The BJ Upton Syndrom

For those of you lucky enough to know me by now, and by 'the lucky' I mean you the few who were already friends with me before I first posted one day ago, you would know that I am a huge sports fan, though not the best native sports fan. Yes it's true I bleed Canadien Red and White over Boston Black and Gold and Soldiers Field is as much if not more of a hallowed ground for me than Gillette Stadium, but say what you will about my lack of home town enthusiasm you cannot deny me my place among sports fans. that is why today we will be talking about a topic that has nothing and everything to do with sports, and every sport real or fake, new or old, popular or just downright confusing, that topic my friends is potential.

Potential - possible, as opposed to actual.

Simple enough right? Most of us never reach full potential and therefore find ourselves longing for more, striving to become something we haven't yet reached. Well perhaps not most, many of us are content with the mediocre never wanting to ripple the waters and just coasting through in ignorant bliss until finally you wake up on your death bed and it's too late, life has already passed you by. You my friends have fallen into the trap of wasted potential, you have become BJ Upton.

I have come up with a theory about wasted potential and have decided to title it after perhaps the most physically talented player in all of baseball because I think he is the most relevant comparison I could possibly make when describing just how much one can fall into the false security of mediocrity. BJ Upton: post season hero, second overall pick, all-star, perennial gold glove contender, not bad right? Upton could retire tomorrow and have no one speak ill about his career as a ball player, but hidden in those credentials are his underlying stats, a batting average that has been consistently under .250 (that's 25% for you non baseball fans out there) three of his first four years in the league, a rapidly climbing strikeout rate every season that has seen a rise from 134 as a rookie to 164 last season, and an age that just never goes down only up. Sure BJ has been good but he hasn't been great, yet year after year we expect him to finally fill that potential and become Ken Griffey Jr. or Barry Bonds pre-steroids, and every year we are disappointed to find him hitting a robust .228. BJ Upton is now twenty-six years old and entering the prime of his career yet his numbers aren't even stagnating they are retreating, just like me (Yes this whole this was really just another way for me to suck you into reading about me, tricked you fuckers).

Until recently I like so many had been fine living as failed potential, thinking I would never amount to what I wanted and instead finding the comfort of the almighty dollar instead of taking a risk. I am here today preaching to you hoping that at least one of you will take my advice and go out onto that ledge and jump, take the chance of falling, what if you can fly? What if instead of the worst case scenario instead you think of the best case and shoot for that? And for those of you scared to do it alone come join me on the ledge and together we will leap and hope that before we hit the ground and leave our lasting impression on the sidewalk and streets, we will sprout wings and fly to the heavens and place ourselves in our rightful place among the dreamers among those who leaped before us and made it. the world doesn't progress in mediocrity the world progresses on failure and a dream. And that dream is not BJ Upton.