It’s not always about you by Maria Grant

I realize it’s dangerous for me to write about football when those of you who are reading this article surely know more about the sport than I do.

In my defense, I became a football fan when I lived in Green Bay during Brett Favre’s glory days. I then followed Aaron Rodgers rise to fame and fall from grace. I’m from Michigan and followed Tom Brady’s career from the time he played at the University of Michigan until his final quarterbacking with Tampa Bay. I was thrilled with the Detroit Lions success this year. And, of course, I’m a huge Lamar Jackson fan. The quarterback I loved the most this season is the Commanders’ Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. I found his grace under pressure during the final minutes of so many games this season to be truly amazing. 

But what I want to write about today is how irritating I find Tom Brady and Tony Romo to be as football commentators. I know sports writers claim that Romo has an “uncanny” ability to predict plays. And I have read that it’s “early days” for Brady. In his first commentating game, he said very little. He has improved. And he was given all kinds of kudos for being the first to recognize that the Lions had 12 players on the field when they last played against the Commanders. 

But why do I find Romo and Brady so irritating? I think it’s because it is more about them than what’s going on in the field. And they both tend to flaunt their knowledge as opposed to giving true next-level insights. 

It’s the same reason President Trump drives me to distraction. Because it’s always about him. Last week at a prayer breakfast, he spoke about the tragic plane crash in DC. Within a nanosecond, he made it about the assassination attempt against him and then proceeded to talk about himself for the next 10 minutes. 

Trump was at the Super Bowl yesterday. On Truth Social, he posted that he got cheered while Taylor Swift got booed. Not that different from talking about crowd size at inaugurations, rallies, etc. 

Truly great sports commentators provide a soundtrack to the game, enhancing the experience without being consciously noticeable or calling unnecessary attention to themselves or distracting the viewer from the game itself. 

That is more difficult than you might realize. Giving the viewer insights and perspectives that widen the aperture to include aspects not yet considered, and when appropriate, adding humor to an ironic turn of events is a skill that requires honing and experience.

We live in a narcissistic society. Narcissism has seven traits: authority, self-sufficiency–belief that you achieved everything on your own–, superiority, exhibitionism, exploitativeness, vanity, and entitlement. Experts say that if you want to become less narcissistic, there are five principles to work on for self-improvement: gratitude, modesty, compassion—for yourself and others–, mindfulness and community. 

In the original myth, Narcissus is punished with a terminal fascination for his own reflection in revenge for his treatment of Echo, whom he despises for loving him. 

Freud once wrote, “Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism.” Something to think about. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.