James Metzger - Everything I ever needed to know about business I learned on the sports field

Settling for the Super Bowl
Jan 14, 2010Posted by james

The Indianapolis Colts made a bad decision 2 weeks ago when they played the Jets. They decided they were going to settle for the Super Bowl.

The Colts had a perfect 14-0 record going into the last 2 weeks of the regular season. Their division title was won; the number 1 seed position in the AFC playoffs was locked in; and so there were no more “meaningful games” left in the regular season. Right? Wrong!

Most “experts” agreed among themselves that the smart thing to do was whatever gave the best odds of winning the Super Bowl. They debated whether it was better to rest players or whether they should keep the players sharp and focused by playing the remaining games before the playoffs. But there was consensus that the coach had to stay focused on the big picture – the ultimate goal – the Super Bowl.

I think they missed the really big picture. The Colts had a chance to do something that no one else has ever done. They had a chance to win the Super Bowl with a big exclamation point ; to go into history as the first 19–0 team and only the second to ever be undefeated World Champions. They had a chance to have one of the best seasons of all-time, and instead they decided to not take the risk. They settled for just the Super Bowl.

Every now and then the same thing happens in business. Sometimes unlikely opportunities arise - opportunities to do something truly extraordinary. When this happens, how do you react? Do you continue to stay the course and continue on the path toward your “real goals”? Or do you jump on the chance to get to a level that is far beyond your earlier dreams?

Regardless of whether the Colts win or lose the big game in February, we will never know for sure whether sitting out those games helped or hurt their chances. But I can tell you this: Seeing the dejected look on Peyton Manning’s face as he watched the Jets ruin their perfect record showed us that at least one champion understood they may have let the chance of a lifetime slip away.

by james on Jan 14, 2010 | permalink |
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