Every Detail Matters: A Lesson From an Olympic Gold Medalist
“I had to be prepared for what I had to face and I prepared myself as best I could.”
-Jeff Blatnick; Gold medalist; 1984 Olympics; Greco-Roman Wrestling
My first job out of law school was in the New York State Legislature in Albany in 2009. It was my first opportunity to be directly involved with MMA, working to get the sport legalized in New York. It was also a unique way to meet and network with prominent names in the industry: from executives with the UFC, prominent lobbyists, and on one special occasion: Olympic gold medalist Greco-Roman wrestler, Jeff Blatnick.
Mr. Blatnick, a Schenectady native, came to our office to discuss efforts to legalize MMA in New York. He had a reserved, unassuming presence, dressed neatly in a blazer, polo shirt, slacks and dark sneakers. Upon meeting him, you would never guess that you were shaking hands with the first American to ever win a gold medal in Greco Roman history at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and a founding father of modern mixed martial arts. Mr. Blatnick saw MMA as a new path for wrestlers to continue their careers and fulfill their competitive drive. He spoke quietly and humbly about his accomplishments, and his advocacy of MMA. Despite this, I still stood there in awe - both of his presence and his accomplishments - but I spoke to him deferentially and yet confidently, about my own passion for MMA and certainly wrestling.
Suddenly, he reached for a small padded box that was next to him and opened it, revealing its glimmering contents: his gold medal.
Wrestling history
I was not prepared for what he asked me next:
Would you like to hold it?
Jeff Blatnick, a wrestling legend, MMA pioneer, and future UFC Hall of Famer, was asking me if would like to hold his most prized possession, and a symbol of one of the greatest achievements in athletics. I expressed my appreciation for his gesture, but declined. I had no business nor right to hold such a prize. He smiled and nodded at me kindly, but firmly, and encouraged me to take it. And so I did.
As I admired his medal, literally holding wrestling history in my hands, Mr. Blatnick asked me, “you’re Korean aren’t you?” Saying so more as a statement than a question. Surprised, I told him that I was and asked how he knew.
I saw how you accepted my medal.
I had received his medal with two hands, a way to respectfully accept something being given to you in Korean culture. He also noted the manner in which I addressed him as telling clues. Mr. Blatnick served as a commentator in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, so he also had a deeper grasp of Korean culture than most. And just like that, I had befriended an Olympic gold medalist wrestler. Every now and then, he would call me to check up on me and see how things were going with MMA. The last time I spoke with Mr. Blatnick was in August of 2011. Sadly, Jeff Blatnick passed away at the all too early age of 57 the following year.
The takeaway for me is that every detail matters, because someone will notice - an Olympic gold medalist wrestler in this case. Attention to detail is one of the fundamental pillars of how I work as a manager, and how I serve my athletes. I believe it provides them comfort knowing that I will be able to address any issue, no matter how small, so that they can focus on what they do best: fight. For me, it’s a way of showing them how much I care about them. Because I do.
I am proud to say that this mindset earned me the favor of people like Jeff Blatnick, and the trust of my fighters.
“When you pay attention to detail, the big picture will take care of itself.” -Georges St. Pierre
