Bulletin Board Material

"If I can't see or hear your emotions you're toast before the game starts!"

Life is about competing and competing at the highest level. During the hunt for success I believe that the person with the most hustle will always finish on top. My much younger cousin will be graduating from college on Saturday so I called him to congratulate him. During our conversation I told him that it's grown man business now and that I would talk to him next week when he officially became a grown man. I went on to say that now he's got to step into the arena and compete with me and all of the other folks out here that are trying to get it. In saying that to him I made no apologies for it. 

Unfortunately, we now live in a world that everyone is afraid to have some bravado while in the heat of competition. It's even happening in the sports world which should be the gold standard for competition. 

Philadelphia 76'rs guard Evan Turner, who is from Chicago, was asked what it would mean to face the Bulls in the playoffs, and he was quoted by The Delaware County Daily Times as saying, "It means we're dodging the tougher team. That's what I think. I think we'll be able to compete well against Chicago, and have an opportunity to win the series."

Understandably, boyz went at him on Twitter and the media jumped all over it by asking the Bulls players how they felt about what Turner said. After it blew up Turner later tried to explain what he meant.

"Absolutely, they play the whole year as the No. 1 team, they beat Miami a couple times, they're without Derrick [Rose], without their best player for a while," Turner said. "Obviously, they should be [upset]. I would be mad, too. 'Who does Evan Turner thinks he is?' I understand. They could have easily said negative stuff and been unprofessional."

He tweeted a response to Bulls fans: "And bulls fans: please stop tweeting me about the playoffs. I didn't say anything negative. All I said is we match up better with them smh"

In my opinion, that was a chump move on Turner's part. Who cares what the other team or their fans think about what you thought bruh! Being the best or not never stopped boyz from talking trash or leaving the other team bulletin board material when I was a kid. I mean what was he supposed to say? "It doesn't matter we're going to lose either way!" Really?

 I get sick of competitors trying to keep their emotions in tact so that the other team won't get mad. Competitive people by nature have to be somewhat delusional. They always have to think that they are better than they are in order to compete daily.   

This new generation is so afraid to get into the trenches that it makes me nauseous. It doesn't matter that the Bulls are CLEARLY a better team than the 76'rs. That's not the point here! In the heat of the battle you've got to do a little talking in order to do two things; A) get into the head of the competition and B) fool yourself into believing that you're better than you actually are until you get better. Have you ever heard the term "Fake it til you make it" bruh?

Faking it means to think that you're already doing whatever it is you're trying to do and acting like it too. How many times have you had to compete against someone that was clearly better than you were but because of your confidence going in, you threw them off of their game and won? Have you ever heard the story of David and Goliath? Now God was on David's side but it was David's faith that allowed him to believe in what was ordained.  C'mon bruh! 

 If Evan felt that way about the series then that's what it is. Now the Bulls have to prove him wrong. I've been in sales for the past 22 years and I'm one of the best in the world. My numbers haven consistently proven that. So when I see my competition, I let them know that it's not going to be a cake walk and that's putting it nicely. Most of the time I win but sometimes I lose but that never changes my approach. 

If I'm out of my league I'll never let my competition know what I'm thinking because to do that is to accept defeat without trying. Philly may as well not even get on plane to Chicago this weekend because Turner has conceded the loss even before they tip off. If you're going to compete, in my opinion, there must always be bulletin board material! Your confidence at some point has to spill over. It's OK to talk a little trash bruh because your competition will respect you in the morning. Otherwise, you're just going through the motions!

Holla At Ya Boy!

 Jay Graves

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.