From time to time, Linus, the wonderfully philosophical, security blanket-clutching member of the “Peanuts” gang in the comics would opine: “There’s no greater burden that great potential.” Often in reaction to his overbearing sister, Lucy, and his hapless friend Charlie Brown. Wonderful creations of cartoonist Charles Shultz. On reflection, though, perhaps Linus had something. The pressure of high expectations and achievable reality often seem to collide in life, leaving us disappointed and feeling let down, even when perhaps we should have felt differently.
There was a special section of the sports section in the paper a while back, bringing that lament home to me. It proclaimed in its title: “MVP or Bust”. This was, of course, in reference to Drake Maye, our young Patriots’ quarterback, who came close last year. I realize that in the sports world, which I’ll remind readers isn’t really my sphere of knowledge or influence, that sort of analysis, building of expectations, and afterward, dissection of results is commonplace. Yes, one might say “it’s their job.” And it is. A further article goes on to, in the writer’s own word, “rehash” the Super Bowl. What should and perhaps should not have happened. Again, in the sports world, that’s common. For the average fan, perhaps, we’ve let it go. We’ve moved on. A substandard team of the year before exceeded our expectation under a new coaching staff and some new players. We had fun on the ride to Santa Clara. Our hometown team didn’t win that final game, but we got there, which dozens of other teams didn’t. So, in my mind, I’m thanking those that made it possible, for giving us a season about which to cheer, and for which to celebrate, even though the ending wasn’t quite what we’d hoped. Dare we admit, “the better team won.”
Anyway, I’d advise our young quarterback to have a great season of fun, hopefully success, and keep that wonderful smile on your face. That’s what the game is all about. The legendary Boston sports announcer Gil Santos used to remind professional athletes, usually after temper tantrums and ill-advised lashings out, that they were “playing a kid’s game.” That’s the key. There may be frustrations spread out over the sports world, but still, they’re a game. The wonderful exuberance of fans over the summer during World Soccer reminded us of that. The traffic cones on historic Boston sights, the smiling faces and shortage of beer from the visiting Scots, the Norwegian fans rowing. Enthusiasm and fun, and those characteristics brought the world together for a few weeks. As perhaps sports should do and nothing else really can.
Our Red Sox too, after a gloomy start to the season, ran off great strings of victories, raising expectations, images of fans waving their shirts about in support and excitement. Will they make the playoffs in a wild card slot? And it will be “wild” in every sense, if it comes to that. The summer of ’26 has given us a whole new crop of household names, like Sogard, Bennett, Durbin, Tolle, and Montasterio to replace Bregman and Devers. So, yes, we’re sitting watching, sometimes asking, “who’s that?” Highs and lows. An Orioles relief pitcher, who the announcers were extolling and that hadn’t given up a home run in dozens of games until Nick Sogart . . . . Joy and triumph, until our virtuoso closer gave up a two-run homer in the ninth and we were back to our traditional Red Sox fan reaction – panic and nail-biting. Put the shirts back on. And then, finally, the outfielders’ dance of joy.
Now, they’re in the playoffs. But are they a World Series – level team? In April and May, nope. In June, July, and early August, quite possibly. In September, maybe yes, maybe no. It’s the nature of sports. Predictions that come true, or not. Up and down. Just like the Sox’ replacement manager Chad Tracy. Who went from “You’re kidding, right?” to “Wow” as the summer literally played out.
Here in New England, we had textile mills on just about every major waterway. Up in the northern counties, paper mills abounded. They were the economic drivers of New England’s economy. Jobs, income, a way of life. Now, most all are gone, victims of outdated technologies, dwindling raw materials, cheaper production elsewhere, and the electronics revolution. So, we New Englanders, being a tough breed, reinvented ourselves. Technology start-ups, biomedical research, and the greatest concentration of colleges and universities in the country, perhaps the world. We turned the page, we adapted, and most important of all, we developed new potential. We’re in the midst of an election – a mid-term one to be sure, but still one of importance to our region, our nation, and our democratic form of governance. I certainly wouldn’t vote for a leader that tells us that the textile mills are going to make a comeback, any more than I would vote for someone who tells the coal miners of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio that their jobs will too. The new leaders of the future will talk about harnessing advanced technologies to create solutions to growing issues – climate change, energy, healthcare, communications, and information. They’ll look to create new jobs with wages, benefits, and incentives that will create opportunities for young people looking to their futures, to rebuild the middle class. Those leaders will be talking about ways to address scarcity, provide access to affordable health care and education systems that produces thinkers and innovators. They won’t talk about “cutting taxes”, but rather making taxes equitable and proportional. A “tax fighter” often is ignoble, less concerned with the common good and more with building moats around individual prosperity. He, she, or they will be unmasked as obsessed with moving backward to a golden age of prosperity that never was. One of the important lessons I’ve learned and carry with me when I enter the voting booth (or mail in my ballot, thanks to the Supreme Court) is that there is nothing wrong with making money or building wealth. But making that a primary, obsessive life objective, an end-run around fairness, or that pits people against each other, is a value we don’t need and shouldn’t want.
Life is about balancing potential and reality. So often we hear the phrase, “it has the potential to. . . .”, followed by something really good or really catastrophic. Some ideas, deeds, or events exceed our expectations from time to time. Who thought that Ukraine could hold out this long? Certainly not Vladimir Putin, but then again, who thought the American colonies could successfully sever its ties with Britain? Certainly not King George. And then, often, something doesn’t. A few weeks of bombing the daylights out of Iran, the regime would collapse, their nuclear stockpiles gone, and the Strait of Hormuz would be an open waterway. Peace would reign there under benevolent US control. French King Louis XVI never thought his people would rise up against him to the point of cutting off his head. Kaiser Wilhelm II thought his armies invincible in 1914, and Adolf Hitler failed those same history exams in 1944 and ‘45. Financial wizards of the 1920’s couldn’t grasp the stock market crash of 1929, or even contemplate the ensuing severity of the Great Depression. Who could have imagined the global impact of COVID, and everything it forced us to do? But we persevered, we moved on. We developed solutions and remedies, we adjusted and compensated. Every so often, some tainted lettuce or contaminated jalapenos come along to remind us that our expectations of food safety aren’t ever completely safe. Or from politicians whose promises are, in the words of Mary Poppins, “pie crust” – easily made and easily broken. AI technology is wonderful, until it hacks my bank account, or it could take over and kill us all. Deportations of the undocumented make us safer, until we have nobody to take care of the elderly in nursing homes, build new homes in California, maintain farms in Florida, or plow our driveways in New England. And worse, shootings in the streets and innocent people living in fear. High expectations and great potential clashing with reality and misguided fears.
Our beloved Red Sox are heading into the playoffs. Against the Yankees. Oh, God, maybe I should take something for my blood pressure. Will they show enough offensive firepower? Will Chapman and Contreras be healthy and available? Will the starting pitching hold up? But, like getting to the Super Bowl last year, we ought to just take a deep breath and enjoy the ride. Great potential, whether met or unmet – we’ll wait and see, and remind ourselves that these are “kids’ games”. Good luck, Red Sox, Patriots, and even though I don’t watch them as much, Celtics and Bruins too. And keep smiling, Drake. It makes us feel better.
