When Muhammad Ali declared himself the greatest fighter to ever live, he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Even after he defeated the best boxers of his day and proved himself one of the all-time greats in the history of the sport, he was still considered a braggart.

&uot;Prime Time&uot; cornerback Deion Sanders was often criticized for his boasts that no one could throw against him. During his prime, opposing teams would not throw to his side of the field for the entire game – yet many still think him a big mouth.

There is a fine line between confidence and conceit. In sports that line is often so blurred that one can’t tell the difference between the two.

I find that ironic, considering that sports allow braggers every opportunity to put their money where their mouths are. If someone says he or she is the best, that person can face all challengers and prove it.

And I’ve always adhered to the adage if you can back it up, it ain’t bragging.

It shows a lot of class to be the best and not feel the need to tell everyone about it. If someone is without question the best at a sport or position, it should be obvious. Michael Jordon and Wayne Gretzkey never once claimed they were best athletes on the planet – but no one would have denied it.

That said, I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with stating one’s abilities and one’s confidence in them.

Natchez coach Henry &uot;Doc&uot; Woods is a prime example. When he has a runner or team he considers the best, he’ll tell you. In his mind, he’s not bragging – he’s being honest. When he has a runner or team not up to par, he’ll let you know that, too.

Think of the confidence he inspires when publicly declaring his team the best. He’s obviously doing something right – they don’t just hand out that &uot;winningest coach in Mississippi&uot; title.

Natchez soccer coach Peter Rinaldi is another local coach with a good attitude. He said his goal for this season was to win every game.

He said this knowing he was taking over a second-year team that had more losses than goals scored. He said his goal was not terribly realistic, but he didn’t see a point in striving for mediocrity.

He took a team that that lost nearly every match by double digits and made them competitive, even winning a handful of games. His confidence inspired a swagger noticeably absent from most teams with a losing record.

Prep coaches have the responsibility of not only teaching a sport, but also teaching sportsmanship. While good, I don’t think Ali and Neon Deion would win many congeniality contests.

But I hope those coaches don’t confuse confidence and conceit. Many young people suffer from low self-esteem, and sports is a great way to earn it. To hear a coach has confidence and knows his or her team will win feels a lot better than &uot;There’s no way we should have won that game.&uot;

Besides, I like to hear the talkers. Gretzkey never gave us sportswriters any good soundbites.

Nick Adams is sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at (601) 445-3632 or e-mailed at nick.adams@natchezdemocrat.com.