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May 25, 2011 Novi’s Mitch Maier is a Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals. At one time, the Royals featured one of the greatest of all time, Hall of Famer George Brett. Brett was once asked what he would like to do in his final at-bat, in other words how did he want to be remembered? Grand Slam? Bases loaded triple? Walk off game winning home run? “Nope,” Brett replied, “I hope I ground out to second base.” “And the reason is simple, it’s because I will give 110% trying to beat the throw, and hustling all the way through the bag, that’s how I approached my craft, and that’s how I want people to remember me.” Long before it became a bestselling book, Brett was practicing the ‘212’- theory, the extra degree. What does that mean? It means that at 211 degrees water is hot, very hot. But at 212 degrees, water boils, which produces steam, which can power a locomotive. One extra degree of effort in every aspect can make all the difference in the world, especially in the World of Sports. Novi teams should tuck this away as they prepare for the District Playoffs. It’s clear that giving the extra degree of effort, made George Brett a Hall of Famer and it got Mitch Maier to the Big Leagues. And…there is perhaps no other class of people that embody this premise as much as the men and women serving our military. They even take it a step further. They… are putting their lives on the line. Memorial Day Weekend is just around the corner. We enjoy watching successful sports programs in Novi, thanks to dedicated people that care enough to give the extra degree of exertion. We move freely because of the dedicated servicemen and women, (many from Novi), that define the meaning of giving the extra degree. While you’re around town this week, and as we head into our three day weekend, make it point to give the extra degree yourself. If you see one of our fine military personnel out and about, take the time to shake their hand, and thank them for their service. Thanks to their loyalty to our country, we are free to go the extra degree, and that is something we should never take lightly. By going the extra degree and acknowledging their commitment to go the extra degree it becomes a win-win for everyone. And Novi, is a community that likes to win, and deserves to win. Go Cats! (c) 2011 Novi
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Bernie Fratto now resides in Las Vegas and is still active in the media, working with Fox Sports 920am on their Monday Night Football Show, and writing weekly columns for JTtheBrick.com. His first book, “Conversations with JT the Brick” is due out in the fall. His column appears here periodically. Lance J. Lilla's regular column appears here most Mondays, except over summer break. |
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