Bloggers wouldn’t be taken seriously if they didn’t demonstrate honesty, respect, passion, loyalty, and accountability. The person-place-or-thing we write about should be looked straight in the eyes as if we were speaking with them in-person.

Team sports and individual sports have their differences and similarities. One big-time relation is accountability.

I’ve personally had adventures with both dating back to when I was 2-years old. Surely, I don’t recall my athletic career beginning so young, yet, I’m always going to believe my Dad, who states how I was quickly handed a tennis racket while I stood clueless on the tennis court.

Moreover, 28-years later, I’m writing about the importance of accountability with all sports—individual and team. Players, coaches, and of course – fans, decide whether or not the appropriate level of accountability is being held. Who wants to hold it? Who wants to be the lead-by-example leader?

The New York Mets—players and coaches—are finally looking like an accountable team. In addition, their recent success blends accountability with consistency. Two difficult actions that together, should be a contender for being the best.

The Wilpon’s, Omar Minaya, and Willie Randolph have not acted alone with turning a team who was one-win away from a World Series to a .500 ball club. And, there’s a reason why we call it a team sport. We certainly won’t overlook the players, who make things happen on the field, and have the most control over whether or not a game is won or lost.

The closest contact with these players happens to be the manager. The one-person of late spending the most time working with these players seemed to be the trainer! Jokes and injuries aside, the person is Willie Randolph – manager of the NY Mets.

I have Omar accountable for his actions, and I hold Omar accountable for making sure that Willie has support, guidance, and resources. The rest truly rests with the manager and his players.

Let’s analyze something that we can relate with other than sports. Our jobs. As an employee for a business, we’re accountable for our job duties. Furthermore, we’ll more than likely report to someone in a leadership-oriented position. Moreover, our supervisor, manager, leader, boss, or any other descriptive word you’ve probably named that person – under your breath of course – has someone of their own to view as their leader, boss, manager, or supervisor.

The Leadership Chain. The Accountability Link. Leaders providing support and resources in effort to succeed. It’s all rather simple to follow, and it’s quite similar to professional sports.

The Metropolitan players are held accountable to produce at the highest level – game-in and game-out. The players will have their “supervisor,” or to sound more clear – Manager Randolph. Willie is accountable for his players, while effectively displaying leadership, support, emotion, and guiding his team towards success.
Willie has his “boss or bosses,” who go by the names of Minaya and Wilpon respectively. The breakdown is very clear, and as with any business, the person who is either near the top or on the top of their leadership chain will provide resources that trickle down the same leadership chain.

The Wilpon’s provide money. Minaya provides players. Willie provides direct leadership, structure, team-building, trust, motivation, emotion, dedication, and support to the players. Finally, Players provide production, leadership, emotion, dedication, and excitement.

The New York Fans provide everything you could ever want. Winners.

I hate Heilman as much as the next guy but as long as he is on the team he’s gonna get used at some point.

I don’t think it’s totally unreasonable to think you might want to save a reliever or two for a Pelfrey game. Because c’mon who actually thought Pelfrey would pitch as good as he did yesterday. Buehler?