Spending time with Smitty

I had the privilege of spending the past couple of days with one of my favorite MSU athletes of all time. Steve Smith recently held two of his annual golf outings to benefit his scholarship and the West Michigan and Mid-Michigan MSU Alumni Clubs. Anybody that knows me knows that I love playing in golf outings but these two are my favorite simply for the fact that it gives me a chance to see Steve.

Growing up a Spartan fan I held Smitty in the highest regard as an athlete, I was in owe of the things he could do with a basketball, I wished I had a shot as smooth as his and a hesitation move that nobody can stop to this day. As I began my career at MSU I still looked up to Smitty as a basketball player but the more and more I got to interact with him the more I began to look up to him as a person. I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of people of the years and very few have the humility, thoughtfulness and grace of Steve Smith.

It’s understated the time he takes with each and every player that has passed through the Breslin Center. Quick to share a story, advice or let you know when you weren’t playing up to the potential he saw in you. Even when your career is over he always makes time to find out how you are doing and if their is anything he can do to help. I hope that one day I can be remembered for making the same impact by giving back to the community and University.

1967 Guide to Winners and Losers

I picked up the mail the other day and noticed that I had a letter from my Pa Pou (that’s Greek for grandpa). Now that’s not a big surprise because he is one of the few people I know that still writes letters and he likes to send us pearls of wisdom. I opened it out and found a copy of a 1967 Detroit Free Press article called: Winners & Losers : Their Key Traits by Sydney Harris. I read them and found it ironic that the things that their written about in 1967 still hold true today. Below is the article,

Winners and Losers : Their Key Traits

Part IV : How to Tell a Winner from a Loser:

A winner know that to forget and what to remember; a loser forgets what he should remember, and remembers what he should forget.

A winner seeks for the goodness in a bad man, and works with that part of him; a loser looks only for the badness in a good ma, and therefore finds it hard to work with anyone.

A winner admits his prejudices and tries to correct them in making judgements: a loser denies his prejudices, and thus becomes their lifelong captive.

A winner in not afraid to contradict himself when faced with a contradictory situation; a loser is more concerned with being consistent than with being right.

A winner feels challenged when odds are against him; a loser is always looking for “the edge.”

A WINNER APPRECIATES the irony of fate, and the fact that merit is not always rewarded, without becoming cynical; a loser is cynical without appreciating the irony of fate.

A winner possesses ideas; a loser is possessed by them, and so, even when successful, remains their slave

A winner knows how to be serious without being solemn; a loser isoften solemn as a substitute for his lack of capacity to be serious.

A winner looks it over; a loser looks it up

A winner rebukes and forgives; a loser is to timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive.

A winner recognizes that the only true authority is moral authority; a loser, having little of this, tries to assume more external authority than his character can handle.

A WINNER TRIES to judge his own acts by their consequences, and other people’s acts by their intentions; a loser gives himself all the best of it by judging his own acts by his intentions, and the acts of others by their consequences.

A winner feels that his past failures have contributed to his success; a loser feels that his past failures blocked his success.

A winner does what is necessary with good grace, saving his energy for situations where he has a choice; a loser does what is necessary under protest, and has no energy left for moral decisions.

A winner accepts the fact that, finally, no mortal can know who the real winners and losers are; a loser thinks that status and power and applause confer a kind of immortality upon him – and never wonders what the lessons of crucifixion might be.