Luke Skywalker felt battered as he stepped off the field. After winning Performance of the Year and being nominated for multiple other awards, his sophomore season had felt like a let-down. Too few passes, too many interceptions, running up incompletes; Luke felt like something was missing, that is mojo was slowly leaking out of him. He sat down on the bench, discouraged.
“Hey Skywalker, you suck!” shouted a fan from behind him. Catcalls and boo’s followed from the stands. “You must have failed school, ‘cuz all you got are incompletes!”
“Dude, don’t let them get to you,” GM J0EB said, punching Skywalker in the arm. “Fans are always fickle. You’re doing a good job.”
“How?” Luke asked. “I just played like poop out there.”
“You have to learn as you keep playing in the league,” J0EB said with a smile, “that you can’t base your career on one game. One game, whether it’s good or bad, doesn’t define you. Heck, one season doesn’t even define you. It’s your career overall that shows what kind of a player you are. It’s how you build up every season that defines your character. You had one good season, you had one mediocre season.”
“And what does that make me?” Luke interrupted. “A washout? A mediocre player?”
“Heck no,” J0EB said. “Look man, it’s how you do after the mediocre season that defines how you get labeled. You going to sulk there on the bench? Or are you going to get up and do your best in every game and learn from your mistakes? Come on, we know you’re good. Hahalua drafted you; they think you’re good. We have faith in you that you can be great. Go out their next game, next season, and show them what you got! You are Luke Friggin Skywalker!”
“Thanks, Mr. J0EB,” said Luke. “You’re right. I can do this!”
“That’s right,” J0EB said. “And I’m telling every player here the same thing! We can dominate next season! We just got to get better and believe in ourselves!”
And the next season, the Norfolk Seawolves went on to win the Ultimini. Thanks, J0EB!
(355 words)
“Hey Skywalker, you suck!” shouted a fan from behind him. Catcalls and boo’s followed from the stands. “You must have failed school, ‘cuz all you got are incompletes!”
“Dude, don’t let them get to you,” GM J0EB said, punching Skywalker in the arm. “Fans are always fickle. You’re doing a good job.”
“How?” Luke asked. “I just played like poop out there.”
“You have to learn as you keep playing in the league,” J0EB said with a smile, “that you can’t base your career on one game. One game, whether it’s good or bad, doesn’t define you. Heck, one season doesn’t even define you. It’s your career overall that shows what kind of a player you are. It’s how you build up every season that defines your character. You had one good season, you had one mediocre season.”
“And what does that make me?” Luke interrupted. “A washout? A mediocre player?”
“Heck no,” J0EB said. “Look man, it’s how you do after the mediocre season that defines how you get labeled. You going to sulk there on the bench? Or are you going to get up and do your best in every game and learn from your mistakes? Come on, we know you’re good. Hahalua drafted you; they think you’re good. We have faith in you that you can be great. Go out their next game, next season, and show them what you got! You are Luke Friggin Skywalker!”
“Thanks, Mr. J0EB,” said Luke. “You’re right. I can do this!”
“That’s right,” J0EB said. “And I’m telling every player here the same thing! We can dominate next season! We just got to get better and believe in ourselves!”
And the next season, the Norfolk Seawolves went on to win the Ultimini. Thanks, J0EB!
(355 words)
