“Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?” – Marshall Mathers
My mother once said to me, “You can have ANYTHING in this world that you want, but you have to work for it. If you want it…GO GET IT.” Like the above quote says, if you had a chance to seize your dream in an instant, would you rise to the occasion?
The sports world has been set ablaze with the rapid rise of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. His jump from a journeyman bench-warmer, to a starting player in the NBA, in one of the world’s most premier cities has been legendary.
When he finally got his chance to play, he didn’t just take advantage, he took what was his. Lin made a 25-point statement in that game on February 4th, and he hasn’t looked back. He’s pictured in newspapers, doing interviews and was also a late addition to the NBA All-Star Weekend.
He’s had people questioning his skill, questioning if he has the ethnic makeup to succeed at the pro level and criticizing every move that he makes in an effort to prove that he’s just a fly-by-night sensation.
One month later, he’s still standing and handling his newly-found fame with dignity and class.
You may not like rap music, but if you strip out the tunes and appreciate the words in the opening phrase of Eminem’s award-winning song “Lose Yourself”—I used his real name above to express the seriousness and the essence of the words, you will see how this encompasses not just Jeremy Lin, but the hopes and dreams of every fighter in mixed martial arts.
Any fighter worth their soul dreams of being the world champion. Some compete for years and while several may say that they never got their shot, I believe some just quit before it came.
Like Lin, their entire life can change in an instant. Former UFC fighter Kimbo Slice was a bouncer for a pornography company and competed in street fights that were posted on YouTube.
He had his first MMA fight in the CFFC promotion on June 2007. Eleven months later, he was headlining the first nationally-televised MMA card. One year after that, he was fighting in the world’s largest MMA organization: the UFC.
He landed a few small movie roles and became a household name in the MMA community. Slice was never more than sideshow spectacle, but the point is that when his opportunities came, he seized it.
Jon Jones was a fighter with evolving skills and great potential when he joined the UFC in 2008. After defeating Ryan Bader in February 2011, he received the offer of a lifetime.
Having only six weeks to prepare and harnessing the pressure of potentially having to face a teammate down the road, Jones took his shot and not only blew through Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to win the title, but also became the mainstream face of the UFC.
He was 23 years old.
The MMA landscape is full of stories involving guys like Jeremy Lin, who would not be denied no matter what people said about him.
Even when facing the best—Deron Williams and Kobe Bryant to name a few—he didn’t shy away. Few people gave Cain Velasquez a chance in his fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
He not only defeated Brock, but did it convincingly and against the ignorant chants of the idiots cheering “USA! USA! USA!” (he was born in California).
A few months back, I wrote an article listing various celebrities and their MMA alter egos. If I had to pick one for Jeremy Lin, I would say former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
Excuse me for sounding cliche, but “Linsanity” represents the American Dream: It’s about a scrappy guy who had to fight and claw his weigh to the top. When he got there, the “experts” still doubted him.
Edgar got his shot against a legend, beat him twice and people still weren’t sold on him.
As a native of Philadelphia and a HUGE fan of the Rocky saga—well, at least the first two movies—I can always appreciate the story of an underdog.
Life is about risks. Those who risk it all and give everything to accomplish their goals can always walk with their heads held high, even in failure. There are times as a fighter when you’re in the gym; you’re tired, you feel pain and you want to quit.
There is one trait that pushes guys like Jeremy Lin, Jon Jones and any other MMA fighter looking for their chance. It’s the one trait that only they control…
DESIRE!
“The starting point of all achievement is desire.” – Napoleon Hill
Follow Walt J. as he gives his no-holds-barred opinions on the NFL, MMA and other sports topics on his blog, “Live From AREA 49.” You can also follow him on Twitter @area49sports.
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