What could a 170 pound 30-year old nerd possibility have to say about manliness? For that matter, what could it possibly have to do with the Chiefs? Good questions, but neither of them mean much until we answer the critical concern of this piece: what is manliness?
For all the times we’ve heard someone say: “Man up.” or “Be a man!”… do any of us truly have a firm grasp of what manliness is? Perhaps, in this day and age, it’s even dangerous to ask the question. Throwing caution to the wind, I assert that not only does manliness exist, but that it can be defined as a single quality: strength. This is not to say that only men are strong, but that, societally speaking, the most valued trait, in men, is strength. Strength, however, comes in several forms.
Expressing Physical Strength
Mike Tyson is a very strong man, and one of the greatest boxers who ever lived. He lost the first fight he ever had, when some low-life killed his pigeon, in front of him. Tyson was just 10, at the time. It would be a long time before he lost another fight. Being a man is about having the strength to protect the people, places and things you love. A lot of NFL players possess this kind of strength. Heck, Ndamukong Suh benched 225 lbs. 32 times! Of course, brute strength is one thing, the ability to wield it, is something else.
Expressing Mental Strength
Physical ability isn’t everything. There’s a reason Peyton Manning will be in the Hall of Fame, and Jay Cutler won’t. Those with strong bodies may impress us, but those with strong minds drive the course of history. Franklin Rosevelt didn’t need fully functional legs to lead the country in WWII. Abraham Lincoln didn’t need massive biceps, to weather the challenges of war. Winston Churchill was fat, but he may be the biggest reason the world withstood Hitler’s assault. Physical strength is good, mental strength is better.
Expressing Moral Strength
A strong man may not fear a single opponent. If he is smart, he may even be able to handle multiple opponents, but it takes moral strength to fight a battle which must be fought, even when losing seems inevitable. In the last days of Martin Luther King Jr’s life, he had a premonition. He confided in his close aide, Andrew Young, his belief that he would soon be killed. Yet this fear did not stop King from carrying out his calling, and, in his death, he became even stronger than in life. A driving force demanding peace, justice and equality. A man can be strong, he can be smart, but if he lacks the moral fortitude to exercise that strength, in the face of overwhelming opposition, he may accomplish little.
Self-control — The Ultimate Strength
The greatest of men may control their opponents, they may manipulate society itself, yet struggle to control their own urges. A man who defeats all comers, is all too often, easily beaten, by himself. There is no greater strength, and therefore, no greater sign of manliness than self-control. Tyson was strong, he nearly lost everything because he couldn’t control himself. If you read much about Rosevelt, MLK, Churchill or Lincoln, you’ll find they had their demons too. The average NFL fan doesn’t have far to look to see the consequences of an out of control athlete. Greg Hardy, Ray Rice, and even Chiefs own Tyreek Hill have done some sickening things, in anger.
Manliness, Strength and the Chiefs
So what does all this have to do with the Chiefs? Quite simply, the Chiefs have had, more than a few players, who displayed enough strength, but lack self control. Manliness is not throwing a flag into the stands, or throwing your towel at a ref. Manly men don’t scream at their coaches or punch random people at resorts. Manly men don’t take plays off, or fail to put the work in. Bottom line, if your name is Marcus Peters (yes, I know he’s with the Rams now), Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt or Dee Ford, take a good look at Eric Berry and Charcandrick West. Self-control. Self-sacrifice. Everybody gets pissed sometimes, everybody makes mistakes, but acknowledge them as mistakes, take responsibility for them and then learn self-control. It’s the only way to be a man, a manly man. Go Chiefs.
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