“There’s no better feeling than winning.” It is an undeniable fact that inspiring words like the above coming from a character who has seen real struggles in life hits deeper for the audience. That is the reason why Kenny Powers of Eastbound & Down has been a favourite among people of all ages who look up at these characters for comfort.
Powers is a fictional character in the HBO hit television comedy series Eastbound & Down (2009) created by Ben Best, Jody Hill and Danny Mcbride. Mcbride himself portrays the character of Kenny Powers who was once a dominant baseball pitcher but whose poor work ethics, ego and short temper betrayed his professional career. He returned to his hometown in Shelby, North Carolina many years later to teach Physical Education at his old middle school.
Herein Kenny picks up the threads of his lost fame and tries to rebuild his professional life. Dealing with other characters’ own stories and his own life experiences provides him with a quirky but sturdy personality. Let’s dive deeper into this character’s small yet inspiring life through some of his powerful quotes.
1. “I’m sober and ready to destroy the competitions.”
This is a quote from the time when Kenny Powers was about to make his comeback. He has experienced loss of fame in his life and now wishes to undo it. With this quote, the audience is aware of the fact that no matter where in life, if one desires to succeed any time is a good time.
2. “Kenny Powers is a man. Kenny Powers is an athlete. Kenny Powers is a lover. But the most he is, I mean, the thing that Kenny Powers is the most, is a goddamn champion.”
Kenny Powers might have lost a lot in life but he considers himself a champion. This quote has a gripping power of infusing self- confidence in anyone. It tells us about the character of Powers who believes in himself all the while.
3. “Oddly enough, the people here aren’t that different from the ones back home, when you get past the lack of interest in real sports, and the need to have yellow rice at every fuckin’ meal.”
Expressing his contempt for the reality of life, Kenny Powers points an interesting anecdote that hints toward his particular experiences at life and passion. He states that everybody has a passion in life, for instance in sports. However after a while it just becomes a means of earning money and having regular food at their plates. Interest is one thing but it can be snatched away with life’s uncertainties.
4. “Ask anybody out there, and they’ll tell you that the foundation of a great baseball player starts with an understanding of some basic fundamentals: running, stretching, physical conditioning. These are the things that prepare your body for the many challenges a baseball player faces.”
This quote is uttered at a rather funny event when Kenny Powers is trying to sell his memorabilia on ebay. As no one turns out to be interested in his souvenir, naturally he is disappointed. But as Kenny Powers is Kenny Powers, he gives himself a little pep talk. He is proud of being a follower of the fundamentals of something he is good at. If taken out of context, this quote directs towards the understanding of the basic knowledge of any game that one should know of.
5. “When my ass was 19 years old, I changed the face of professional baseball. I was handed the keys to the kingdom…”
These are the lines of the prologue narration of the first season wherein the audience is introduced with the character of Kenny Powers. With the first line on, it is impossible to not get piqued about the character. It binds the listener to dive deep into the story when they meet the current state of Powers.
6. “There have been many comebacks throughout history…Well, my comeback is almost complete, and I can say that, when it is complete, it will shake the pillars of this land or town.”
The quote is self explanatory. Here, Kenny Powers is referring to his comeback and in the spirit of hyping it up compares his comeback to the greatest comebacks in history. This quote is a hit one as it inspires the audience to never give up hope and to always look for opportunities.
7. “Once upon a time, I believed in destiny, but now I say, F that B. Everything I have in this life, I earned myself. There’s no cosmic luck deciding shit for us. My wealth, my fame, my World Series pennant — I earned myself. The one thing I didn’t earn myself was when I caught crabs. I think I got those from sleeping at a Red Roof Inn.”
This is one of the most influencing of all the quotes of Kenny Powers. Kenny here talks about something everyone can relate to- destiny. It is important to believe in your hardwork and passion rather than a divine intrusion. (It is the most worthy of the quotes that can be printed on shirts or mugs, I must say.)
8. “Reminds me of why I’m here in the first place. A quest is nothin’ if you got no one to brag about it to, will never reach the end if you’re only doing it for yourself.”
There has always been an importance of sharing our successes and failures alike with people around us, friends and family. With this quote Kenny hits the core within all of us. Encouragement is not only within us but it is also with people around who look over us and support us.
9. “If you’ve got something you want to say, then just say it.”
It is such a simple quote and yet has a mountain of encouragement within it. Kenny Powers with his experiences in life has learned a thing or two and one of them is to speak your mind. There will always be reasons to stay quiet but if you want to say something, it is important to say it before it gets late.
10. “Stay in school. Fight the power. Don’t do drugs. Unless, of course, you’re doing them with me.”
Kenny Powers has a unique style of inspiring those around him. He has been a I-don’t-care person in his life but he has learned a lot in the way. Therefore he tries to give his best at advicing people and the audience gets the glimpse of his life story.
11. “See, in life, when you have talent all the other shit doesn’t matter. If we were on an island with no weights and no running drills, who would be on top then? The guy with the talent.”
Kenny Powers knows that talent is an important requisite to live in a competitive world. The business he is in- sports- works on talent and he wants others to take note of it. This quote also tells us that he acknowledges his own talent and wants to feel proud of it.
12. “If there’s one thing I hate, it’s losing. If there are two things I hate, then it’s losing and getting cancer.”
By now, we might have got the idea of the quirky personality of Kenny Powers. This character has the charm of saying the most inspiring words with added humour in it. It tells us a lot about how Powers base his values and deals with problems in his path.
This cannot be the end of the list of quotes from Kenny Powers as there are just so many to take inspiration from or just have a good laugh on. But I wish to not make the readers forget these quotes by making an exhaustive list. A character which has the power to persuade its audience is the one that sticks around for long. Kenny Powers is one such character. Do you like his quotes? Are there any that inspire you other than the ones in the list? Do let us know!
13. “Stay in school. Fight the power. Don’t do drugs. Unless, of course, you’re doing them with me.”
School is the most enjoyable since we meet new people, learn new things, and develop our careers there. We only truly enjoy ourselves when we are in school, and we always long for it when we are away at college.
14. “There’s no better feeling than winning.”
Winners are a completely different breed! It is human nature for those who succeed to experience joy and a certain sense of pleasure for their accomplishments, as well as relief that their efforts paid off. A true winner possesses certain unique qualities. First of all, he never presents himself as the victor because he is modest and avoids exalting himself.
15. “I brought you guys up from less than f*ckin’ nothin’, and took you up to a championship level, only to abandon you there.”
This quote is focusing on how a person get into the heights, how a person start from scratch and achieve the great things.
16. “I’m sick and tired of carrying all the weight… the coaches and owners not giving me the sh*t I need to win.”
Winners are those who persistently pursue their objectives and succeed in the end. A winner cannot be made, but one may be made with great perseverance and a strong will to achieve. Winning is crucial in your life because it reveals your potential and success-enabling abilities.
17. “Purity – it’s what we all desire, and it is what I’ve come here to share with you. Hence the all whites.”
All of the faiths that have been offered to humanity throughout the millennia centre around the PURITY of life. For purity is not just a religious ideal; it is also a result of life’s inherent essence, and every living thing possesses purity in one way or another.