Perspective

Think of the 1993 #1 draft pick by the New England Patriots, quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Four years after being drafted with the top pick out of Washington State, Bledose led his team to Super Bowl XXXI, but lost to the Green Bay Packers 35-21. In 2000, Bledsoe was awarded a 10-year, $103 million contract. In the 2001 season, he was injured early in the season. Backup Tom Brady emerged as an unlikely star and Bledsoe ended up being the backup. Surely his ego was bruised and his pride shaken, but on the surface Bledsoe remained upbeat because the Pats were winning. And for better or worse, sports is about winning.

Bledsoe could have whined, complained and acted like the prima donna we have come to expect of professional athletes. Did he? Not at all. Bledsoe handled himself with such class that you could not help but feel happy for him when he had to come in to the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cool, calm and collected, he studied at practices and paid attention in order to help the Pats win.

And win games the Pats did, making it to Super Bowl XXVI and meeting those same St-Louis Rams. Despite Bledsoe's efforts in the AFC Championship game, Brady was chosen to start in the Super Bowl. In an upset for the ages, Brady emerged as the MVP and the Pats rode to victory thanks to a last second field goal by place kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Despite the loss, the dominant Rams team remained intact and resolute. The unselfish core of star players wanted to be the best at their position. This is a great lesson for all. At various points in group projects, business settings and personal predicaments, you will be cast in a different role. Sometimes, you may be coach. Other times you may be asked to be the waterboy.

What is important for you is to be the best darn waterboy in the history of H2O. After all, playing The Waterboy worked wonders for Saturday Night Live alumni Adam Sandler. If you do that, you will help your team win and be entrusted with the ball on Super Bowl Sunday (or at least be the waterboy of the Super Bowl Champions).

John Madden, the former Oakland Raiders coach and current football announcer, has a tendency of referring to practically every player he describes as ''the best at his position.'' Is every single player he refers to really the best at his position?

Probably not, but the lesson to be learned is that you should strive to be the best at your position. No one is the best at everything, but they may be the best at one specific thing. If you set your sights on being everything to everyone, someone with more focus and attention to detail will emerge and steal your starting position.

The Rams example is a simple extension of the central argument in Plato's Principle of Specialization, as described in The Republic.