> Its closer to the sports meaning of perseverance.
Which is itself a hustle per the definitions GP quoted! Probably one of the oldest-going ones. That is, promoting the image of some lofty qualities of a perfect athlete, to give additional meaning and allure to what's otherwise an exercise in competitive showmanship, an entertainment business.
The nature of the swindle becomes visible when one considers that: 1) the role-model athletes, whether today or in ancient past, are people entering large championships - i.e. professional athletes; 2) every player in professional sports is driven to get better, but there's a silent, implicit "but not too much, lest the game becomes too easy, too boring for the audience, and we the spectator money" attached to this.
Which is itself a hustle per the definitions GP quoted! Probably one of the oldest-going ones. That is, promoting the image of some lofty qualities of a perfect athlete, to give additional meaning and allure to what's otherwise an exercise in competitive showmanship, an entertainment business.
The nature of the swindle becomes visible when one considers that: 1) the role-model athletes, whether today or in ancient past, are people entering large championships - i.e. professional athletes; 2) every player in professional sports is driven to get better, but there's a silent, implicit "but not too much, lest the game becomes too easy, too boring for the audience, and we the spectator money" attached to this.