The best role models take blame for failure

The Monday night professional football game between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos on Oct. 15 was an amazing contradiction.

At the end of the first half the anguish of Denver fans, of which I am one, was palpable. If you listened carefully sounds of dismay were audible leagues from the Mile High City. By the end of the second half the teeth gnashing from San Diego drowned out the pounding of the surf on the Silver Strand south of Coronado. What a dramatic change.

Tuesday morning I was expecting to hear the blame game. Indeed, during the after game interviews, one intrepid reporter apparently asked Chargers coach Norv Turner if now he, Turner, should be fired. If it were a serious question, fire the reporter.

If getting dumped is a valid response to just plain terrible play by the folks on the field, Bronco coach John Fox should have expected John Elway, the Bronco’s executive vice president of Football Operations, to hand Fox a pink slip at the half. After the first 30 minutes of play the Broncos had fumbled away a punt, given the ball back to the Chargers on a kickoff muff, thrown an interception and seen a gifted receiver tackled by a “piece of grass,” as Bronco quarterback Peyton Manning put it. Bring out the hook. Yank John Fox.

In the second half the roles were reversed. Disastrous play by the Chargers opened the door for Denver -- 35 unanswered points later the game was over. Then came the stupid question.

Football is fun for me to watch. More fun, and far more illustrative, is the aftermath, including how spotlight players deal with mistakes and how the media ramps up criticism.

In the lead up to the game the tout was a tale of two quality quarterbacks. San Diego’s Philip Rivers said he was happy to be playing against a Manning-piloted team, someone he admires. Apparently, they are alike in more than just football skills. Rivers takes blame when he thinks it is due, as, it seems, does Manning.

After an earlier season Bronco loss which included a three interception performance by Manning, the future hall of fame member reportedly told his locker mates “this one is on me, boys.” No blaming the coach, or play calling, or in fact, anything except himself.

Tuesday Rivers stepped up and said the three second half interceptions he tossed on Monday night were his fault. He wasn’t fooled by what the Broncos were doing, he said. He just made bad passes. No shifting responsibility to coaches or play calling or the protection by his line for that poor performance. It was him, he said.

The day after the game San Diego Chargers coach Turner was accepting some of the responsibility load. That continued through the week.

On the other end of the win/loss spectrum, quality people share the credit when things go well. After the Monday night game, Manning was asked what he said in the locker room at half time to spur the team.

“Speeches don’t do it. The players just stepped up as they needed to,” he said to the sideline interviewer.

The aficionados in San Diego and every city in which professional athletes get lots of money to play what kids do for free will argue and rant for coaching changes and player trades and more spending by owners. It is part of the fun no matter the level of absurdity.

On that Monday night the team I cheer for was the winner. Had it worked out differently I’d have the same final comment. The best role models are those who hog responsibility when they do poorly and share applause when they do well. In sports the performances on the field are enhanced or overshadowed by the statements of players and coaches after the game.

I had hoped to end this column with a report of success by both teams in their next games. It wasn’t to be. The Broncos beat a team that has a losing record. The Chargers stayed flat and lost to a team with a worse record then their own. I suspect the “fire Norv Turner” crowd will be especially loud as a result.

Each team has about half its games left to play. We needn’t yet say “wait until next year in San Diego” and claiming a Lombardi Trophy in Denver isn’t guaranteed. The season isn’t over until it is over.

Hawkins is retired after 35 years as a construction industry association manager. He was a broadcast reporter and news anchor in Denver. As a Navy officer, he saw action in Vietnam in the River Assault Squadrons and is the recipient of a Silver Star and Purple Heart. He can be reached at george.hawkins@sddt.com.