I, like many sports fans around the world, am left sitting at home with nothing to watch as the COVID-19 virus continues its rapid spread.
If there is a lesson to be learn from this pandemic is this, don’t disrespect your opponent, whether it a 250-pound human being with barely any body fat or a contagious virus. Don’t think you are invincible, or can simply mail it in. This is how upsets occur, miracles happen, Cinderella teams believe, and in this case, a virus becomes a pandemic.
Look no further than the 2019 NBA Finals. People (except for maybe Jalen Rose and Charles Barkley) automatically assumed the Golden State Warriors would collect their third straight title, never giving the Toronto Raptors a shot. Draymond Green pretty much believed all that his team needed to do to secure another title is show up despite the fact that two of their star players were injured and their bench is inferior compared to the Raptors’. That is what I called being disrespectful, and it ended up burning him.
On the other end, you have an NBA team that has been in existence for 24 years. They have had a taste of success but nowhere near that of say the Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs. Kyle Lowry is the opposite of Green. He always respects his opponents. That is how he and his teammates managed to exploit the Warriors’ weaknesses especially in a hostile environment in Oakland where Toronto won all the three road games in the series.
How about Super Bowl LI? When the Atlanta Falcons went up 28-3 on the New England Patriots in the third quarter? Everyone in the building and around the world thought the game was over. Apparently that included the Falcons, because instead playing hard until the end of the game, they sat back and allowed Tom Brady and the Patriots to stage the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.
So how does respecting your opponent relate to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? Realize that the virus exists and you can catch it if you continue to ignore it. Just ask Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz. But it is also up to you to ensure that you don’t contract it. If you exercise not only physical distancing but good judgement and understanding the risks, you can take a walk through a neighbourhood or public space with other people around and come out of it with merely a sniffle. That’s not a pipe-dream, that’s reality. People should be able to go about their business during this pandemic so as long as they mind their own business. But in the eyes of public officials, citizens can’t handle that kind of responsibility. Yet another example of being disrespectful. So we are where we are right now which is no organized sports either live in person or on television.
The bottom line is don’t disrespect your opponent. Sure you are confident in winning a one-on-one match up. But to dismiss your opponent as something that is nothing to worry about is a sure recipe for disaster. Recognize that he or she has certain qualities that you don’t have. They may have weaknesses but they may not appear to the naked eye. You will have to do some work to expose it and make it your asset.
Again, don’t disrespect your opponent. Need I say again?
See also:
Contact Won’t Kill Sport, Petty Rules Will
All is Quiet in the Centre of the Hockey World
Only Losers Look for Someone to Blame
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