Steelers' James Harrison says no to 'participation trophies' school gave his sons

Maybe this is why the Steelers have won six Super Bowls (although I'd rather forget the first one). There's a mindset that's necessary for real achievement, and it has no room for the handing out of rewards that were not earned. This is one of the reasons I enjoy sports so much, by the way. As much as some people want to prattle on about everything being equal, there's no way that will ever work in practice because there will always be some people who work harder than others, and it shows in the results. An NFL season is never going to result in 32 teams being tied with 8-8 records, not just because the Raiders would never win eight games, but also because life doesn't work that way.

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And a guy who's made it to the top of his profession doesn't want his sons thinking it does:

I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy. I'm sorry I'm not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I'm not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best...cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better...not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u up and keep you happy. #‎harrisonfamilyvalues

I actually don't think schools give out "participation trophies" because they really think everyone deserves them. In fact, I don't believe they think it through that thoroughly at all. They just think: What do we have to do to avoid anyone getting upset? Answer: Everyone gets a trophy, thus rendering the value of a trophy at precisely zero, but at least inoculating the school from having to listen to whiny, pissy parents or children moaning about being excluded. Then again, as Harrison proved, they didn't get off completely scot-free, did they? But Harrison is the kind of guy who will send the trophies back and post on social media about why he did it. He's not the kind of guy who's going to hire a lawyer, or show up at the school board meeting and demand recompense. The school is probably willing to deal with the sort of thing he's dishing out as long as they don't have to get legal involved. Shut you up and keep you happy. That's pretty much the point of a trophy these days. I want to say that's not the case in the NFL, where you only get a trophy if you deserve to be celebrated as the best. Then again, the current state of the NFL is to turn on its trophy winners for no good reason, so maybe there is no one left that still has this right.