WHAT NOW? Wednesdays – When to change teams…

[Kristine]

I have never considered myself a fickle football fan, but I fear I’m starting to show a few symptoms… SO I thought it might be interesting to travel down memory lane to try to figure out why.

I grew up a die hard Redskin fan in the era of Coach Gibbs, Art Monk and The Hogs. But after Joe Gibbs left and my parents moved to Denver and got Broncos season tickets, I started to waver. All it took was one game with the fans at Mile High Stadium and I was sold. It’s been almost 20 years now and I’ve been a devoted fan donning my #87 (McCaffrey) jersey on Sundays even when I can’t get the games on TV. But now that my parents have moved to Georgia and the Falcons have Jason Elam and are more exciting to watch (enter Matt Ryan), I am starting to second guess why I’m still a Denver fan. I can handle the losing seasons, but with decisions to let some great veterans go and their recent lack of passion, I am getting closer to the fence…

I discovered college football in Tallahassee 15 years ago and have been a die hard Seminole fan ever since. But over the past several years, I have been wavering just a little after disappointing coaching decisions and what looked like a loss of passion. With Mark Richt at Georgia, I started to rationalize he’s a great coach and maybe my son will go to college there… and then my son attended his 1st football game at GA Tech and now has a memory of them tearing the goal posts down after a close win over FSU... Maybe like a passive job seeker looking for something better during discouraging times, I guess I was weighing my options. But I realized my heart is still with the Noles and I have been encouraged by the new coaching staff and what looks to be a much more passionate team this year. So I guess I’m off the fence here and sticking with FSU.

So why does any of my football rant matter? It may not to you, but it reminds me again of the parallel between fans and employees. I think we should always keep our options open but remember to stick it out during tough times. I believe an important decision point in choosing to stay or to go is to consider your passion for the job and the passion of your leaders.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to note what I’m thankful for. Although there are many outcomes in our lives outside of our control (i.e. economy, unexpected job loss, etc.), I am thankful that we have the freedom to make choices. Choices in our careers, relationships, and how we spend our time. In addition to family, health, home, great job, leaders, etc., I am so very thankful for our freedom and the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect it. And let’s not forget life’s simple pleasures. These are different for all of us, but for me it’s as simple as discovering a great new restaurant that delivers to my neighborhood or finding time for some football or a good book. Here’s to enjoying life’s simple pleasures and Happy Turkey Day to all!!!