Notes from a "Pseudo" Football Fan

I have to say, this was my first year watching the Super Bowl when I was truly cheering for both teams. Both teams had outstanding records during the season, and hence deserved to be there. I liked the Indianapolis Colts from the Tony Dungy days -- they just seem to be a classy team that did what it took to win, and I couldn't help wanting the city of New Orleans to have the "feel good" factor and financial boost from a Super Bowl win. But some other things happened while I was watching the game...

The first thing that got my attention was when I heard the announcers mention the name of the head coach for the Colts, Jim Caldwell. It was the first time I had ever heard his name mentioned during an NFL game. Now I'm not saying they never mentioned it before, I just never heard it. Pre-Super Bowl you would think Peyton Manning was coaching the team, because he's who the announcers always talked about and credited for the wins. Then, when the announcers mentioned a quote of Caldwell's, "When you're prepared, there's no reason to sweat", I couldn't help but respect him even more. It was a great quote (until they lost - maybe they should have been sweating a little more). I had first gained respect for Caldwell when he rested some key players, resulting in a few losses, a move he was highly criticized for but a move that made perfect sense to me. It seemed he was taking the low risk approach to the game -- work hard to prepare, then preserve your assets when you can -- easy choices.

The second thing that really impressed me during the game were the gutsy calls the New Orleans Saints coach, Sean Payton, consistently made throughout the game, and the way his players maintained a high level of performance, whether they delivered on the plays or not. It seemed he was taking a high risk approach to the game and the players stepped up to the challenge. In the end, the risks paid out for the Saints.

My take away from the game -- working hard and playing it safe may get you to the big game, but it won't get you to the top of the heap. The question is where do you want to be, at the top, or in the game?