“Super Decisions” by Dr. Marcus “Goodie” Goodloe
“I’m neither a Patriots nor Giants fan, but this was one of the most exciting Superbowls in a while. If the numbers hold true, it will be the most watched television event in history: 111.13 million people, or 1/3 of all Americans.
Like many people, I was most interested in seeing the Superbowl commercials: In fact, some folks who are part of Mosaic’s community had an ad for the Doritos commercial competition.
There were breath-taking plays on the field, not to mention a few controversial calls by the referees that proved to be critical to the outcome of the game. There was one decision that I took notice of, however. The Giants were driving with under three minutes to score a touchdown or field-goal to win the game. It appeared that the Giants were going to ‘milk the clock,’ leaving the Patriots no time on the clock to make a last ditch effort to pull out a victory.
But Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made the decision to allow the Giants to score, thus giving his pro-bowl quarterback Tom Brady a chance to win the game, with just under a minute and a half. When the head coach’s instructions came from the sideline, certain players on the Patriots defense were surprised; yet, they adjusted accordingly.
One sports announcer stated Belichick’s decision was huge, and took courage. He displayed great confidence in his team’s ability to overcome an impending deficit. In sum, the Patriots were willing to give up a score, in order to have a chance to win the game.
The Giants won, barely, but, an object lesson remains front and center for everyday life. I wonder, what adjustments are we willing to make, what things are we willing to concede in order to have the potential to accomplish something greater? Is it taking a risk, moving towards acts of generosity, or having the courage to take a contrarian approach towards self-development or spiritual health, not the common or predictable route.
Live life loud…
Goodie Goodloe, Ph.D.
Pastor, Mosaic South Bay
