Are we starved for attention?

Like many of your parents, my mom worked hard to provide for my sister and I by earning her paychecks via the Los Angeles Unified School District. We had food to eat, clothes to wear and for whatever reason, my mom liked us enough to applaud our accomplishments. Also similar to many of you, however, I realized we didn’t have disposable income and it was rare that I asked for new clothes. The way I understood things in the 1980s was that you came straight home from school, fed yourself, got down on that homework, did a chore and watched cartoons (not always in that order).  Mom worked late some nights which was all the more reason for a young “brotha” to toe the line. It just seemed normal to be a team player when your mom is out there trying to make it. Don’t ask for more than you need, enjoy and be thankful for what you have. Life was simple on 48th Street.

What isn’t simple is the thirst of the modern athlete for attention. In fairness, I offer the disclaimer that when making observations casually about society, one can only judge behavior if judge is the appropriate verb. Nevertheless, from high school amateur to professional the one thing that grosses me out is pretentious, Peacock boasting. In the interest of time, we can skip the examples and shoot straight to the rationales I hear for the displays of arrogance on the field, court, diamond, etc. Some common euphemisms for arrogant celebration include: Entertainment, Excitement, Justifiable Exuberance and the like. I deduce that if fans are pleased, players are simply expressive or if athletes can walk the talk they talk, boasting is simply par for the course.

But everything has a utility, a purpose, a general functionality. Runnin’ ones mouth, talkin’ “you know what” and beating ones own chest appears to say, “I’m starving for attention I desperately deserve.” I could see the truth in that when you hear some of the horror stories of how athletes grew up abused and dejected. Much is revealed when success is ultimately and unexpectedly realized. But my question of the day is how many people use arrogance as a defense mechanism because the inner man has been critically wounded. It ain’t hard to tell. When something like boastful pride strikes a chord in me I’ve learned to ask why anyone would make themselves a target on the next play? I mean, if you show up the other team on this play, aren’t they coming for you on the next one, possibly to end your career? A decent coach would never prescribe such behavior. There can only be one reason. The boaster is compensating for something. You know how I know? Because no one can be great 100% of the time and that’s what bragging suggests…that I’m great all of the time.

At day’s end the only reason I came to hate the celebratory shenanigans is because I was a boastful jerk on the inside. I was waiting for my day in the sun (pros) to come that never came but I was still that guy. And I can tell you it had everything to do with trying to prove something to people. You’d think my mom and sister would have been all the encouragement I needed but I still battled insecurity so I know the guys on television can’t be so different than me. I guess money really isn’t a healing salve because I’m not starving anymore. May every hot doggin’, showboating jock find what they really need and kick the addiction.