Egregiously Bad Calls
I was watching Mizzou’s men’s basketball team upset Kentucky (sorry Holly!) when the color commentator said something that made perfect sense, but that I hadn’t heard before.
He explained that when they scrimmage, head coach Dennis Gates goes out of his way to make egregiously bad officiating calls. The point is to give the players practice dealing with adversity and keeping their composure when something unfair and frustrating happens and there’s nothing they can do about it.
Right when I heard it, I texted the u14 girls’ head coach and told him that I was going to start doing the same thing in our scrimmages (even though the girls – my daughter in particular – are going to hate me for it).
There’s a lot of literature – and I’ve written before – about making things harder so they get better. There’s also the idea of making yourself the villain to people you love so that the real villains out there, who don’t love them, are less intimidating when they inevitably show up.
The problem is that it’s really hard in the moment to make someone else’s life more difficult. Especially when you can’t explain why. Because if you tell someone that you’re faking it for their benefit, the jig is up.
I wrote not long ago about our CEO Brent’s guidance to be kind, not nice. This is related to that.
The nice thing to do would be to referee the game fairly, so everyone goes home feeling well-treated. But the world isn’t always fair, so the kind thing to do is to prepare people for that.
But boy is that hard to do sometimes.
– Tim
Sign up below to get Unqualified Opinions in your inbox.
The information, opinions, and views presented in this publication are provided solely for general informational and educational purposes. They are of a general nature, have not been tailored to the specific circumstances of any individual or entity, and do not constitute a comprehensive statement of the matters discussed. This material should not be interpreted or relied upon as investment, legal, tax, accounting, regulatory, or other professional advice, and nothing in this publication is intended to be or should be construed as such. You should obtain advice from your own professional advisors regarding the applicability of the information to your particular circumstances.
The views and analyses expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views, opinions, policies, or positions of Permanent Equity Management, LLC, its officers, directors, employees, affiliates, or portfolio companies, or of any person or entity with whom the author may be affiliated. Permanent Equity Management, LLC makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or suitability of the information contained herein and expressly disclaims any liability for errors or omissions.
This publication is not, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security, financial instrument, or other product. It does not form the basis of any contract and does not create a fiduciary, advisory, or client relationship with Permanent Equity Management, LLC. Any examples or references to third-party content are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement. Permanent Equity Management, LLC is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of third-party materials. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Any forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to change.
