A wise man once said, “Be great, or be gone.”
Greatness is fascinating. It’s not necessarily measurable, and although people will always have differing opinions, greatness is not subjective. You know it when you see it. There’s no denying it.
The bulk of America witnessed greatness on Super Bowl Sunday. It might be appropriate to replace the word “great” with “Belichick” or “Brady” after that amazing display on the grandest stage.
The New England Patriots under the helm of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady did not need to win Super Bowl 51 to cement their legacy among the greatest sports franchises. They already had four NFL titles and have been perennial contenders since 2001.
The Patriots were down by 25 points in the second half against the NFC’s best team. The Atlanta Falcons were firing on all cylinders with league MVP Matt Ryan and one of the most talented wide receivers to ever grace the field, Julio Jones. The game was over — until it wasn’t.
Belichick and Brady didn’t take comfort in their past accomplishments. They didn’t sulk.
Instead, with the help of running back James White and a cast of mostly unheard of defensive role players, the Patriots churned out the greatest comeback in NFL history. It was undeniable.
New England needed help from Atlanta, of course. The Falcons’ play calling in the second half was questionable at best. New England needed some dumb luck, too. Julian Edelman’s catch in traffic was a ridiculous combination of impressive concentration and destiny.
Life isn’t always hyper-competitive like NFL football, and that’s probably for the best. However, aspirations of greatness can be applied to any walk of life. The man who said “be great, or be gone” was record producer David Briggs. That was his advice to Neil Young when the pair were working together.
Young was not competing in the Super Bowl; he was recording albums. Still, greatness was the end game. The same mindset can benefit all kinds of work.
A carpenter who chases greatness will construct better buildings. A nurse who chases greatness will provide better healthcare. A teacher who chases greatness will touch the lives of children in a much more profound way than someone who only casually cares.
We all face adversity in life. How we deal with that adversity defines our character and our legacy. Most of us won’t be remembered as NFL legends or rock stars, but all of us have the capacity to be great.
Maybe it feels like you’re down by 25 in the second half. You could surrender. Or, you could march back onto the field and give ‘em hell.
Be great.
Contact Justin Jagler at
jjagler@newtondailynews.com