Quote ="SmokeyTA"No i didnt. I said this was an odd way to be brought up I.e your idea that doing your best was more important than winning, and of course the idea of you being needed early-life education on avoiding coming over like an oriental cod-philospher the hypocrisy of you then going on to give us quotes from the boy scouts and Abraham Lincoln to prove your idea of trying rather than winning being the most important was just the icing on the cake.
If thats how you want to define yourself, feel free. You carry on cheering samikins trying his best and George Carmont not earning very much and Ill carry on cheering Sinfield lifting trophies.'"
OK. I wouldn't describe either the views of Abraham Lincoln, widely viewed as one of history's greatest figures a man of great intellect and moral courage, as cod philosophy, nor would I view the cub scout promise as such. But of course you're entitled to your view, even if it is clearly absurd.
You're still also missing the point generally on winning being the goal. It is obvious that winning isn't the only thing that matters or even the most important thing. There are obvious issues around winning at all costs, for example (cheating, drug misuse etc).
There's also the fact that on your definition then all the clubs in SL apart from Leeds, Wigan and Warrington last season were "losers". Which is so ridiculous it's childish.
A team could lose a game through a refereeing error or as a result of injury problems or other things beyond it's control, even if you have the best players, coach and a great worth ethic you can still lose. That's life and it doesn't mean you're a "loser". It's a pretty obvious point (a bit like the Bibey example in relation to trophy wins, which seems also to escape you), but never mind.
As for watching Wigan lift trophies, I don't expect Wigan to win things and be "successful" (though obviously I want Wigan to); we have no divine right to do so. I do expect Wigan to do their absolute best to live up to the values of our great club. If they do, as under IL's leadership we have once again begun to, then we will win trophies and be "successful" in your terms.
Success is a product of doing the right things and you create the conditions for success by a constant pursuit of excellence (doing your very best, all the time, like Lincoln says).
And at the end of the day it is just silly to suggest to a Wigan fan that they don't understand success. Perhaps as a Leeds fan you haven't had enough trophy wins in your lifetime to get a real sense of perspective on this.
It's a bit different being a Wigan fan I guess. Even before the great era of the late 80s and early 90s Wigan had won more trophies than any British RL club. Our trophy cabinet remains the fullest in the game and I have every confidence in IL's leadership delivering more trophies in the years to come...
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