Chill Sports

Valentine’s Day came and went a couple weeks ago and I, like many others, spent the day trying to think as little of it as possible. In turn, this of course kept it at the very forefront of my mind for the entire 24 hours (granted, the bombardment of emails and advertisements for couples-themed products I received for days on end leading up to the wretched holiday were partially to blame). Still, in my newfound journey towards continual self-improvement, I’ve learned that a little introspection should always be welcome in our lives, even when it’s difficult-- for instance, regarding our personal histories of decision-making and commitment. After all, being aware of our own flaws is perhaps the most powerful tool in our arsenal to aid with our own betterment. Naturally, I concluded that the problem isn’t me and instead turned my attention towards criticizing others with commitment issues, as I am, clearly, a very emotionally healthy person. And I could think of no person, or group of pe...

Sometimes in life, one can find themself in an unwinnable position, where no matter what they do, they're doomed to fail. Where even if you give your best effort at everything within your control, it wouldn’t be enough. Like if you find yourself in a chess match with Garry Kasparov, or in a swimming race with Michael Phelps. Or if you’ve been drafted to play quarterback for an NFL team with a terrible coaching staff, one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and the worst receiving corps in football. I can’t claim to know of Justin Fields’ abilities in either chess or the 100-meter butterfly, but he did find himself in the latter of those unwinnable positions with the Chicago Bears. With a gravely depleted offensive line and receiving group alongside a coaching staff unable (or unwilling?) to create an offense tailored to his strengths, many began to write Fields off after just a season-and-change in professional football. As he’s begun to prove over the past few weeks of sen...