Sunday, January 13, 2013

ON WINNING AND LOSING

Yesterday the Denver Broncos lost to the Baltimore Ravens in a most exciting and dramatic style. As is common in the Rocky Mountain West, we die-hard Broncos fans will tear into the results with a fervor and second-guess every move that their players and coaches made against a formidable opponent.

Whenever I am tempted to engage in such criticism I remind myself of a quote by Theodore Roosevelt:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 

Broncos, you had a great season and fought your best. Know that your fans will be there when you return to the gridiron next September.

Readers, enjoy your day.

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