Post by Patrick Jones on May 24, 2016 22:57:09 GMT -6
Almost. Nearly. Not quite. Two words and a phrase to say someone or something barely failed. They all focus on the hypothetical result that COULD have occurred. The problem is that the reaction to a misstep described with these or similar turns of phrase is often less visceral and determined than when failure is faced head-on. A timely example of how phrasing can hide the importance of hard work comes from the ongoing Stanley Cup Playoffs. Many of you may or may not be hockey fans, but the circumstance has little to do with the actual sport. You just need to understand that Team A defeated Team B in a Best of Seven series 4-3. When looked at from that perspective, it seems like the competition was very close. However, the final score of Game 7 was 5-0. Clearly, the winning team dominated that final game. So then which is the better way to address the losing team going forward?
All athletics questions are made more difficult due to the inclusion of the variables that are the individual athletes. It depends on how a person or team is motivated. Some competitors are mentally weak and cannot handle the criticism, so the more positive viewpoint must be used. Of course, that ideology often stunts growth since flaws are often glossed over with flowery language instead of addressed and fixed. If it can be handled, the ugly result should always be faced with unwavering attention. All mistakes should be fixed, but mistakes at the most crucial times should be most concerning. The moments in time where results are decided deserve the utmost attention to detail. Allowing one’s self to be satisfied with just getting to one such moment is not the recipe for true success. Instead, the actions that led to the final failure should be tackled.
Clearly, for the hockey team, they failed to perform in the most important game of the series. One member of VoW has gotten right to the precipice of victory in a similar fashion only to falter miserably in both of his last two matches. Against Kincaid, he failed to win the match with his most well-known maneuver then got predictable and paid for not varying his reversal tactics. Facing a Fatal Four Way that was contested almost entirely like a Triple Threat, a lack of ring awareness allowed the potentially match winning pin to be interrupted and transitioned to a near defeat that was only thwarted by a third opponent, who capitalized to win the match for herself.
Viewers can certainly paint two very different pictures of that Visionary depending on how the losses are remembered. To make matters even more potentially muddy, Kincaid was not long removed from beating the VoW World Visionary Champion while multi-person matches are notoriously difficult due to the added elements and shrinking of mathematical win probabilities. Of course, these “barely failures” are also part of a long-standing string of losses, some of them quite embarrassing. Even still, very little is cleared up because the situation can either be seen to be improving based on how degrading the losses were while the more black-and-white interpretation chalks all losses up equally.
This splitting of hairs based on wording and mental state stands juxtaposed to the setting for Breakthrough #46. St. Paul, Minnesota, is often paired with neighboring Minneapolis, Minnesota, as The Twin Cities. Outsiders view the two places as two sides to the same coin and totally inseparable. However, maybe the man whose narrow defeats have been up for debate can illuminate the city issue a bit since his tenure in the Minnesota-based VoW has lent him a special viewpoint.
“John, I would expect you to know better. What kind of journalist does not understand how important the differences are between the two?”
The driver of the yellow 2014 Chevrolet Camaro looks incredulously at his passenger. Of course, his gaze has to keep flitting back towards the road to make sure his modern-day muscle car stays in the correct traffic lane. The expression does not change though.
“I’ve never really done much work in either city. You act like spending 3 nights in one or the other should set off alarms about how they are different. By that logic, you should predict the action of every multi-national luchador that you have ever faced, Jones.”
The clear call back to the most recent Breakthrough causes the driver, Patrick Jones, to cut a dirty look at the passenger, John Cruxton. John gives a small smile to show that he enjoyed getting to jab back at his friend, who nearly never finds himself without a retort of his own.
“Yeah, well, Spaz was not in the ring when the bell rang. He should not have been allowed to interfere. That whole match was refereed strangely. Who has ever heard of count outs in a triple threat?”
“I had never seen that before…and still haven’t since you were in a Fatal 4 Way. You’re lucky no one tried to choke you out for forgetting again.”
More laser eyes are flashed from driver to passenger as the engine revs up a bit. The change in cadence suggests Jones’s right foot has come closer to the floor boards.
“I’m sure you would be a nice road-side pickup for someone to take home to their basement dungeon. How important is it that your finder has more teeth than bodies buried on their property?”
Cruxton’s eyes go wide as he manually jams the locking mechanism for his door, glancing nervously out at the countryside that is passing by just outside the window.
“That…that’s not even funny.”
“And neither is having to wonder when Spaz last washed his hands as those grubby fingers move around your face.”
PJ visibly shivers at the memory of being in the late arrival’s clutches. Both men take a moment to relive their discussed tortures. Outside the car, a sign for interstate 94W and the following Woodbury exit indicates that Jones and Cruxton are nearly to St. Paul. A few moments of quiet travel pass then the competing skylines come into view. Both men’s attentions are pulled to the growing buildings.
“Are you blind or just too focused on thinking about news concerning sweaty men to notice the obvious differences?”
It is Cruxton’s turn to glare daggers as PJ’s weighted question hangs over him.
“Normally, I fly. The view is different from the air. It is much less distinct from above.”
“It’s good to know that I won’t have to pay for your dinner. You are already full of excuses, Crux.”
“I have been around you enough to know how to lose anything, including a feeling of fullness and satisfaction.”
Without even looking away from the road, Jones gives the brakes a good check. Cruxton starts to move forward in his seat, taken off guard by the unexpected deceleration, but his seatbelt jerks him to a harsh halt. The former sports writer groans, rubbing his right hand against his collar under the seatbelt strap.
“Ugh...that was rather uncalled for.”
“I’m sorry, John. I can’t help LOSING control sometimes.”
PJ grins at being able to turn back the insult onto his friend. The two fall into another silence for a minute before Jones speaks back up.
“The easiest way to describe the difference is that St. Paul is old school while Minneapolis is trying to be as modern as it can. You can see right over the St. Paul skyline to the skyscrapers of Minneapolis. It’s really an interesting dichotomy. How have you never noticed before?”
The more serious tone of discussion is answered with a shrug. Maneuvering the Camaro through thickening traffic as the dual downtown congestion builds is keep PJ from looking over at his friend, so the signal is missed.
“Well?”
“I guess I never really spent much time between the two. Which city hosted the event I was working was where I stayed then I wouldn’t be back for long enough to have a fresh memory of the other. But which do you prefer? It has to be St. Paul, right? You have never been on the glitz and glamor of modern big cities.”
Grinning, PJ nods. His head keeps moving slightly, the movements less and less perceptible, but it is obvious that something is going on inside his head that is preoccupying him a bit from noticing his continued nodding.
“Got something to say, bobblehead?”
“No, just old memories…and the realiziation that I don’t think I have ever wrestled in Minneapolis. Armed and Dangerous was there in 2014, but I was not on that card. The last time I was in St. Paul was the double countout with Seth Iser. Somehow, one city has hosted one of my best matches while the other has never seen me compete. It’s just a weird coincidence that proves they aren’t just the same.”
As the two head deeper into St. Paul, none of our questions have really been answered. The two cities are different and have very different historical ties, or lack thereof, to PJ. Maybe that does say something though. If you like the old school mentality of St. Paul and facing problems as problems without sugar coating, something good can come of it. When you take a more modern approach to take that participation trophy and say you “almost” succeeded, nothing too positive can really result.
Now, the question remains for Jones to answer in the ring. He has gotten closer recently to his old form, but the results still have not changed. The trend is upwards though. The man has always adapted and evolved for the best in the past, even if this time he seems to have a bigger hill to climb than ever before. Maybe St. Paul has one more bright spot for Patrick Jones…