Be like Rog, not like Mike

Michael Jordan's speech for his induction to the Hall of Fame was terrible. The last thing we need is an athlete, no matter how good he is, turning around and pointing back (and whining all the while) about all those who have "wronged" him. So, you don't like that your high school coach cut you, MJ? Well, you were skinny Mike back then, and probably didn't deserve to play. You used it as motivation to get to the next level, right? So thank the guy for that and let it go.

Jordan ripped into all sorts of people who came through his glorified air, taunting people he had already downed with his skills, getting the last word in when no one was really questioning him. What a joke. He may be a great player, but his speech showed he's far from a complete person...one who can let the past go, the misplaced wrongs roll of his back, the mistakes be the mere human mistakes of others. (He's never done anything wrong? Never underestimated someone? Never done something that he thought was in the best interest of something, only to have it be called a slight by someone else? Forgive as you wish to be forgiven.)

On the other hand, I can think of one champion today that handles his status as the best in his sport with complete deftness and humility. Roger Federer slips into moments of stating the obvious (some would call it pride), but usually he defers all glory to an opponent or the arena in which he plays. Even his uber-luxury line of tennis clothes has been release with less than vaunted fanfare; he's a king that wears gold but doesn't keep telling you that he does.

Federer's game speaks for him, and he's never felt the need to load it on afterwards. Idiot players who challenge him or say he's not that great are never met with a, "You said I couldn't handle your backhand, but I showed you, Djokovic! Who's the king now, huh? Huh?" No, Federer is too classy of a champion for that. He decimates then demurs, letting himself be a nice human being while still obliterating on the court.

Funny, but in Jordan's speech, he said he was a nice guy (classic sign of a guy who's full of himself: calling himself nice in a speech about himself). With Jordan, we don't know if that's true, but with Federer, we know every person in the world would agree. Well, except for maybe Roger himself.