It`s easy to spot sporting greatness in the world`s top athletes. We often use words like powerful, dynamic, and transcendent to describe their peak performances. Greatness is a clear and visible quality, evident in the actions of the most skilled individuals.
Pinpointing the lack of greatness, however, is a much harder task. Greatness isn`t guaranteed or expected; when professional athletes are merely good, average, or even perform poorly, it doesn`t necessarily provoke strong reactions. Describing the absence of brilliance is akin to stating “there`s no smell in here” – a somewhat unusual observation. We tend to expect a standard level of performance and only comment on the truly exceptional or the notable lack thereof.
However, when an athlete has won a major award like the Hart Trophy, is at the peak of their career, and is among the highest-paid players in the league, observers are certainly justified in expecting moments of significant greatness. Similarly, when a player earns $11 million annually and delays signing a contract that would place them among the game`s absolute elite earners, fans have every reason to be surprised and question why that critical spark of brilliance isn`t consistently present in important games.
Regarding Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, this recurring “absence of greatness in big games” feels like a vacuum, a void that seems to absorb every other discussion, narrative, and concern surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs. It becomes difficult for both fans and analysts to pinpoint specific instances or suggest what they should have done differently in crucial situations. This is because, much like a gifted composer who hears the music before anyone else, these players are expected to instinctively know how to create and execute brilliant plays when the stakes are highest.
We don`t know; you`re supposed to be the transcendent ones.
