What it takes to win.

What does it take to win? Not many athletes have consistently won in their careers. Almost none, in fact. The only ones that immediately come to mind are Tiger Woods, Yogi Berra, and Bill Russell. Tiger, some guess, isn't human. He can control every move, every mistake, and every victory, he does not have to worry about teammates in an individual sport. The only pressure he faces comes from himself and no one else. Yogi and Bill were the best of the best, but they had to be surrounded by great players or they would never have been the champions they became. I hate the argument that you can't be the greatest if you haven't won a championship. There is way too much luck in sports to always control your destiny. You can only control so much.
The smartest and most mentally tough TEAMS will almost always win. They can create their own luck and can limit the luck of their opponents. I would include physical toughness, however, 90% of being physically tough is being mentally tough; convincing yourself to keep running, knowing what position to best put yourself to get a rebound even if your smaller or weaker, concentrating on the play even when your too tired to think. Everything in sports is mental. Everything in life is mental. If you can think your way around a field, a court, a rink, a diamond, a classroom, a courtroom, a hospital, and do it quickly, then you can succeed. Of course, in sports, you do need some god given athletic ability to play at the highest levels and some of us, no matter how hard we workout or pray before we go to bed, it will never happen.
For those out there that are athletes, there are ways to best put yourself in a position to win. I hate the Red Sox and the Celtics, but there is absolutely no denying that those two teams are full of winners.
Chemistry in basketball is one of the main ingredients to success. The celtics had it the Lakers didn't, atleast not in the finals. Also important, as I said earlier is mental toughness. The celtics had numerous players on their team ready and willing to take big shots and make big shots. The Lakers had only Kobe and it cost them the NBA championship. The celtics had fire, intensity, and no fear. The lakers were scared, inexperienced, and lazy. The Celtics wanted to win, they needed to win. The Lakers thought winning would be a fun experience. The celtics had trust in each other, granted they had three career all stars to trust, but they were still able to share. The Lakers only trusted Kobe, even though Kobe tried to trust his teammates. The Celtics have a ring. The Lakers have a memory.
Much is the same for the Red Sox. They seem to win no matter what the obstacle, even if a little luck is thrown their way (a busted suicide squeeze, a bloop double and seeing eye single in the 9th). They know how to take advantage of mistakes and lucky situations when they come their way. Throughout a season and throughout a playoff series the luck will equalize among the teams. It's the team that takes advantage of the good fortune that always seems to finish on top. This is only one aspect that leads to the Red Sox success. They have the ability to turn average talent into great players (see: Youkilis, Pedroia). Chemistry in baseball is something I will always say does not exist. The best baseball players should be able to succeed no matter what. He should be able to block out all the outside distractions and do his job. Baseball, in this sense, is mostly an individual sport. But, like the Celtics, there is a aura in the Red Sox locker room. They believe in each other. They might not like each other, but they trust each other, they respect each other, they believe in each other, and they all have that undefinable and unquestionable will to win. When a player comes to the Red Sox, it seems lately, he all of a sudden knows how to make big pitches, get big hits, and win big games. In the Red Sox dugout, in the locker room, winning is a way of life. It isn't all that matters, but is definitely what matters most. They'll find a way to win the World Series. They have only one big game starter and only one sure hand in the bullpen, but they'll win. They won't let each other lose. And i can't stand it; probably because I haven't won in a long time.