Five years ago the word GOAT entered the English language dictionary, Merriam-Webster, as an acronym and noun. This was brought about by its wide use in sports. GOAT stands for Greatest Of All Times and initially denoted Muhammad Ali, who called himself the greatest of all time. Later, it came to be associated with the names of serial global winning athletes such as Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and many others.
Goat in English means, first and foremost, the name of a animal: the goat. Thus, a word that referred to humans has a derogatory meaning (“as smart as a goat,” “you can’t do anything, you’re just a goat”).
The concept behind the word GOAT is rather simple, lacking in nuance. Too much emphasis on winning and not enough on the value of overcoming, referring to the continuous drive for improvement and ethical values. Novak Djokovic is the GOAT of tennis because he has won more than anyone else. But is he really better than Nadal, Federer, Serena Williams? Why not Billie Jean King or Arthur Ashe, certainly winners but remembered mostly for their civil battles and the legacy they left us. Who can say, no one.
Perhaps we should ban the use of this term in sports altogether, following the example of Lake Superior State University, which brazenly placed this acronym first on its list of words to be banned in 2023.
Young people’s use of this concept would not serve to develop an ideal conception of these champions out of any context of reality, emphasizing only outstanding achievements but not the daily work that enabled them. Often with the phrase, “But they are champions,” it is meant to affirm the presence of something intangible that allowed them to reach these absolute levels, putting in the background what it took to become them.
It may be trivial to say it but champions are not born but become.
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