Metaphors that can help us define our everyday reality and interpret the world can be found in abundance in sports.
I have learned a lot from this year’s Oregon Ducks football team and coach Dan Lanning’s coaching style. Lanning stated at the start of the season that he believed the Ducks had the pieces to form a strong squad, but only time would tell what it actually looked like.
A No. 1 ranking and a 13-0 season were solid predictors. So were the team’s ingenuity and tenacity. Anyone who has struggled in life might benefit from Lanning’s concept that mistakes are actually opportunities.
However, the Ducks were unprepared, bewildered, and outplayed by an Ohio State squad that was playing at its best on January 1. Well done, Ohio State. However, what in hell took place? (Rose Bowl rewind: Oregon Ducks’ season ends on January 2 with a crushing defeat to Ohio State).
It brought back memories of how I felt following this year’s election, when it appeared that our nation was unprepared, perplexed, and outclassed by those who were unconcerned with upholding democratic standards and tone deaf to the realities of being a politically split and culturally varied society. How can we all work together to withstand this storm?
This brings me back to the Ducks, their heartbreaking defeat, and Lanning’s paraphrase of renowned coach Vince Lombardi following the game: Adversity is a part of life. It’s not about getting knocked down, in my opinion. According to Lanning, it’s about getting back up and what you do next. It seems like wise counsel, and in addition, the consequences for the future of our nation are far more serious than a single college football game.
Forest Grove’s Lowell Greathouse
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