By Tom Mills, Track Record Enterprises LLC
I hope that our readers will forgive me for delaying the next installment of my previous spokesperson essay to pay tribute to one of the great owners of all time.
If you are wondering how I can portray this controversial individual in such glowing terms, I will simply state that our lives are complicated. Sometimes, a great person such as the one and only John Wooden comes along and lives a life that is universally applauded and recognized.
George Steinbrenner is close to my own heart because of his humanity and his imperfections. Although George made mistakes in his life and was twice actually banned from Major League Baseball, he never gave up.
Once he was asked how he would like to be remembered and he simply stated that “I would like to be remembered as someone who always kept trying.” In fact, he will be remembered for his relentless pursuit of excellence.
Just as great coaches remained focused on building great teams, George’s Yankees were his pride and joy.
Here are some things that many of us don’t know about this man.
First, he was a product of his own childhood experiences with his father. Evidently, nothing that George ever did was good enough to earn praise from his dad. Many of his friends have mentioned that he had first and foremost a desire for acceptance from this most important figure in his life.
George Steinbrenner was intensely loyal to those he called his friends. He was a long-time supporter of the United States Olympic Committee and he helped so many individuals who were down on their luck over the years and never mentioned it to others. He was an amazing benefactor to the Tampa Bay community and will always be remembered for his generosity.
George Steinbrenner was passionate about his Yankees. He never stopped thinking of ways to field the best ball club possible for his fans and his family pride. He was a master businessman and innovator and he created one of the most successful sports broadcasting networks in history.
Ultimately, how will he be remembered?
He will be recognized as a driven and complicated individual who built the premier sports brand in the world who never gave up on being the best that he could be.
