This is an era when I hesitate to see the news. Certainly there is enough negativity to last a lifetime. So it’s nice to have a refuge to escape the disasters, threats, and misery in the everyday headlines.
Occasionally I look longingly for an escape, if only for a few moments. One distraction is sports, particularly football. So I spent most of this past Sunday in front of my TV (I have to recover the investment in a 60-inch screen) watching the NFL playoffs.
That’s how I saw the Minnesota Vikings beat the New Orleans Saints with that improbable 61-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game. We all like to witness great plays and exciting finishes. But I always cringe when a game is decided by a player’s mistake, as was the case here. New Orleans’ defensive back Marcus Williams missed the tackle. Period. Take down Vikings’ wide receiver Stefon Diggs in-bounds, and the clock runs out, the game is over. But he whiffed. Missed completely, thus allowing the winning touchdown.
I’ve had my own frustrations with team sports, so I sympathize. And Williams has plenty of company; see “Top 20 Biggest Blunders in Sports History” (https://www.thesportster.com/entertainment/top-20-biggest-blunders-in-sports-history/ ). Unfortunately, mistakes like this, especially in the postseason, can
ruin careers.
But here’s where the restored faith comes in. When the team returned to New Orleans, they got a hero’s welcome, especially Marcus Williams. This was the photo on Yahoo.com.
And that’s how it should be. When things go wrong, you look for the positive, build on that, and try again. I wish Marcus Williams a long and successful NFL career. People are more than one moment, no matter when that moment may happen.