The Need for Rivals and SuperVillians

Rivalries and Super Villains are needed in sports, books, movies, and life to help bring out the very best in someone. It's so corny but true.

In boxing, Ali needed Frazier - someone to beat him so he could come back stronger and proves his greatness

In the comics and movies, the X-Men needed to defeat Magneto to show the humanity that not all mutants are evil

In politics, USA needed Russia - Who would ever remember or care about the 1980 Olympics if it weren't for this political feud? It would never had meant so much without the tension.

The Yankees need the Red Sox - The Curse lasted 86 years it was personal

You get the point

It got me thinking about my softball rivals and who they resemble

Here are some of my fieriest rivals in the softball world, and no matter if I like, hate, admire, or respect them there is no denying that I need them to push myself to succeed.

Softball Rivals

John Sheppard - Manager West - He just flat out beat my teams for years until I finally got over the hump, and even then I barely won.
At first I didn't like him - he was obnoxiously honest, a sore loser, and very competitive.
Then I realized he was just like me.
I have grown to really like and respect him over the years even though we both try to beat one another every time we play. It's evolved into a Magento-Charles Xavier friendship relationship right out of the X-Men - two friends on opposites sides. It's corny and geeky but also true.

John Rosenmiller - manager Choice Parts. Resembles Evil Sith lord and ruler of The Evil Empire from Star Wars. Powerful and always a factor in softball. No matter what I think there is no denying that the man is all about winning and will do whatever it takes to succeed.

Dio Jackson - founder, manager and exalted ruler of Highlander Nation - rags to riches softball success. I compare him to Anikan Skywalker totally driven to the power of winning. Definitely a strong force to reckon with in the softball universe.

Contact - 3 time defending champions Big Apple League - they are like the Borg from Star Trek - Resistance is Futile. You hit the ball hard, they turn a double play. They hit a blooper it falls. You make an error, they make you pay for it. They are Relentless - Imitation is the greatest form of flattery I hope to one day have a team that performs up to their standard

Morgan Stanley - Wall Street league - They are like the Yankees and my team is like the Red Sox they always find a way to beat us

Merrill Lynch & Wall Street - Ironically I play on both these very good teams. They are like a pack of dogs, when one starts barking everyone barks. This time is never happy unless it is unhappy. Sadly we have met the enemy and it is us, we are our own worse enemy.

Anyway, without all this rivalry and conflict Winning would never feel so good and losing wouldn't hurt so bad - that's what makes this game special for me.

Holler!!!!!

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