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Martin Devlin: Michael Jordan and The Last Dance

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 8 May 2020, 12:52PM

Martin Devlin: Michael Jordan and The Last Dance

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 8 May 2020, 12:52PM

The Last Dance. If you haven't been watching this ESPN doco series at all then probably best to ditch this piece because it won't really mean a lot. But to all of us who  remain slaves to the series, let's happily box on!

The more I see the more I can't help but think if Michael Jordan was around today, behaving like he did back then, he wouldn't have lasted a single season. Too competitive.

Too cut-throat. Too honest. He would've been railroaded outta there faster than you millenials could file your "bullying" claims. Those born from the 90s onwards, those generations, are simply too precious to handle his honesty, his drive, his critical word, his will to win at all costs.

"He yelled at me at practice" they'd whine.

"He told me I wasn't playing well enough" they'd bleat.

There'd be employment authority complaints, family group conferences, hand-holding, incense and much hand-wringing apologetic blah-blah from middle management trying to appease the poor little dears and their awfully bruised egos. 

Sport is about winning. At the level that Jordan played it is ONLY about winning. Even saying that risks a reprimand these days.

In this faffosphere we now live where we're constantly told competition is bad and we shouldn't keep the score and and rep teams only cause pain and sadness to those not good enough or willing to work hard enough to make them. And honestly, what have these generations given our world? Apart from ill-informed opinions derived from snapface, kneejerk attitudes and faux outrage..nothing.

Nothing at all. Pay some rent and shuddup 'til you do. The world is actually a different place than what you find written on facebook.

Especially sport. Where the real world is a big beastly jungle where those that want it most WIN. See that word there? Those three little letters mean everything when it comes to professional sport. And if you don't want to win then go back to playing practice games.

That's what MJ's attitude was. Ruthlessly, bitterly competitive.

Which takes me back to my original point about The Last Dance.

These days, if Jordan was still playing, it would be a doco about a court alright - the employment version.

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