On the TUNNEYSIDE of SPORTS October 10, 2016 #614 Up…” Built for the Moment”
After further review…” Everybody ain’t built for the moment,” said Deion Sanders, NFL analyst and former player. What prompted #21’s comment was an errant move by Terrance Williams, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys (for whom Sanders once played). In the first regular season game of 2016, with just seconds left to play in the fourth quarter, the New York Giants were leading 20-19. The “built-for-the-moment” idiom by Sanders reflected his opinion that Williams, who caught a pass from Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, should have immediately stepped out of bounds to stop the clock. Williams didn’t!
This is not a diatribe against Williams, but an elucidation of that magical thing called “the moment.” To review: The pass from Prescott to Williams was the right play and both knew, along with the 90,000 in AT&T Stadium, that the necessary conclusion of the play was to catch the ball and step out of bounds. That move would have given Dan Bailey, Cowboys’ field goal kicker, time to set up for a 61-yard attempt at winning the game. Bailey had kicked a 56-yarder earlier in that game, and was 23-of-31 from distances of 50 yards. Bailey never got that chance.
Williams caught the pass and ran for three more yards as time expired on the play. What was he thinking? To state the obvious, he was trying to get three more yards for Bailey’s attempt, but failed to remember how much time remained on the clock. What is being emphasized here is that skill is not enough to play any game. Game knowledge in equally important, and maybe more important. We’ve all seen players who have great athletic skill, but lack a more refined understand of what it takes to be successful. The “it” refers to that special quality that is necessary to win. Well, what is “it?” Some observers would say, “I can’t describe ‘it’ exactly, but I know it when I see it!”
Preparation is certainly a factor. Ben Franklin (no, he didn’t play for the Eagles) reminds us: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Coaches do that in their daily practices and quarterbacks do that in the huddle prior to a play. It just didn’t happen in the huddle this time, and the Giants won 20-19. For Williams, failing to stop the clock probably won’t happen again. His error practically guarantees that he will be better prepared for the next “it” moment when it happens.
Will you prepare thoroughly so that you are ready when that moment arrives?
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