real time coaching in the field. It also helps to have great models, Micahel Jordan is one of mine, and there are some other guys out there such as myself or Future or Savoy, who are great models in field and can help steer you on the right path. Because sometimes you need a set of eyes that aren't your own. That's why I believe in boot camps and getting help with your social lives and getting on the track you want to be.

I will now ban myself from sports talk on here for a week. I will probably be starting a sports blog as I think I would like to one say become a sportswriter. So if anyone reading this does that or has advice on getting into that email me at Sinn@TheMysteryMethod.com

S

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:43 AM

    Sinn,

    for god's sake don't take sleeping pills.

    Instead, drink a warm glass of milk with spices before going to sleep. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5:59 AM

    check this site out...www.the700level.com...enrico started it from scratch and built it up in the last two years to get into sports illustrated as one of the top four phillies blogs.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:32 AM

    I never considered those who are skillfull at niggerball to be heroes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jordan, Tiger, Roger Federer...they all share that drive and desire to beat any and all challengers. However, the one thing that is truly remarkable is how they are never satisfied. They never sit back on their laurels of success and gloat. Stay hungry, stay motivated, and never be satisfied. Don't let anyone take from you what you've worked so hard for.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:11 PM

    Hi Sinn,

    I'm not much of a basketball person, but Jordan caught my eye and imagination as a role model as well.
    to what extent do you think that he's had this effect because

    a) of the man he is
    b) because we were all impressionable kids when we watched him?

    b) must be something of a factor in this - kids will always look up to people. even assholes, if there's no one else around.

    cheers,
    Sting

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:51 PM

    8:32
    "I never considered those who are skillfull at niggerball to be heroes."


    C'mon, there's seriously no need for this.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous9:22 AM

    Sting do you ever go out of the house and meet any women, or do you just read blogs and pu forums all day?

    cheers
    -m

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:09 PM

    I never considered those who are skillfull at niggerball to be heroes.

    Fuck you to whoever said this.

    ReplyDelete