Editing a Perception

Perceptions of reality apply to the way we see every aspect of our lives. We see people, events, and places through our own eyes and develop quick judgments based on how we perceive things.

These perceptions are prevalent everywhere, including the sporting arena. Athletes can be perceived by viewers in a positive or negative manner, which they often can't shake.

Positive:
- Wayne Gretzky is the "Great One"
- Muhammad Ali is the "Greatest"

Negative:
- Bill Buckner is a loser because of one play
- Randy Moss is a cancer in the locker room

What's interesting about these perceptions, are not the perceptions themselves, but how sometimes the result of one event will often change our perception of someone and edit out the past perception. One turning point in an athlete's career is often enough to make us forget about the past, as it often edits the biography of the athlete.

There are a few examples that highlight this. Michael Jordan was a man that built a myth through his play and his drive to win. The perception of Jordan was that he was a winner and that he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest player of all time. This was not always the perception of Jordan. Prior to his breakthrough NBA title with the Bulls in 1990, most people had a different perception of Jordan. He was considered to be one of the best players in the game, but he was considered to be a selfish player. People saw him as a showboat, who put his own stats ahead of his team. He was the opposite of the Lakers, Celtics, and Pistons teams that dominated the NBA in the 80s. These teams were built around a collective of players that worked together cohesively to win championships. Jordan and the Bulls were the complete opposite of this.

Then Jordan matured. The Bulls added coach Phil Jackson and the ultimate sidekick, Scottie Pippen. Jordan began to play a more team-oriented game and the Bulls finally came together for a playoff run in 1991. They defeated the Pistons in the Eastern final, after two failed attempts, and then dispatched the Lakers in the final.

Jordan had forever altered the public's perception of himself. He went on to win six championships, while erasing the perceptions that the public once had of him. It's rare that anything negative is written about his pre-championship career now.

The same is true for John Elway and Peyton Manning. Both had the negative perception early in their careers that they couldn't win the big game. Elway's Denver Broncos lost three Super Bowls in four years, while Manning could never lead the Indianapolis Colts past the New England Patriot juggernaut. Both QB's erased this perception by finally winning the big game later in their careers.

It's interesting how quickly perceptions about athletes are formed and how quickly they can be edited and re-written. Events change these perceptions and old perceptions are quickly edited out of our collective memory.