Game On the Line – Who You Got?
Interesting Game on the Line Quiz
It’s one thing to read about genius athletes to get a sense of their minds when the game is on the line. It would be a whole higher level to experience it firsthand.
In one of my regular podcasts I listen to, they pose this question to their guests, if you could change lives with anyone living or dead, who would it be? Good question that makes one think. In that vein, I’m presenting you with this choice, which would you choose knowing there is no wrong answer here, with all three unbelievable in their roles.
You could be:
A. Tiger Woods caddy coming to the eighteenth of The Masters with a chance to win it?
B. Tom Brady’s teammate in the huddle for a game-winning-drive to win the Super Bowl?
C. Mariano Rivera’s catcher as he comes in to close out the seventh game of the World Series?
In my quest to figure out what brings success, the explanation why some can do it time and again while others just as talented cannot is a mystery. Sure, experience means a lot, but some seem to be born with “it.” What’s “it”? The ability to have a calm mind when everything around them goes a hundred miles an hour and the pressure is palpable.
Game on the Line King
After watching the excellent documentary Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure, I thought of the above quiz. Many fascinating stories are in the show. Joe Montana only played college in football because Notre Dame offered a scholarship. Back in the day, Notre Dame football was “football,” even above Alabama football of today. Otherwise, he said he would have chosen basketball, his first love. Once there, he began 7th on the depth chart of seven quarterbacks. To make a long story short, it took him three-plus years to convince his coach that he was the best player for the job. The remarkable thing was that despite never being the most talented, he would miraculously bring his team back from the throes of defeat whenever given the opportunity. It was uncanny how calm he would be when his team was down, and they would rally to win.
a good message for youth athletes and worth noting is despite what people often believe, the superstars don’t always have the most talent or have everything given to them. Joe was undersized for NFL standards and didn’t have a particularly strong arm. In his early days upon joining the Kansas City Chiefs, he told his coach not to worry, his normal ball was a wobbly spiral, not a tight one as most great passers. Ha
The same pattern continued in professional football for Montana as his coaches would try to find a replacement for him, but when the games were in the balance, Joe had “it.” One such story of cool hand Joe was that before a last game-winning super bowl drive, to relax his players, he pointed to the stands in the huddle and said, “Isn’t that John Candy?” Now that is relaxed, cool, impressive, what have you.
My Game on the Line Surprising Answer
I refer to the above because it leads to my surprising answer to the above question. I like football much less than baseball and golf, but I would have to choose the Tom Brady scenario. Tiger is a one-person killer on the golf course, as is Mariano on the mound, but Tom Brady must rely on his teammates. It makes me wonder what is about someone that can inspire others to believe, or even know, what’s to come? What is his tone of voice, the look in his eyes, body language, etc.? One must believe he was born to win, be self-confident, and stay more relaxed than most are capable of. It would be fascinating and an amazing learning experience to witness up close how to inspire those around us when the whole world is watching.
That brings me to the best news. Not on the scale of those performers, but I believe each of us can be great with the game on the line. We have the “it” within us to inspire others. Just a look, a hello, a smile, a word, a hug, a letter, and prayer can change lives. And of course, and most importantly, is the willingness to enter the huddle with others at the most daunting of times and “believe” as Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, or Mariano Rivera do.
It’s easy to be there for others in the good times, but being there with things on the line, there lies the secret. The timing of what one does makes one like the mentioned superstars. We are born to win if we believe it. Coming out on top is possible, with some having to go half the field and others the whole 100 yards. If you want to know what it is like to be like Tom Brady, be there for those who must go the entire way and need a little extra inspiration. Happy Trails!
