Today, with a blast of arctic weather, a blast from bridge past seems appropriate. Bob Hamman sent me the article below (PDF) written by Pam Granovettoer in Bridge Today magazine. Though Pam's article is from 2004, much of what she writes is as true today as it was then.
While Nick Nickell's team has been one of the strongest ever to compete at our game, they don't get every hand right. An excerpt from the article here:
What makes Nickell so unique? I say it's because Nickell has bulldogs on his team. Regardless of what
goes wrong (and plenty does go wrong), the Nickell players just go on to the next hand as though nothing happened. They don't seem to get fazed or depressed or upset the way lesser mortals do.
Bob Hamman has explained this many times publicly. His philosophy goes like this: "We're bad but they're worse". Rather than feel bad or hate himself for making an error (in cardplay or judgment) or feel sorry
for himself when the luck goes sour, he just sits there and concentrates on the next board. He already knows he's so bad, so what's to get depressed about? There's the comforting knowledge that the other's are worse,
so surely the tide will change! And it usually does!
Bob's ability to concentrate, focus and never give up is legendary - and Bob's in a class of one. And few teams in history can come close to the success of the Nickell team. Yet, we all can learn from what makes these players so successful - and add as much as we can to our own repertoire.
While you try to stay warm today (good luck!) - please enjoy, be amazed and learn from Pam's story about bulldogs. Strive to be as big a bulldog as you can! While few of us ever can win the Reisinger or a world championship, we can up our own game. Bulldog wannabe's - go for it! (Article below the line)
Comments