As we all know, professional football is a modern day gladiator sport. It's as tough a physical pursuit as one can undertake in all of modern athletics in my humble opinion. Although I never played, I was a sports broadcaster/writer/producer for a number of years and was able to watch these behemoths of raw wrath pummel one another one play after another for hours on end. But having an all access pass (thank you NBC Sports) to the players before and after games/practices afforded me a different perspective on many of their mindsets!
I found most of these "monsters of the gridiron" to have quite humble hearts filled with gratitude and a deep belief in a power greater than themSELVES. Thank goodness. Because at that time I weighed in at a paltry 165 pounds and could have been used as a doorstop to their locker room quite efficiently! LOL
Hanging around former pros (mostly Washington Redskins) like Art Monk, Darrell Green, John Riggins, Joe Theisman, and coach Joe Gibbs instilled a deep appreciation for the hard work and commitment toward both self and team success that is still as inspirational as anything I have experienced. And the reverence that they carried toward one another was astonishing to witness. They were imbued with a deep rooted respect for everyone. They knew the intestinal fortitude it took to cross between the white lines for those 60 minutes every Sunday. And so that mutual commiseration was extended to every player on the field. Truly something to behold! Probably one of the reasons I haven't missed a Redskins game since 1981!
There is a show called Hard Knocks on HBO every late summer that chronicles the grueling training camps each NFL team must endure prior to each season. This past season the show focused on the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, the Browns have been perennial bottom dwellers for the past two decades. But they finally have gathered a good, young crop of dynamic players. So I was happy to see them get some long overdue fan fare from the league.
The standout of the 6 episode season became their newly acquired star wideout, Jarvis Landry. Landry is absolutely electrifying both on and off the field. With a complete skill set of football talents that make him a much watch player every Sunday.
However, it was not his on the field physical prowess that stirred quite a sensation with both hard core fans and part time armchair QB's. Time after time, the cameras caught Landry espousing a catch phrase that took the league by storm. For instance, after torching a defensive back for a long touchdown catch, Landry would run up to the player and "Bless Em." Literally, he would say, "Bless you brother!" And on plays in which the defensive player "got the best of him" with a good, clean hard tackle, Landry's retort never changed. "Bless you. Bless em. Bless em!"
This was Landry's first year on the team and so his new teammates were at first caught somewhat off guard with this habitual display of reverence. Was it genuine?! Or just for show?! And so us views of the program were given behind the scenes snippets of his teammates approaching him to get more clarification on this unique form of player praise.
“God blesses us by giving us this ability to be a blessing to other people. It’s no different for the defense or a DB [defensive back]. You have to bless ’em. It doesn’t have to be Sunday for them to get this work. Bless ’em,” said Landry. And ya know what? Many of his teammates started taking a copy from this verbal playbook and began "blessing" other players in a two-sided tandem! This catch phrase caught a wind storm that galvanized a team that was in desperate need of a unifying theme. And "BLESS EM" became the team's rallying cry for the entire 2018 season. One in which the Browns won more games than they had in over a decade!
Somebody cuts you off in traffic; Bless Em!
You are at the center of hurtful gossip; Bless Em!
Your co-worker gets the promotion you desired; Bless Em!
You feel abandoned or betrayed; Bless Em!
A friend surprises you with something unexpected; Bless Em!
Money appears seemingly out of the sky; Bless Em!
Give someone an unexpected hug; Bless Em!
Tell someone how much they mean to you; Bless Em!
Take your dog for a long walk; Bless Em!
Have a fantastic meal out at a restaurant. Tell the waiter; Bless Em!
After all, the greatest gift we can give is reminding one another how absolutely ADORAMAZING we all truly are! Wouldn't you agree?! So the next time the opportunity arises, go out and BLESS EM!! Because this practice will instill the powerful attitude of GRATITUDE within your core being. As you re-member that every single thing that enters into your life's experience comes as a beautiful BLESSING!
BE SUPER HEROIC!
Nerdmaste,
Jeffrey Louis Martinez
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