Competing

“The best players will play.  That’s the way it will always be.”

–     Larry Joe Bird, one of the greatest basketball players in history

Anyone who followed basketball knows that Larry Joe Bird was an A++ competitor.  Anyone who ended up across the table from Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Jack Welch — was up against a competitor.  And I don’t mean “competitor” in the context of Bulls vs. Pistons, Microsoft vs. Apple or Ford vs. Chevy, either.

The context today is that just as the best players will play, so will competitors compete.

Brian Gaffney was one of 20 Club Pros to qualify for last week’s fourth major championship, the PGA Championship.  He’s the Head Pro at Quaker Ridge Country Club in Westchester County, NY.  On Thursday and Friday he was competing against the likes of ultimate champion Jason Day, 2015’s dominator, Jordan Spieth and the defending champ, Rory McIlroy.  But he was competing.  Ever the pragmatist, though, he had booked a flight home for sometime during the weekend.  Club pros, you see, don’t make the cut.  But they do compete.  When Gaffney made the cut — it was a win for the little guy, but the $17,900 check he ultimately collected — $17,900 more than several household name players who missed the cut — was chewed up by change fees, additional nights lodging and payment to his caddy, etc.

Being a club pro is not a glorious gig.  Neither is being a staff accountant or a sales rep or a customer service rep or a bank teller.

So, why compete?

Because the best will compete.  And if there’s no one to compete with, they’ll challenge themselves, competing against whatever bar they’ve set.  Club pros all over applaud Brian Gaffney, even though he was back on the range Tuesday teaching New York’s version of hacks like me how to better compete.  And staff accountants, sales reps, customer service reps and bank tellers who want to be the best were back at work on Monday, competing.

Are we competing, or just showing up?  The best players will play.  That’s the way it will always be.