Just got off the ice, it was a pretty easy win. My teammate had a comment at one point, after her counterpart had a mini outburst following a missed shot.

That guy is not good enough to be that mad.

I like that phrasing. I'm going to keep that in my back pocket.

In my experience, there are many aspiring competitive athletes who will get very angry when things aren't going well. Some of them will claim that getting angry helps them. The intensity will help them focus. It brings out another level of skill and athleticism. Yada, yada, yada.

I think this is true for some people.¹ However, there are far more people who believe that it is true of themselves.

Either way, visibly expressing one's anger (slamming brooms on the ice, gesticulating, swearing loudly at one's self) is mostly performative. I've been tempted to do it from time to time, and honestly, I've succumbed to the temptation in the past.

But let's be honest. When you miss a shot, strike out, hit the golf ball into the trees, etc., and then turn around and make a big dramatic scene about how upset you are at this outcome... What you are trying to communicate is the following message: "I know that all of you around me saw me eat shit. I assure you! I do not usually eat shit! I am not usually so bad at this. Look at how upset I am that you might think I eat shit on the regular. I do not eat shit."

They say, to be a gracious winner, you should act like you've been there before. Friends, when you are a loser, let me tell you. I've been there before. Don't act like you haven't been there before.

(Or, to put it more succinctly, there is always a @dril tweet.)

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1. In fact, I suspect it's probably very likely true for the highest level competitors. I believe that the professional level of athletics sort of selects for being kind-of dickish. ↩