the joy of influence

[mayhap]

My boy Pat made Time's 100 Most Influential people list again this year, unsurprisingly. I mean, it's not like he's gotten less influential than he was last year, even if he is, improbably, no longer the most famous player on his team.

A-Rod got to write the tribute this year, which includes this gem:

I remember Pat as a young kid, coming to practice with his dad to tee up baseballs for me and my teammates. I distinctly remember giving him the worst advice ever. “Don’t play football. The money’s in baseball.” I’m happy to be wrong and glad he didn’t listen!

After all, is there anyone better to ignore career advice from than A-Rod? Pat definitely made the right choice, and not just because I'm biased.

The interview is also a good read. I particularly enjoyed this remark that he made about Taylor Swift:

“She’s never not working,” says Mahomes. “Even when she’s taking her downtime, she’s working on something. Shooting a music video or singing a song or writing a song. You can see it by how she talks. Even when she’s talking about football, when she’s learning it, you can see her business mind putting it together. It’s almost like she’s trying to become a coach. ‘Why can’t you try this, this, and this?’ She’s asking the right questions.”

He's legitimately pleased that a pop star who just started watching football is giving him football advice! He brought it up himself, as a compliment to her! That is beyond adorable.