To err is human.
That is unfortunate. Why did Alexander Pope have to point that
out?
To err is human.
That is unfortunate. Why did Alexander Pope have to point that out?
I hate messing up. When I do, there are thousands who could possibly notice. Pressure?
Yep.
Wouldn’t it be great if some of the goof-ups, the everyday mistakes and errors we commit were less a part of our routine?
Most of the time an accidental door ding goes unnoticed, or a conversational flub usually passes right on by the person most likely not paying attention anyway.
Tripping up a couple of steps on the way to your seat at a ball game – that’s OK, only a few dozen people saw that. Maybe a handful of those start to point and laugh. It may take a few minutes for your ears to cool off after heating up from embarrassment. But after a while the incident is forgotten and you have survived.
Sometimes, though, we are not allowed to forget our errors. We are constantly reminded by the annoying relative that has to tell the hilarious anecdote in front of a healthy sum of people about a less than favorable moment.
Some of these faux pas stick with us for a long time, locked in a fragile, vulnerable mental safe.
Former major league first baseman Bill Buckner and Buffalo Bills’ place kicker Scott Norwood know all to well the long-term effects of very public mistakes. Both men, professional athletes, who were top performers at their positions, are most remembered for the worst moments of their careers.
Buckner let a ground ball off the bat of New York Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson dribble through his legs allowing the winning run to cross home plate in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets went on to win Game 7.
Norwood, missed a game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXV, and is now forever synonymous with the phrase “wide right.” The Buffalo Bills returned to the Super Bowl the next three years but never were as close to winning as their first trip.
The ridicule and the backlash the two men faced was way out of line. There seems to be a lack of separation. Athletes are just as human as the rest of us, prone to mistakes and clumsiness.
There are certain professions where errors and mistakes are magnified tenfold.
Politicians, actors, musicians and athletes, are all scrutinized beyond the norm, and for what purpose? Three minutes of joy that ensues while basking in someone else’s misfortunes. It’s the gratification gained by criticizing and passing judgment based on a mistake.
Do we have a right to treat professional athletes the way we do, booing them and hoping for the worst? I am guilty of excessive, boisterous behavior anytime Tom Brady fails. I guess it comes with the territory.
The problem, however, is that this type of behavior, this judgmental view of athletes, doesn’t stop at the pros. College kids are affected by constant analysis. It happens at the high school level on down to Little League and Pop Warner.
I ran a Web Poll a couple weeks back asking if high school athletes should be protected from ridicule. The majority of participants voted “yes.”
I totally agree, but it isn’t what I’ve seen over the last year-plus of covering high school games. Fans are so wrapped up in winning and being the best, they forget that it’s kids out there giving their all in the sport they enjoy playing. Too many times these prep athletes are treated like they owe the spectators.
The second portion of Pope’s quote is, “to forgive is divine.”
Changing how we react to the mistakes of others is worth a shot.
