I’ve been watching the NBA playoffs these last few weeks. Admittedly, I am not a fan of the NBA but I am a huge sports fan who loves the competition and to see athletes like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan and Rajon Rondo perform at the top of their game in pressure situations.
It’s also neat to follow the game, or at least the fan chatter, on the social networks. It kind of gives me a chance to be “in the arena” with all of the people I follow and listen to their analysis, input, frustration and excitement. People comment on every play, referee’s call, announcer’s description or even the commercials they show during the network coverage.
One thing is for sure when you watch a game via the social network streams; Not everyone is watching the same game.
Of course, the game itself is the only game on but depending on which team you’re a fan of, you don’t look at the successes or failures on each play through the same lens. A foul on one play is a “horrible call” in one city while the next call on “your team” or player is garbage and nothing more than a “make up call.”
Aside: Sadly, many of us neutral fans have just been seeing bad calls on both ends of the floor as the refereeing this post season has been nothing short of horrendous.
There have been cries of conspiracy and fixing of games with people thinking that the action on the floor may somehow be being manipulated or dictated by the league or even the television networks.
The Eastern Conference Finals matching the Miami Heat against the Boston Celtics has probably created the most vitriol because it seems that LeBron James is quite a polarizing figure. While any true sport fan would have a hard time arguing his incredible athletic talents, many people seem to hate James because of his decision to leave Cleveland and become a free agent to play for the Heat two years ago.
I find it fascinating that critics of LeBron love to blame him for everyone one of his team’s losses but will also refuse to give him credit for any of his teams victories. If he plays well (which he did last night in a “must-win” Game 6 in Boston, scoring 45 points) his critics say the referees made it easy for him or he got lucky. If he plays poorly (which might mean he only scores 25 and grabs 12 rebounds) he is looked at as a goat, a failure, a “loser” or a crybaby.
This isn’t a blog post about whether LeBron James is a good person or whether or not he should have stayed in Cleveland. I certainly would like to think that anyone reading this would love to be in a position to choose the best spot to practice their craft for themselves and their family and not be second guessed or told they were wrong. It’s just an observation of how people can give credit and lay blame with different sets of rules depending on who benefits from the outcome.
How Do You React?
If you look at your approach to your business, are you the person who looks to give praise and credit to people for a good effort or a job well done or do you prefer to criticize and blame others? Are you someone who first worries about their own efforts, actions and results or would you rather point fingers and cheer others challenges and shortcomings.
How would your approach to your actions change if every move you made was broken down, analyzed, critiqued or ridiculed? What might you do differently if you had a “fan base” who did everything they could to provide you with the tools, system and support needed to always perform your best?
There is nothing wrong with being a fan and investing time, money and emotion into your team, player or position. Just remember, at the end of the day, game or season, how much does it really affect you?
The ball is in your court…
Photo Credit: Keith Allison via Creative Commons