Over the recent New Year’s holiday season, I enjoyed some college bowl football games. During the January 2 games, two different teams ended up with sad (for them) outcomes due to too much caution. My general philosophy of life is a cautious one. Actually, a better reflection would be that I analyze everything deeply. I have long enjoyed playing chess, but better than actually playing the game, I enjoy the strategic thinking that chess teaches.
What that means, simply, is that I am often taking time to slowly create a plan of action that takes into account the various possible events or issues that will emerge as the plan moves forward. Or, from the chess board, it is playing the game without moving the pieces. A strong chess player can see at least 3 moves ahead; a chess master can often go 7 or 8 moves deep. For a great example of this, watch the final minutes of the new Sherlock Holmes movie.
However, at times, this much strategic thinking can make you quite cautious, concerned that you haven’t fully considered all of the information. Too much caution can mean that you miss opportunities.
In the two bowl games, we saw two classic examples of this caution. In the Georgia vs. Michigan State game, the teams went to overtime. In the first overtime, Georgia successfully stopped Michigan State with an interception. If you know the college football rules, that meant all UGA had to do was score to win (as opposed to scoring to tie Michican State, had they scored). This opportunity, though caused caution on the part of the Bulldogs, or at least for their coach Mark Richt. Rather than coming out with a plan to attack as they would have normally, they played cautiously on the first two plays gaining about 3-4 yards. Then on third down, they decided to just go ahead and kick the ball for the winning field goal…except their kicker missed the 42 yard kick
Now, the logic here is that perhaps they’ll fumble or thrown an interception, and since they only need 1 point to win, why not kick. Added to that, would be the assumption that a good college team will have a solid kicker who should normally be able to make that kick. But UGA’s kicker had had a poor year, connecting on only 60% of his kicks. The bolder move for Richt would have been to play hard on all 3 of the Georgia downs; kick it only if you have too. Perhaps, they would have made a first down, getting closer; maybe they score the touchdown. Instead, they were cautious, attempting to make no real yardage and in the end, they paid the price. They lost in the 3rd overtime and that was that.
Later that evening, Stanford paid the same price in their game against Oklahoma State during the Fiesta Bowl. In a tight game between two very strong teams, Stanford had the ball last. Their excellent quarterback, Andrew Luck, took over on their own 20 and quickly took the team down to the OSU 25. Just like Georgia, that would be a 42 yard field goal. However, also just like Georgia, Stanford decided to sit on the ball even though they had 52 seconds left in the game. Clearly they could have attempted to pass the ball again (the previous two successful plays had been passes; Luck is one of the top QBs in the game). Instead, they ran two safe running plays designed to use up the clock and move the ball to the middle of the field. Those two plays put the ball on the OSU 17, so a 35 yard field goal. Now, their kicker was a slightly better kicker than the one from Georgia, but the result was the same.
Miss.
In OT, the poor young man missed again, this time from 43 yards.
In both games, clearly, the bolder move would have been to play their normal play calling, as if you knew that if you didn’t score, you would lose. Instead, both teams went cautious as if they knew that “of course we’ll make this easy field goal and win.”
Certainly, at times, being cautious is important. I mean, that’s my typical way of looking at things, but you must also be willing to make a move that is aggressive. Last night, neither Georgia or Stanford would have had to become risky or attempt unorthodox plans. Just execute part of their normal, aggressive play calling and go for the score. If, in the end, you still have to kick the field goal, then you make that call, but instead of trying to be conservative, trying to settle, they ended up giving away their games.
This year, don’t give away games. If you try something and lose, then you lose. At least, at that point, you won’t leave anything on the field. Put everything out there.
Plan, yes…but don’t hold onto too much caution.