117. Own Your Losses

If you don’t follow the NFL, firstly, you should. Secondly, this applies even if you don’t.

For your information, this past weekend was the second round of the NFL playoffs, and I can’t avoid talking about 3 of coaches of the final 8 teams. 2 of these coaches lost, 1 of them won and is moving on. 1 got fired on Monday, the other 2 will be with the same team next year.

The one who got fired, Coach McDermott in Buffalo, lost. The owner of the franchise went on record saying he fired his coach of 9 years as a result of their playoff loss last weekend. Much of the Buffalo Bills fanbase was caught off guard by the move. Coach McDermott was much beloved by the city of Buffalo and their football team. There was an outcry that said they fired the wrong guy.

Personally, I think they got it right. In fact, I thought they should’ve fired him after last season. Keep in mind, the Buffalo Bills have not only made the playoffs each of the past 7 seasons, but they’ve won at least 1 postseason game in each of those seasons. By all accounts, they’ve been an incredibly successful franchise under Coach McDermott. They haven’t made the Super Bowl, but they have had more success than most.

So why do I think they made the right move by firing their coach? Well, first watch this clip:

The context is that this is from the press conference that immediately followed their loss to the Denver Broncos. The game went to overtime, and when the Bills completed a pass that would have put them in a winning position, the completion was overturned by the referees and ruled an interception, putting the ball in the hands of the Broncos to march down the field themselves and win the game.

To me, this is Coach McDermott exposing himself as a victim. He’s crying, saying woah is me, we would have won the game if it weren’t for the big bad refs. I say come on coach, you guys played a horrible game. It wasn’t the referees that lost you the game.

This guy always has a reason for losing. He’s had one every year. 7 years in a row. You’ve heard me say it before. Your list of reasons for not doing well is irrelevant if your name isn’t circled and underlined at the top.

Now watch this clip of Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans after they lost to the Patriots on the same weekend. For your reference, Houston’s offence threw 4 interceptions, and the team underperformed at grand capacity the whole game. They did not deserve to win, but this guy won’t be fired.

Watch:

This guy will win a Super Bowl one day. Whether it’s with the Texans or not. He’ll make it happen. He owns the result. He doesn’t point fingers and complain about his quarterback who had the worst game of his career. He stood up in front of everyone, said I’m the leader, and it’s on me.

Before you say that doesn’t prove anything because he hasn’t won yet, let me show you one more clip:

That’s coach Sean McVay of the LA Rams, Super Bowl LVI champion. That’s a winner, even when they lose. He doesn’t point fingers except at himself. He takes ownership.

To me, a proud member of Bills Mafia (Buffalo Bills fans), coach McDermott didn’t deserve another chance. His public strategy has always been to get more bounces and hope the refs call a good game.

We’ve got to own our losses. We’ve got to stand up and say that one is on me. As leaders, it’s our job to.

No, we don’t all face dozens of blood thirsty reporters at the end of every day, demanding to know what went right and what went wrong, but we must demand it of ourselves.

Stop pointing your finger at the referees. It’s not their fault. They always make bad calls. To expect any different is childish. Take the hit and demand more of yourself. It’s how you win in sports and it’s how you win in life.

Just remember, winning is hard, and the process doesn’t feel good. It makes you vulnerable, standing up for your own results. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s the only way.

Accept responsibility.

Own your losses, because the referees sure won’t.

— Cody

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