As I pause to think of something that sets some men apart,
It seemed to me that goals in life must be the place to start.
Imagine playing football on an unmarked field of green;
Not a goal line to be sought, not a goal post to be seen.
It would be an aimless battle were there nothing to be gained,
Without a thing to strive for, not a score to be attained.
We must have PURPOSE in our lives, for the flame that warms the soul
Is an everlasting vision, everyone must have a goal.
Super Bowl XLI is history but memories linger for me. Being down on the field and a part of a Super Bowl is a life-changing experience! I was lucky enough to officiate two of them, Super Bowls VI and XII. For those who don’t remember, Dallas won ’em both–24 t0 3 over the Miami Dolphins in Super VI and 27 to 10 over the Denver Broncos in Super XII.
Knowing that over 100 million viewers are watching worldwide and knowing that one of your decisions could decide the game is a sobering thought. So, the drama and excitement of this year’s game brought back a flood of memories and metaphors.
In every game, there are short-term, mid-term and long-term goals. Four downs to make a first down–crossing the other guy’s goal with the ball in your possession for a touchdown–winning the game and finally, the ultimate goal, the Super Bowl. You don’t have to be a Ph.D. or a rocket scientist to know where the goal line is. To be able to put that kind of football clarity into business or family objectives adds an “exclamation point” to Yogi Berra’s famous quote, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you may end up somewhere else!”
Many people have asked me what common thread is woven into the fabric of a great coach that puts them a notch higher in the record books. After all the scouting, viewing hours of video tape, developing game plans, and the countless details that go into the making of a team, it has to be won on the field and I think the one word that stands out in my mind is EXPECTATION. Great coaches and great managers expect their people to be better than they think they can be themselves. I saw this in Vince Lombardi with the Green Bay Packers, I saw it in Tom Landry, the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys, in Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers and you saw it this year in the remarkable job done by Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts. They knew where they were going. They knew who was going to get them there and they had the skills to make the game plan come to life on the field. And, that’s where it counts!
