What would you do?

[topscribe]

Sorry to take this thread off topic, but I just had to mention that all I thought of when I read the title was:
"how many of 'em did you kill Napoleon?"
"Like 50 of 'em, they kept attacking my cousins, what would you do? Gaahhh!"

Ok, sorry, back to your regularly scheduled thread.

Huh?

[jletourneau]

"A", hands down.

You can't put any mindset into a team other than pouring your heart and soul into everything they do. This is why we admire and elevate players like Al Wilson and Rod Smith.

If you allow your team or organization to get comfortable in any situation, even victory, then you've lost your edge. Complacency will flood water on the wood that is meant for a fire, then it will take much longer to get it to burn again.

[Cugel]

"A" hands down, every time. You don't give up. You don't quit. It doesn't matter if you are in the 4th quarter and down 28. It doesn't matter if you are 1-14 and playing your last game. If you can't win the big battle, you win as many little ones as you can. You show your coaches, your teammates, your opponents, your parents, siblings, friends, wives, and YOURSELF that you have the HEART of a champion, if not the body.

But in this case there is a mathematical chance. If there is a mathematical chance, there is a chance, regardless of how slim. Teams have been down and caught fire before. What's the chance of winning out and grabbing a wildcard? Slim--if your glass is half empty. What's the chance of winning the next game? Well, much better by odds. That is all you have to do: Win the next game. You don't have to win anything else, just the next game. If you win out, maybe there's a championship in it. If not, you walk away with your pride--and pride is far more valuable to a living human being than a brass trophy and a few more bucks. That is, if you hold the right values.

Oh yes, one more thing: You don't play for the draft; you draft for the win. The draft comes next year. You win today. That's the name of the game.

There's not even any question about this! The worst thing about losing teams is that they start to EXPECT to lose! Losing becomes psychologically acceptable -- and then next thing you know you're the New Orleans Saints, the Lions, the Cardinals, etc.

Somewhere in the back of their minds, they are looking for that one bad play that starts the slide.

In short it doesn't take long to become a LOSING team. Losing teams have high draft picks, but they don't win championships.

Almost the only way you can turn that situation around is to clean house and start from scratch with a new coach and all new players. That takes years and it doesn't always work.

Tanking for the season to get a high draft pick sounds good, but the NFL isn't Madden 2005! The mind plays a huge part.

Are the Patriots players really that much more talented than the rest of the league? NO! But they have the expectation when they take the field that they will win. And more often than not they live up to that expectation. They're not afraid of anything, don't get down on themselves when a play or a series goes against them, support their teammates, listen to their coaches and do what they're told.

Winning breeds winning. And it all starts with attitude.

[TXBRONC]

Ok, quick theoretical question:

After 8 weeks of the season your team (the Broncos) sits at 2-6 with a tough remaining schedule and numerous starters injured. Do you:

A) Attempt to turn around your season and make a late playoff push to try to grab a wildcard spot however unlikely?

B) Scrap the season and play for draft position?

C) Just keep chugging along and maybe hope to catch a couple breaks and finish 5-11 or 6-10?

I know what the "party line" answer you give the media is, but I want to know what you guys really think about it. Support your answer with a persuasive argument.

Okay, now what would you rather we did as a fan?

At 2-6 more than likely you're not mathmatically out of the race so you continue to play hard and maybe turn things around. Look at the Panthers they were awful the first half of the season, yet because they didn't give up they only missed the playoffs by one game. Losing begets losing, winning begets winning plan and simple.

[topscribe]

There's not even any question about this! The worst thing about losing teams is that they start to EXPECT to lose! Losing becomes psychologically acceptable -- and then next thing you know you're the New Orleans Saints, the Lions, the Cardinals, etc.

Somewhere in the back of their minds, they are looking for that one bad play that starts the slide.

In short it doesn't take long to become a LOSING team. Losing teams have high draft picks, but they don't win championships.

Almost the only way you can turn that situation around is to clean house and start from scratch with a new coach and all new players. That takes years and it doesn't always work.

Tanking for the season to get a high draft pick sounds good, but the NFL isn't Madden 2005! The mind plays a huge part.

Are the Patriots players really that much more talented than the rest of the league? NO! But they have the expectation when they take the field that they will win. And more often than not they live up to that expectation. They're not afraid of anything, don't get down on themselves when a play or a series goes against them, support their teammates, listen to their coaches and do what they're told.

Winning breeds winning. And it all starts with attitude.

Good points, Cugel. (In fact, points to you.) I remember an interview of Raider FG Kicker/QB George Blanda, back in the early '70s, when they were winning so much . He said the difference between those Raiders and other teams were that most other teams took the field hoping to win. The Raiders, he continued, knew they were going to win.

One game at a time. You can build an expectation for one game, far easier than you can for a season. Win that game. Only then do you worry about anything after that.

[PRBronco]

Huh?

It's from napoleon dynamite, you should watch it, it's funny, but don't be on the lookout for a plot.

[rcsodak]

I dunno.....


....any chef/faider/bolts fans around that can give us their real-life thoughts??????