who am i?

Who am I?

I am a well-known sports figure. I may not be the best looking guy around but my mug is recognizable to fans everywhere.

I am a former athlete who excelled at my sport. As a player I was known for being a blue-collar kind of guy who loved the competition.

After my playing days were over, I went into coaching. After years of hard work, I was lucky enough to find myself leading a team steeped deep in tradition. The fan base was unmatched anywhere else in the nation. We had what seemed like endless resources. We had the very best facilities and every time we took the field I knew we had the best players. As a multi-millionaire myself, I must admit that I was well compensated as were my assistant coaches.

I took my team to the postseason twelve consecutive years. I wear a ring on my finger that proves my team once ruled supreme. We were the very best in the land in a sport that means so much to so many. Although it’s true we haven’t won it all in the last seven or eight years, I have had some pretty darn good teams. For some reason, I don’t get the respect that I think I deserve. I can’t explain it. People say the only reason I win is because I have the players. It has nothing to do with my ability.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to deal with more than a few off-field distractions but I chalk most of that up to boys being boys.

Even with all of my achievements, I haven’t been able to satisfy our fans or the media. They want and expect more. If we don’t win it all, they think we’ve had a bad year. It seems I’m always on the so-called hot seat with someone calling for my head.

Who am I?

If you said Joe Torre, you are right.

If you said Phil Fulmer, you too are right.

I don’t know about you but I was struck by the similarities when Torre, the Yankees skipper for the last dozen years, stepped down or was fired depending upon how you look at it. Torre is the most successful manager in baseball today. Fulmer is the most successful football coach today in the SEC. But it seems neither can ever do enough. In many ways, they are victims of their own success. They set the standard so high early on in their tenures that they can’t live up to the expectations. How could they? Torre won four World Series in first five years. Fulmer won a national title in just his sixth season at Tennessee. For both though, it is a case of what have you done for me lately?

The only real difference between the two is Fulmer is still employed.  How long will that be the case? Torre couldn’t beat the Red Sox of late and he is gone. Fulmer hasn’t been able to beat Florida and now archrival Alabama even has the upper hand on the Vols. Despite the outcry in the Big Orange Nation, Fulmer is safe. He can be thankful that Mike Hamilton is not George Steinbrenner. However, at Tennessee, you don’t lose to both the Gators and Tide the same year many times and keep your job. If he does, he will have even more in common with Joe Torre.