Watching the SuperBowl last night, after an impressive interception by Green Bay, the player dropped to his knees in celebration, and was therefore penalized for it. I ask you, if you made an amazing play in the biggest game of your life, would you want to have a little celebration about it and show off a little. To be honest, if it was me, Peter Griffin’s version of “Shepoopie” would be tame in comparison to my celebrations. I would strut harder than Mick Jagger in that friggin end zone.

Seriously, when did it become a crime to be a little cocky about your achievements?? Where did the personality go from pro sports, and from society in general? What corporate decision-makers decided that they wouldn’t back someone who spoke their mind and assured everyone out there that they were in absolutely no way anything less than amazing??

In a Personal Trainer class this past weekend, I was showing how to use a hand-grip dynamometer to measure grip strength, and managed to pull a measurement of 90kg, and then laid out the challenge that if anyone in the class beat me I’d do 10 pushups. Nothing crazy, but I figured lighting a little fire under everyone would produce some decent results. At this, one of the girls said “Just a little bit cocky, aren’t we??”

My response to her was “Oh yeah?? Well…………Shut up!!” I sure told her.

When did it become a crime to do a little showing off, hot dogging, or revelling in your ability to do something that normal people can’t? I’ve worked hard to get to the level of strength I’m at, and am looking to keep getting stronger as I get older, and you know what?? I’m pretty damned proud of what I’ve been able to do. I’ll willingly show you that I can do some pretty cool shit, like this:

And this:

If liking the fact that I can lift that kind of weight or do funky stuff like the 2-clap pushup, then I guess I’m cocky. What’s more is I will GLADLY show many more ways that I may be better than the average guy or gal reading this. I’ll never be an award-winning powerlifter with number like mine, but seriously, I’m not too worried about that. I may never roll with the Bar Tendaz, but I’m cool with that. Hell if I made the kind of coin a guy like Terrell Owens makes, I’d routinely hold a press conference in my driveway while working out.

We have a nation that is gripped with such a low level of self-esteem and self-confidence, so why is it that people don’t seem to like it when someone is able to “show off” a skill or talent they’ve worked hard at building up and refining? That’s why we have dunk contests, and trick plays and highlight reels, people!!! In the 1930’s, the gentlemanly sport of basketball had an unwritten rule that you didn’t dunk the ball, as it was disrespectful to the other team. Then along came George Mikan, who changed the way the sport looked at the act. Imagine what would have happened if the act of slamming the ball was still thought of as “showing off” and shunned? We wouldn’t have crazy stuff like this to amaze us:

We’ve all lost our strut. Our swagger. Our SELF CONFIDENCE!!! Someone at sometime in our lives told us to be humble, that no one likes a cocky person.

Really?? Then how come no one ever shows sound bites of the guy saying “Well, shucks, I just wanted to play a good game, and I guess I did alright.” Muhammad Ali didn’t become the legend he was by being quiet and reserved. No no, my good friends. He became a legend by saying everything that was on his mind, by proclaiming himself to be the best in the world, and then living up to it time and time again. If he had simply said, “Hey, you know, I’m pretty good,” no one would remember him.

Let’s face it peeps: We all love a cocky show boat. They make us pay attention. They brighten up our day. They inspire us, motivate us, and make us wonder what their lives must be like and what it must take to be them and to do the cool things they do. Know what I wish we had more of these days?? Amazing nicknames. No one is ever “Magic” or “PrimeTime,” or “The Great One” anymore. Why?? Because no one wants to be unique and special and cocky anymore. Everyone and their dog is now known by their first initial and the first syllable of their last name (J.Lo anyone??), which is as unique a way of making everyone the exact same as ever.

So in answer to the girl in my class, yes, I’m pretty cocky. And damn proud of it. I’ll show you what else I can do better than you some other time, but for now, just revel in the fact that I can squeeze that little handle waaaaaaay harder than you can, and shut the hell up.

What can you do that’s really cool and awesome?? When was the last time you did it?? Leave a comment below, and then get your swagger on for the rest of the day, knowing everyone out there has tasted a little bit of your cockiness, and feels slightly bitter for having done so.