During a recent episode of the “Casa de Klub” podcast, Tampa Bay Buccaneer starting quarterback Baker Mayfield offered his perspective on why he believed that he was chosen to succeed Tom Brady after the legend retired in 2022. Mayfield opined that Brady had developed a “high-strung environment” and that “everyone was pretty stressed out.” Consequently, he surmised that the team ownership wanted him to come in “and bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having much fun.”

I knew it wouldn’t be long before Brady responded. Now, before I share what he said, let me confess in the interests of full disclosure that I am a Tom Brady fan. This won’t be news to anyone who has ever read this blog, heard me teach a Bible class, or preach a sermon. I am a student of excellence, and one cannot be a student of excellence and not appreciate the achivements of Tom Brady. By any standard, he will be remembered as one of the greatest players in the history of the National Football League.

Just a few days after the podcast was aired, Brady responded. And his response was classic. Brady fired back. "I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings. So, there was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day. This wasn't daycare. If I was going to have fun, I'd go to Disneyland with my kids.” Boom! lol. If you want to have fun, go to Disneyland with your kids. If you want to win, you have to adopt the right mindset, which includes accepting the stress of competition, performance and high expectations.

Although Baker has since said that his comments “were taken out of context,” I think that the statements of the two quarterbacks make it quite easy to understand why there is such a wide disparity in the results that they have each achieved. I decided to look up their respective statistics to compare their performances. The gulf is immense. Actually, there is no comparison! Look at these statistics:

So what we have here is guy who has never won ANYTHING trying to suggest that the tactics of a guy who has won just about EVERYTHING is wrong, and that he was CHOSEN to show his former team how to have fun. Fun? I thought the purpose of the playing the game is to win! LOL. Well, it seems to me that losing isn’t much fun. I suppose the question isn’t whether we should be having fun. I think the question is when should fun be had. It may be that the process of winning isn’t fun—but the result is. Baker Mayfield has been having so much fun in his career that he has played for five teams and hasn’t made the playoffs once. Perhaps if he had less fun, he would have more victories.

In Hebrews 12:1-3, the Bible says

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When Jesus was going through the process of securing our redemption, I don’t imagine that it was much fun. It wasn’t fun to be betrayed by Judas. It wasn’t fun to be denied by Peter. It wasn’t fun to be mocked by the Sanhedrin. It wasn’t fun to be ridiculed by the soldiers. It wasn’t fun to be abandoned by his followers. It wasn’t fun to be spat upon by the rabble. It wasn’t fun to have a crown of thorns plaited on his brow. It wasn’t fun to have his hands and feet pierced by nails. And it certainly wasn’t fun to die on an old rugged cross. But Jesus did it for the “joy that was set before him.” There was no joy in the process. But there was joy in the result.

So it was for Jesus. And so will it be for us.

The process of saving money is not fun. But the financial freedom that results is. The process of getting in shape is not fun. But the energy and self confidence that results is. The process of living holy is not fun. But the favor and freedom that results is. So the only question is do you want to have fun now, or fun later?

Jim Rohn has written that there are only two pains in life: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. We all have to pick which pain we want.

So pick your poison!