19th June - Coming Second

Take that title however you want to. If you thought this diary entry was gonna prove some sort of fascinating insight into my performances in the bedroom, then you'll feel somewhat sorely disappointed. My reasoning for today's topic is that I saw Twitter explode into some kind of meltdown earlier today when observing a comment under a post from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Tweet, in question, contained a series of positive emojis, such as the clapping symbol, a happy face, and a crown, and stated: "The second greatest player of all time". 

CR7 fans were furious, calling the comment out and seeing it as some sort of 'attack' or verbal lambast. A slight on his ability, or somehow some kind of way of undermining him. Let's be honest here... Ronaldo most probably IS the 2nd greatest footballer of all time. Only a fool would argue against the super-human nature of Lionel Messi, in the same way an idiot would dispute Tyson Fury's claim as the greatest heavyweight boxer of his era. (Though had he been born 20 years earlier, and thrown into the Mike Tyson & Lennox Lewis period, then that might have proved contentious).  The point I'm making, is that those with a 'winning mentality' will insist that 2nd place is nothing. Unless you're taking the gold in whatever you do, the pursuit was pointless. There's this saying that 'nobody remembers the runner-up', but I beg to differ. Your legacy is not defined by just success, it is defined by the manner in which you achieve it.

Novak Djokovic, much like Cristiano, is a relentless machine of a man. Somebody who strives with a cold and robotic-like level of perfection in his consistency. As things stand, he will - in all likelihood - end his career with more Grand Slam titles than either Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal. Though debate it with any Tennis purist, and that's not a single soul on earth who would argue that Novak is a better player than prime Federer. The reason Roger, or Lionel, or Michael Jordan, are remembered so fondly, is due to their grace, their class, and the way they ooze sophistication via their own art form. There are two types of people in this world. The natural talents, and the 'try hards'. The try hards, over time, may even surpass the naturals in terms of achievement, but if you ask me right here, right now, if I'd like to be remembered as 'the best' to ever do what I do, or 'the second best', but ultimately 'the most natural', then the choice is very clear...

... I'd choose coming second, every time.