A B/R Lesson Learned: What Is Now Clear in a Fogged Up, Virtual World!

For a long time, people have asked, "Joe, why?" I say, "what do you mean, why?"

They ask, "why do you write? Why do you continue to write about sports/sports entertainment?"

Why do I write? Because I love to. You sit down and write your opinion down and feel as if your voice can be heard throughout the world.

Which is possible, considering it is the Internet, of course.

I discovered Bleacher Report on Facebook.com, a place I just joined at the time. I saw the B/R link to the site.

The link said, "wrestling writers wanted". I thought it was a paying gig at the time so I came.

Then, when I arrived, I saw something I liked—the fact that you didn't have to have a degree, be a certain age, pay a fee, or anything to be here.

And I loved that fact, so I stayed and never left again.

In this time, I made a few goals

1. Be a Top Writer in the rankings somewhere on B/R
2. Be a Community Leader
3. Win an Article of the Day

Those goals are hard to reach for anyone, not just a new writer here. There are some who have been here for months or years and never accomplished them.

I accomplished two of them by being a community leader and being a top writer, both in the wrestling section.

I thought I would be able to reach the AOTD soon after, but never did. It was something hard to reach, and in over 500 articles I never accomplished that goal.

Which I can understand.

But that doesn't kill the fact that I want it.

I have said it before, and I will say it again once more.

Going to a pro-wrestling reference here to be prepared

I feel like Jeff Hardy at times, a guy who has all the tools but is just not ready.

When you arrive in a wrestling organization you don't always have success right off. You try to, but it just does not happen right away.

Jeff Hardy was a jobber in the wrestling business for a while, meaning he was just there to lose to the better superstar they were trying to build up.

For a long time, Hardy wanted to be on the other side of this. He wanted to be the wrestler that got the win and was being pushed in the company.

Then one day, he started to get noticed by the WWE—World Wrestling Entertainment.

He and his brother Matt started going extreme, if you will. They did Ladder matches, hardcore matches, and infamous TLC matches. They all got them noticed by the fans and became very popular with them.

The WWE took notice and decided to push Jeff, having him take on a singles career, while still tagging for a while.

He did well, winning European, Hardcore, and Intercontinental Titles in the WWE. Not to mention Tag Team Gold with his brother Matt.

But the one thing that he wanted so bad was the World Title.

Every wrestler dreams of becoming this.

Not one will tell you they do not want to be a World Champion in a company, especially one like the WWE.

He was popular with fans, but management would not give him the World Title.

The fact was he had issues outside of the spotlight. He abused drugs and was suspended a few times. He had to clear those up.

He had all the potential in the world. The problem was that he could not be trusted to hold the World Title.

He was not ready for it, despite wanting it and deserving it after so long. He won every title he could possibly dream of in the WWE.

He was better than what they were treating him. He knew it, the fans knew it, and the WWE knew it too.

Which is why, in December of 2008, he won his first World Title in the WWE Championship.

I say all of that to say this—it takes a while to be the man.

To be a top writer, or even win an AOTD, you have to work for it. Sometimes the overnight sensation will get noticed for that one day, but then never win another AOTD or be at the top very long in the rankings.

The fact is that all of us are like Jeff Hardy in a way. We come into a company, sport, etc., and we expect to win right away.

It is human nature of course, and that is okay.

We have to think we are deserving. If we don't have any confidence, then why even try?

It takes time, and I have learned that here on B/R.

I may have not won an AOTD, but that is because I have not written anything worthy of that just yet.

Maybe I will soon, later, or never.

But if I sit and complain and say how this article or any other article I do is worth the AOTD, then where does that get me?

I could complain, but in the end, it will do nothing.

The person who won the AOTD will still be the winner.

So complaining does nothing.

When it comes to being a top writer here, you have to go by the same concept. You will not be a top writer if you continue to complain that you're not.

Work for it, and prove that you deserve it.

One day you will get it because you are determined to get it—no one will stop you then. No one can ever take that away from you when you are.

You can be loved or hated, but they still can't take it away.

You have a gift here on B/R.

You have the opportunity to come to a place with like-minded people and share your thoughts about the sport(s) you love.

In the end, you can have goals and aspirations, but why complain?

You will reach them one day if you stay true to yourself and keep working towards them.

It is a lesson clearly learned in a fogged up, virtual world that people need to realize.