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It's not so good to try to be great

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by TheSportsPredictor, Feb 4, 2008.

  1. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    It's safer in the long run!
     
  2. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    Worked for the Giants. Almost worked for the Rockies.
     
  3. andyouare?

    andyouare? Guest

    I've been waiting for my "mediocre, don't try for greatness plan" to pay off for years. :(
     
  4. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    TSP is right. You learn from your mistakes, and the Patriots didn't make enough mistakes.
     
  5. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Unfortunately, Andy, that only works for the Super Bowl and government jobs.
     
  6. GB-Hack

    GB-Hack Active Member

    Yes. Because the threat of an undefeated season often rears its head in Major League Baseball.

    Seriously, there is something to be said for catching fire at the right time. But that and the idea that you should only aim to play well when it matters are incongruous. In a 16-game regular season, every game matters.
     
  7. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    How often do we hear this question during an undefeated run: "Do you think your team would be better off if you lost a game along the way?"

    Maybe a team would be. If you're a failure if you win them all except the last game, why put all the time and effort into winning every single one? What good is it without the last one? You can be perfect heading into it and lose; you can be mediocre heading into it and win.

    So why bother striving for perfection?
     
  8. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    No one's going undefeated in baseball. But the Rockies were 76-72 on Sept. 15. They were a mediocre team. Then they got hot and rode the wave to the World Series. Kinda like how the Giants' season went, except the Giants won it all.
     
  9. GB-Hack

    GB-Hack Active Member

    But I'm guessing when they were 76-72 the Rockies weren't sitting around saying "Man, we've got the rest of the division and NL right where we want them!"

    They were probably pissed that they were only four games over .500, and then they were out and got on a great roll.
     
  10. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    But when you are kicking around being mediocre, how do you know when it's time to turn it on? And wouldn't everyone be doing the same thing? So it might be hard to lose the first half of the season then suddenly it would be hard to win.
     
  11. Twoback

    Twoback Active Member

    Teams don't "get hot."
    They play better.
    Saying it like that makes it seem like you just have to wake up in the morning and announce, "Time to 'get hot.' " Teams have injuries and have to overcome them. They grow (many Giants rooks played a big part in Sunday's win). Their chemistry might change (Giants without Shockey). When Pittsburgh won it two years ago, they stumbled without their quarterback and got better when he returned. It's not magic.
     
  12. Chef

    Chef Active Member

    After reading this thread, Al Davis changed his slogan to "Pursuit of Mediocrity"
     
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