The 2006 Walt Disney classic "Invincible" starring Mark Wahlberg showcases a truly inspirational sporting story based on Vince Papale’s rise to pro-football team the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976, as a bar-tending 30-year-old who had never played College football.
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The movie portrays Papale as a down-on-his-luck teacher from South Philly and regular at “Max’s,” the bar he tends at. He is depicted as a humble, persistent, and eventually overcoming battler. He is shown to impress at an open team try-out, then survives the initial cuts at his first days at training camp, before going through (and surviving) pre-season then regular season games. He faced ridicule and opposition from his eventual teammates as someone too old, who was ‘from the wrong neighbourhood,’ i.e. not drafted into the NFL, breaking in on their territory.
The movie portrays Papale as a down-on-his-luck teacher from South Philly and regular at “Max’s,” the bar he tends at. He is depicted as a humble, persistent, and eventually overcoming battler. He is shown to impress at an open team try-out, then survives the initial cuts at his first days at training camp, before going through (and surviving) pre-season then regular season games. He faced ridicule and opposition from his eventual teammates as someone too old, who was ‘from the wrong neighbourhood,’ i.e. not drafted into the NFL, breaking in on their territory.
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Vince’s story is one of a rank underdog who becomes a ‘fighting dog’ on the way to achieving ‘top dog’ status (as he puts it in his own words -- see footnote 2). He never quits; he simply persists. He shows great faith -- which is by definition: “Being sure of what [he hoped] for and certain of what [he did] not [yet] see.”[1] He acted as if making the team would actually happen though he never vocalised this during the movie -- his actions speak more profoundly than his words do.
Vince’s story is one of a rank underdog who becomes a ‘fighting dog’ on the way to achieving ‘top dog’ status (as he puts it in his own words -- see footnote 2). He never quits; he simply persists. He shows great faith -- which is by definition: “Being sure of what [he hoped] for and certain of what [he did] not [yet] see.”[1] He acted as if making the team would actually happen though he never vocalised this during the movie -- his actions speak more profoundly than his words do.
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The humility shown by Wahlberg as Papale is striking; he’s always quiet, unassuming, and generally thinking not of himself and his own physical pain, not to mention the pain of rejection from his teammates and friend Johnny. He also shows a quiet, restrained empathy with his coach Dick Vermeil (played by Greg Kinnear) who’s depicted as taking a huge risk on him.
The humility shown by Wahlberg as Papale is striking; he’s always quiet, unassuming, and generally thinking not of himself and his own physical pain, not to mention the pain of rejection from his teammates and friend Johnny. He also shows a quiet, restrained empathy with his coach Dick Vermeil (played by Greg Kinnear) who’s depicted as taking a huge risk on him.
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Humility is one genuine quality of the great; them that will not break faith on account of themselves. Humility is base selflessness, and "Invincible" viz Papale reeks of humility.
Humility is one genuine quality of the great; them that will not break faith on account of themselves. Humility is base selflessness, and "Invincible" viz Papale reeks of humility.
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A motivational speaker in real life, Vince is also a colorectal cancer survivor and considers himself blessed to have had the ‘second chance’ at life -- his past five years have been a God-send. This is what he says about it:
A motivational speaker in real life, Vince is also a colorectal cancer survivor and considers himself blessed to have had the ‘second chance’ at life -- his past five years have been a God-send. This is what he says about it:
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“Invincible is not my story, it really isn’t... Invincible is about anybody... Invincible is about anybody who had a dream; Invincible is about anybody who had a goal; Invincible is about anybody who was told they weren’t good enough, that they didn’t have the right resume, that they didn’t come from the right neighbourhood, they were too young, they were too old... it’s never been done before... you don’t have the right pedigree... you grew up in the wrong neighbourhood... Invincible is about anybody that was told that they ‘couldn’t’... Invincible is about an underdog... who becomes top dog.”[2]
“Invincible is not my story, it really isn’t... Invincible is about anybody... Invincible is about anybody who had a dream; Invincible is about anybody who had a goal; Invincible is about anybody who was told they weren’t good enough, that they didn’t have the right resume, that they didn’t come from the right neighbourhood, they were too young, they were too old... it’s never been done before... you don’t have the right pedigree... you grew up in the wrong neighbourhood... Invincible is about anybody that was told that they ‘couldn’t’... Invincible is about an underdog... who becomes top dog.”[2]
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So it is with any and all of us. We have the basically the same opportunities as anyone else. It’s the character we bring to these opportunities that defines us, maximising our talents. One could imagine more skilled players than Vince being cut from the Eagles because they didn’t have the heart commitment required -- which equals ‘regret’ in my book -- later in life, who wants to have the pangs of regret hanging over them? What separated them from Vince is pride.
So it is with any and all of us. We have the basically the same opportunities as anyone else. It’s the character we bring to these opportunities that defines us, maximising our talents. One could imagine more skilled players than Vince being cut from the Eagles because they didn’t have the heart commitment required -- which equals ‘regret’ in my book -- later in life, who wants to have the pangs of regret hanging over them? What separated them from Vince is pride.
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Pride is injured when we fail. In sport, we don’t get the luxury of wallowing in the pride of failure -- we do that to our peril. Success ebbs away when we hang our heads after dropping the ball. (Is it different in any other area of life?)
Pride is injured when we fail. In sport, we don’t get the luxury of wallowing in the pride of failure -- we do that to our peril. Success ebbs away when we hang our heads after dropping the ball. (Is it different in any other area of life?)
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Instead, humility is about getting up again right away after failure... it’s a rejection of our feelings and an act of will toward a goal beyond our own selfishness. (It seems illogical to think and act this way at the time; paradoxically, it’s clearly profoundly logical.) This is no easy thing to learn, and it seems we have many opportunities in life to learn and re-learn this. When we fail and fall, we must get right up again, resisting the temptation to wallow.
Instead, humility is about getting up again right away after failure... it’s a rejection of our feelings and an act of will toward a goal beyond our own selfishness. (It seems illogical to think and act this way at the time; paradoxically, it’s clearly profoundly logical.) This is no easy thing to learn, and it seems we have many opportunities in life to learn and re-learn this. When we fail and fall, we must get right up again, resisting the temptation to wallow.
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Invincible is a great true story of a man overcoming incredible odds, showing that if it were possible for him, it is possible also for us.
Invincible is a great true story of a man overcoming incredible odds, showing that if it were possible for him, it is possible also for us.
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Copyright © 2008, Steven J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Copyright © 2008, Steven J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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FOOTNOTES
FOOTNOTES
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