Soft, like Peja

[parker]

From the reactions to Peja's injury and the disappointment to the team's sometimes lackadaisical play, I get the sense that most of the posters on this forum are tough-nosed, hard-fighting, never-say-die warrior types, who would play with a broken hand, leg, and hanging left testicle (as the case may apply). They are also energized, passionate and focused. They are intimidators who do not blink in the face of adversity or returned intimidation.

Let me be the first on this forum to admit to being soft, like Peja. When I played baseball, I sometimes felt the pressure, lost my concentration and muffed an easy catch. When I strained my hamstring, I went out and played, but my concentration wasn't there. Some days, for some reason, I was out of it, in a malaise, bored and unenergized.

My point is that even though these guys are top-level athletes (at least most of them), they aren't machines immune from lethargy, pain, doubt, fatigue, boredrom and any number of non-warrior qualities. I know these guys are being paid millions of dollars, but a million dollars doesn't make you any less vulnerable to the human condition. It's easy to label someone soft from the comfort of the keyboard. Walk a mile in Peja's slippers, however, and you may feel differently.

 

[Dime Dropper]

but a million dollars doesn't make you any less vulnerable to the human condition.

But Peja's not human, hes a big overgrown teddy bear....Isn't he? Thats what I always thought anyway.

 

[ski]

We're not using ourselves to gauge him against. There are many examples in the league that we see regularly. Peja is on the low end of that curve when it comes to toughness. That's the issue.