Swifties, Mr. Irrelevant, and Being Inspired
Such a great American event. Full of pageantry, hype, marketing and festivities. I can only imagine what it’s like in Vegas this week. Not only are they hosting the game, the amount of celebration that must be going on there has to be off the charts.
There are multiple machinations to this year’s event which everyone has already referenced a little over the top. The Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift relationship has skyrocketed to a whole new level. The world’s #1 most sought after performer with a personable football player who seems fairly grounded, at least from what we can gather from his mom and brother, is a great storyline. Swifties fandom have risen the interest in the game to be the most popular sporting event ever in this country.
The impact one person can have on a single event is inspiring. I wish Taylor Swift continued great success and, if she is true to herself, and is true to the values her mom has seemed to instill in her, she’ll do OK. But, like the incredible popularity of Michael Jackson when he was in a similar position, the pressure to maintain that level of inspiration must be daunting. For now it’s incredible to watch what commitment to your passion can result in, even though her originals purchased by Scooter Braun almost derailed her. Such a wonderful success story for her!
Of course you can’t watch this event without all of the commercials and the performances at halftime. Usher has some great songs that I love, and I understand he’s even got a special guest performer who is going to be there with him. A little something extra – after all this is Vegas!
And let’s revisit one of the great stories to Super Bowl LVIII -- the continuation of the Mr. Irrelevant legacy. I wrote about this last year around the NFL Draft. As most of you know, and perhaps some of the Swifties don’t, Mr. Irrelevant is the very last player picked each year in the NFL Draft. They reference this player because in the last 50+ years of the Draft the last player rarely makes the team they were drafted by, and usually has a very short-lived career because of it. The San Francisco 49ers starting Quarterback is that guy. Brock Purdy. Talk about a fascinating story! He’s not supposed to be there. Too small, too slow, not from a powerhouse school like Notre Dame (Go Irish!) or Penn State or Michigan, Alabama, or Georgia. He didn’t get looks from any of those programs. Instead he went to Iowa State. Oh and by the way - he set 32 school records! All of the scouts dismissed him, kind of like they did Tom Brady (we all know what happened there and his 7 Super Bowl rings later). It reminds me a little of the 1978 sports movie ‘Heaven Can Wait’ with Warren Beatty. One of my favorite movies. Look it up, you’ll love it!
So, as we come into what will someday be a National Holiday weekend (wouldn’t it be nice to have off another Monday during the year??? – come on HR leaders, we can make this happen!!) Think of all the underdogs that make a difference due to their perseverance, grit, and determination to achieve what others say they can’t. Look for the people who get things done, without striving to be the center of attention. Those individuals make the biggest difference in organizations, companies, associations, boards and sports teams.
All you high achievers remember - call a friend you haven’t in a while – I just did and it made a huge difference to both of us – reconnect – watch what happens. Hug your kids and grandkids, call your parents and tell them you love them – loneliness is suffering for those who raised us. Find at least one reason to laugh each day and make one person smile, and remember … People DO Matter!
I wish you well,
Dave
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