Go for it or Punt?1
Posted In Sports
It’s 4th and 3 and your favorite football team lines up to punt the football. You sit back in your chair and accept the fact that it’s the right decision.
But is it?
A new study has come out that says teams should start going for it. The author backed it up with all the statistical information and made a pretty good argument.
Then he said something that hit me like a ton of bricks and it didn’t have to do with just football.
In short, almost all people tend to fear losses far more than they value equivalent gains. In this perspective, a punt is considered the “break-even” decision. A failed conversion attempt is seen as a loss, and a successful attempt is seen as a gain. But the loss is feared disproportionately, and the result is clouded decision-making.
When your favorite football team actually goes for it on 4th down, how nervous are you? I know I am on the edge of my seat. It’s because we know what we are risking. There is something on the line. This is the last chance.
In my Christian walk and even life, how many times have I decided to go with the “break-even” decision? The one that didn’t cause any risk of a “loss” or a “gain.” Just walking through life breaking even…
Thinking back to football games I have watched… the ones I remember most are the ones where risks were taken and much was either lost or gained.
It’s time to start going for it.
As someone who LOVES football this post means so much to me. I loved it when Tubs would go for it on fourth down – it showed he believed in his players. Maybe I need to just go for it more often myself…great blog Wes