Bobby Flay Says Playing Sports Makes You a ‘Better Loser’

Food Network Star Bobby Flay, celebrity chef host & competitor in cooking shows like Bobby’s Triple Threat, Iron Chef, and Beat Bobby Flay. The New York native wrote about his childhood in his 18th cookbook, Chapter One, which was released on Oct. 29. After leaving high school at seventeen, Flay’s school “chapter was finally over. And that’s when Chapter One really began.” He revealed a lot about himself that fans didn’t know.

Chapter One

Shortly after, he got a bussing job at a restaurant in New York City and his culinary career grew from there. Flay joined the Food Network in 1996.

“I’m just a real person that loves to cook. If I leave that part of me behind, I’m leaving myself incredibly vulnerable to failure.”

Team Player Solo Winner

He shared saying, “I played a lot of team and individual sports, and I learned how to lose,” he told Sports Business Journal. However, Flay believes the principles and emotions of sporting also apply to his culinary competitions, like the 400+Beat Bobby Flay episodes he has competed in. Beat Bobby Flay shows two chefs face-off to win the chance to cook against Flay with a dish of their choosing. Three judges taste the dishes with a blind taste test.

“When I’m on these cooking shows, which I consider part of my athletics now — there’s a clock, there’s a competitor, there’s a competition, there’s running around — it’s basically the next version of a sporting event for me.”

As a young child, Bobby Flay was in all kinds of competitive sports and he learned a lot from this part of his life. Flay tells PEOPLE, “I think that competing in sports, as a young kid teaches you how to be gracious and how to lose because it’s going to happen.”

“That’s a huge thing. I was taught that when we are beaten, to shake it off, shake hands, go home and work harder for the next time. I learned how to lose early on in my life, and I’m OK when I lose on the show.

As a result, on Beat Bobby Flay, he currently holds a record of 274 wins and 169 losses. He has a 61.9% win percentage, but he never feels robbed by the results. Bobby does a great job with winning and losing, but makes it clear he loves competing.

“I’m not going to lay down for anybody. But when I get beaten fair and square, it makes me smile because that means that the show works.

In all the shows that I have done, I’ve never walked off after losing and saying, ‘That was (B.S.) I should’ve won.’ Not once. I got beat every single time.”

Chapter One, published by Clarkson Potter, is now available wherever books are sold. You can learn a lot about Bobby Flay by reading this book and also get some great recipes.

Do you think participating in sports as a kid makes you a better loser as an adult? Sound off on your thoughts in the comments below.