What Could Rec Athletes Learn From Watching The Super Bowl?

Yesterday’s Super Bowl was unbelievable. Even if you didn’t have a rooting interest in the game, I bet at the end you were pulling for one side or the other. Maybe you wanted the underdog to win, or maybe you were/became a fan of the traditional powerhouses. Either way, what was played out in Tampa was one for the ages.

So as a rec athlete, what did you learn from watching the Super Bowl?

The major thing you learned was to not to give up. At the start of the 4th quarter the Arizona Cardinals were down 20-7 and could have easily thrown in the towel. No team in the history of the Super Bowl had ever come back from a deficit that large. Had they given up, people all over the NFL stratosphere would have commended them on just making the big game. They would have been patted on the back, told that they had a great run and been given praise all throughout Arizona.

But because of their resiliency they didn’t see the large hole as an obstacle, but rather as motivation. The D stopped Pitts’ first drive of the Fourth Quarter on a 3 and out and then the O responded with a Warner to Fitzgerald TD to gain the momentum that carried them through the game.

But the “don’t give up” mantra wasn’t heard just on the Arizona side of the ball, Pitts preached it also.

After Arizona’s score late in the fourth, the Pitts O could have given up, or tried to settle for a game-tying field goal. Instead they replicated Arizona’s drive and marched on down the field.

Heading into the final drive, Big Ben was having anything but a stellar game. Having thrown for less than 175 yards to this point, with no touchdowns and one pick, he was probably not the most confident man in the stadium at that moment, but his lack of confidence (if he actually really did have) didn’t show at all on the final drive.

Going 5-7 in the final two minutes of the game displayed Big Ben’s ability to not give up or wilt in pressure situations. And the payoff was huge.

So for all rec athletes out there who think your game is out of reach or that you are playing so poorly that you aren't a help to your team, remember the "don't give up" ideology and play hard until the final buzzer sounds. You may just surprise yourself and everyone else.

Keep sporting!
- Who’s In First