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Take a bow, Julien BriseBois.
The Tampa Bay Lightning general manager made some big waves on Wednesday after he obtained forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Mikey Eyssimont, two first-round draft picks and a second-round selection.
It was a bold move from one of the more aggressive executives in the league, one he hopes will help lead to a third Stanley Cup in five years for his franchise.
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However, it wasn’t the deal itself but the comments made by BriseBois after the fact that really got my attention and earned my respect.
He was asked about seemingly mortgaging pieces of the future (high draft picks) — something the organization has done several times before — to once again live in the present.
“Ultimately, the calculation is that trying and failing will yield less regret than failing to try,” was BriseBois’s response.
Absolutely perfect.
I love that mindset, not only when it comes to sports trades but as it pertains to life in general.
That doesn’t mean to completely throw caution to the wind and get reckless. But the safest play isn’t always the smartest one. Sometimes, a little risk is the best route to take, especially when the potential reward is so lucrative.
As I thought about BriseBois’s comments throughout the day, it dawned on me there’s no shortage of inspiring sports-based soundbites that have stood the test of time and can be applied in various walks of life.
Here are 10 of my favourites. Feel free to share yours.
- “You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.” This gem from the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, essentially hits the same notes as the one delivered by BriseBois. Basically, don’t let fear get in the way of progress.
- “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” Vince Lombardi had many classics over his illustrious career, but this one really hits home. Life is going to put you on the mat sometimes. It’s what happens next that is most important.
- “My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having troubles off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” Baseball has plenty of beauties in this category, and this one from Hank Aaron can be applied in so many ways. Just keep swinging.
- “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” Lombardi is bang-on once again. It’s all about the mindset.
- “If you have everything under control, you’re not moving fast enough.” Race car driver Mario Andretti had a need for speed, but this perspective will cause you to slow down and think. Life is going to be chaotic at times. Embrace it.
- “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” OK, so this one doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like some of the others, but Michael Jordan hit the nail on the head here as he described what made him one of the greatest athletes of all time.
- “There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist, we are all equals as human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time. You will reach the top, and that’s that. I am not talented. I am obsessed.” Conor McGregor may have oversimplified what led to him becoming one of the best ultimate fighters in history — I’d argue genetics and natural talent have at least something to do with it — but the strong point still stands.
- “The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t win’ is you and you don’t have to listen.” Jessica Ennis-Hill, an Olympic champion hurdler, perfectly summed up the toughest opponent we will all face.
- “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” A similar sentiment from pro surfer Laird Hamilton.
- “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Give Lombardi the hat trick.
Not every great quote makes you ponder life’s meaning. Some just lead you to laugh. Here’s 10 of my favourites in that category.
- “Practice? We talkin’ ’bout practice?” Allen Iverson certainly didn’t understand what all the fuss was about as reporters grilled him about missing a workout session.
- “They are who we thought they were.” Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green wasn’t about to give the undefeated Chicago Bears any respect after they rallied from a 20-point deficit at halftime to beat his club.
- “We can’t win at home. We can’t win on the road. As general manager, I just can’t figure out where else to play.” Pat Williams, the long-time NBA executive, with a verbal slam dunk.
- “What’s that? Ah – playoffs? Don’t talk about – playoffs?! You kidding me?! Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game! Another game!” Jim Mora clearly didn’t like the way his Indianapolis Colts were trending as he famously fended off a question about his slump NFL squad.
- “Baseball is 90 per cent mental and the other half is physical.” Yogi Berra swung for the fences with this famous saying.
- “I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid.” Terry Bradshaw could have been a standup comedian instead of a pro football player.
- “You can sum up this sport in two words: you never know.” Math, apparently, was not boxing promoter Lou Duva’s strength.
- “I’m a light eater. As soon as it’s light, I start eating.” Art Donovan, a very large offensive lineman in the NFL, didn’t miss a lot of meals.
- “Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” Joe Theismann was clearly a better quarterback than historian.
- “I feel like I’m the best, but you’re not going to get me to say that.” Really, Jerry Rice? You don’t say!
Have a great week, folks.
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