The problem with a lot of professional athletes nowadays is they’re not hungry.

It’s hard to say for sure what has happened, perhaps they stopped off at an all-you-can-eat buffet before the game, or maybe they’ve been sneaking snacks in the locker room. Or maybe the players used a chair to get into the cupboard and eat a whole box of granola bars? Who knows. There’s even salacious rumors of team outings to Olive Garden for the “Never Ending Pasta Bowl”.

Though these rumors have never been verified, if they did turn out to be true it would explain a lot of what we’re seeing right now.

It’s clear that pro sports is broken and no one knows how to fix it. And the level of entitlement among these young players has now gotten out of hand. If it weren’t bad enough that they’re not hungry, they’re now brazenly showing the world that they’re not thirsty either. You’ve got guys on the sidelines, helmets off, drinking water and gatorade (and who knows what other thirst quenching electrolytes might be in those bottles), openly, in front of the cameras like it’s no big deal!

Sports medicine and science have clearly shown that to unlock peak performance you need to be: 1) hungry 2) thirsty 3) exhausted and 4) under duress. Yet, despite the overwhelming evidence from research, we’re seeing athletes put on the so-called Injured Reserve List, while they’re ramming false narratives down our throat like “his leg is broken, he LITERALLY cannot stand up.”

I know for myself, there’s a zone I get into once in a while. Everything slows down and I can see the world around me so clearly. I can throw down a nasty double clutch slam dunk, my one rep max on the bench press increases to five hundred pounds, and the other members at the local YMCA gather round the pool to watch me hold my breath underwater for seven minutes.

I call it “Beast Mode”. And it’s generally on days when I forget to pack a lunch and I’m experiencing low blood sugar in the early afternoon.

Why do these athletes stop performing? Don’t let anyone tell you it’s complex - for nuance is a sure sign of falsehood. No, the answer is simple: they’re not hungry.

So whatever you do, stay hungry, dehydrated, poorly rested, and on the verge of hypothermia. Only then will you be able to unlock the champion that lies within.

Hungry