This is a milestone post in the history of my blog. After a few years of posting weekly, this marks the two-hundredth post on Mot Juste. In May 2018, I reached one hundred career posts. The road to the first hundred was an arduous one that took some time since I got the ball rolling. Less than two years later, I’ve achieved the so-called double century. The term is most associated with Test cricket, after a batsman scores two hundred runs. An Aussie star had made headlines last year after reaching the mark. With his penchant for accumulating centuries, the cricketer is often cited as one of the finest ever.  

Sporting world

Let us consider the consequence of the double century in other sports. In basketball, the most obvious comparison would be the double-double. This occurs when any player accrues double-digit numbers in the five major statistical categories. The most common instances are points-rebounds and points-assists. Two hundred such tallies is not so difficult, especially for big men like Tim Duncan and Karl Malone. The same applies if you’re a passing maestro such as Magic Johnson and LeBron James. While a double-double is tough to achieve, a triple-double is the ultimate mark of versatility. In today’s NBA, Russell Westbrook is the gold standard in that respect, with King James, Harden, and Luka next in line. So far, nobody in league history has amassed two hundred career triple doubles. Then there’s the five by five. Don’t get me started on that.

Tennis

In tennis, there are a few comparisons. The first one would be two hundred wins, a decent haul if you’re a consistent top 20 player. Win a few tourneys and this would be yours in a few years. However, notching two hundred career aces is a more fanciful comparison. You would have to be a big server to do this and, even then, it might still take a while. Two hundred days on tour is a more conservative metaphor, although the same number of event wins in men’s singles has never been pulled off. In case you’re curious, Jimmy Connors holds the record, with 109 titles, and the guy played fifteen hundred matches.

League

In rugby league, there are a couple of potential analogies. Firstly, two hundred career first- grade games. This used to be the benchmark for every kid who breaks into the competition. During the early days of league, this was more the exception than the rule. However, with advances in sports science and rule changes, the mid-naughties saw a slew of props hit two hundred. The number seemed like the new normal. Two hundred goals are another juxtaposition, which would depend on the merits of your goal scorer. These days, the trend though is having most of these kickers convert on eight out of ten. To score less would entail relegation. So, whether you’re a future immortal like Thurston or a rising star like Latrell Mitchell, two hundred would be chicken feed.  

Double-century

Having used sports examples to illustrate my point, the ‘double ton’ could prove elusive. You may be in your second or third year trying to hit your two-hundredth three-pointer. Then again, as they say, YMMV (your mileage may vary). I see the promise and the realisation in the number two hundred. I see a little of the cager’s court vision and the cricketer’s bravura. I see flashes of durable tennis victors and the boots of elite kickers. Sharing stories and knowledge will always interest me. Every week is a new journey, a new page to turn, a new horizon to follow. The last two years went by quickly, but I made sure that they mattered. Since I initiated Mot Juste, there was a mixed bag of posts indeed. I hope that I’ll get to another hundred posts soon, using the same diligence and consistency that got me my first double-century.