And That's how They Fall

Sports represents life.

You never really know how things are going to end and unless you actually play it out, you can only wonder at the outcome.

On paper--it may look like a certain outcome is all but assured; but when it all actually plays out something very different may be the result.

For instance, the NHL playoffs and the series between Montreal and Pittsburgh. Clearly, on paper the defending Stanley Cup Champions were the better more balanced team. But last night, Montreal proved that anything can happen during a seven game series and ushered the Penguins from the playoffs and off to an early Spring break. I was stunned. The Pens lost last night, 5-2 in the deciding game seven of their series.

Similarly, the Orioles, who have reached new levels of ineptitude this season ruffled their feathers a bit and actually won a game--with a combination of both good pitching and timely hitting. Both something that have not occurred simultaneously very much at all this season. As a result, the O's crawled over the Seattle Mariners to win 5-2. The O's now have 10 wins for the season--the fewest in the entire of major league baseball, but only one game less than their traditional rival for the worst team in baseball, Kansas City.

Two games in different sports ending with the same score with similar implications: the underdog won. While I would have hoped the Pens would have won and continued on to the Stanley Cup again this year--that is why the games have to be played and we don't use computer simulations.

Life is like that. No matter how much an underdog we believe we are--we need to play it out and do our best. Why? Because we may just surprise not only ourselves but those around us. And if the score ends in our favor--great; and if it doesn't, well at least we took the risk and tried.

I believe that half of winning in life is trying to convince the other side not to play. And so the odds are really in our favor when we walk onto what ever field it is we are asked to play on--be it the board room, or the briefing room, or the sales room, or the squad room.

It really only matters that we showed up, tried out and gave it our best.

Just like in sports--underdogs do win in life. But---

you have to play to win!