BUT I DIGRESS

Be careful not to change the subject when staying on task is the difference between a win and a loss. Sasha Vujacic changed the subject in the Lakers’ close out win yesterday over the Phoenix Suns when he lost his composure and elbowed Goran Dragic in the mouth. The two have a newfound rivalry despite their mutual heritage of being Slovenian. Their respective teams were playing a game with different motivations based in desperation as one fought to stave off elimination while the other attempted to impose its will en route to a second consecutive championship.

But Vujacic fueled his opponent’s rally and revitalized their dormant fans when he decided to make his personal bout with Dragic public. He changed the subject from the corporate objective to a personal one and it could have cost the Lakers a win. Phoenix rallied thanks to their bench play led by Dragic who scored on three straight trips down the floor while being guarded by a distracted Vujacic. And isn’t that one of the greatest tools of your adversary? Turn your emotions against you and your team. Make the backdrop of personal vendetta the primary focus. Digressions are common in sports are they not? That’s why players get fined and/or suspended. There are precautionary measures in place for when the weak-minded give way to instincts and throw discipline and poise to the wind.

Digressions may be the reason we seldom complete what we’ve started. There’s nothing worse than watching as your team decide that it would rather have a fist fight then play the game. I used to tell the girls I coached, “No point in losing twice…Let’s stick to basketball and see if we can pull this game out.” When you change the subject, you’re admitting defeat. You’re saying that though I can’t beat you at this game, I bet I can beat you at something else. And it’s at that point that we began grasping at straws to save face. I must guarantee a victory to protect my expectation that I am superior. But that’s not a paradigm rooted in sportsmanship nor is it effective toward the team mission. Digression is usually your greatest nemesis.