It's Not Personal...It's Strictly Business! Kyle Orton Faces The Denver Broncos

For Kyle Orton, starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday’s contest against the Denver Broncos is more than just another football game…more than just a game against a AFC West Division opponent…more than just a game that could decide the fate of a rival’s playoff hopes…for Kyle Orton, this game is PERSONAL!  Make no mistake, yes, Orton wants to win because it’s his job…because he is very competitive…because he could be auditioning for a starting job in 2012…but most of all, Kyle Orton wants to win to show the Denver Broncos that they made a mistake in cutting him earlier in the season and replacing him with Tim Tebow!  

 

Imagine for a minute you are Kyle Orton.  Right before the beginning of the 2011 NFL Season, your team for the past two years, the Denver Broncos, tries to trade you to the Miami Dolphins, but the deal falls thru.  In training camp, first year head coach, John Fox, declares that the starting quarterback job is wide open, even though you have been the starter since 2009.  You easily win the job over the prodigal son, Tim Tebow, who proves he is not ready to take over the reigns as the Broncos' quarterback.  You start the 2011 season 1 and 4 turning over the ball nine times during the five game run.  On October 9, you hit rock bottom, when you go 6 for 13 for a total of 34 yards in the first half of the game against the San Diego Chargers, throwing your seventh interception of the season.  You start the second half of the game on the bench and watch Tebow and his awkward style take the Broncos within a last gasp pass of coming back to beat the Chargers.  By the beginning of next week, the writing is on the wall - you are now demoted to THIRD on the depth chart behind starter, Tim Tebow, and back up quarterback Brady Quinn.  Your career as a Denver Bronco is over - it’s just a matter of time until you are released.  (Which comes six weeks later)   Fast forward to Week #17 of the 2011 NFL season:  you are now starting for the last place team in the AFC West Division while the quarterback who took your spot has led your former team to a chance at the AFC West Division title, and is the feel good story of the NFL.  How would you feel?  Go ahead, it’s okay to say it...let it out, you’ll feel much better for it…A little bitter!   

For all those people who have been fired from one company and landed at the competition…for all those individuals who were pushed out of their position by some young kid with an MBA…for all those veteran salespeople who have been taken off the company’s big account and see it handed over to someone with less experience…this Sunday, Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Kyle Orton is your knight in shining armor, getting ready like a waiter at your favorite restaurant to serve a meal called REVENGE.   

Now, I understand how some people will say “it’s strictly business – it’s not personal,” just like Michael Corleone stated with a straight face in The GODFATHER.  Kyle Orton has a job to do and as quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, his job is to lead the offense to victory.  I’m sure that is first and foremost on Orton’s mind.  However, towards the end of the game this weekend between the Chiefs and the Broncos, with seconds left, if the Chiefs are winning, and it appears that the outcome has all but been determined, take a look at the Chiefs’ sidelines.  If you see a smile appearing on Orton’s face, I’ll bet that he is thinking - REVENGE, How Sweet The Sound!!! 

It’s Strictly Business – It’s Not Personal!

Talent Versus Attitude - A Coach's Dilemma

Talent Gets You Access To The Game…Attitudes Separates The Great From The Good...
Bob Marsh, Sales Playbook

We all have witnessed that explosive wide receiver who can outrun any defensive back or the defensive lineman who can push through a double team, and get in the backfield before the quarterback has a chance to drop back…What about the quarterback who stands 6’5” in the pocket and has a rifle for an arm…Come draft day in the NFL, scouts, coaches, and general managers get together looking for the players with the best talent, who can run the 60 the fastest, who can bench press the most.  I think it’s safe to say that in the NFL, and probably most professional sports, head coaches live by the motto Talent Trumps Attitude.  Have you ever heard a top draft pick in any league selected solely because he is extremely coachable…has a winning attitude…is highly competitive…most likely, the answer is NO. 

No matter how tough the player can be to coach, how disruptive he can be in the locker room, or how many times he shows up in the headlines for saying something outrageous, if his skills can put points on the board more than likely he will find a team desperate enough to welcome him with open arms and an open wallet.   But is there a steep price to pay (that goes beyond their paycheck) that costs the team dearly in the long run?  As a coach, do you want a team filled with prima donnas, egos, and a laundry list of reasons why they can’t practice, or would you prefer to surround yourself with a group of players who are willing to go through walls to get “it” done, understand that no player is bigger than the team, and give 100% on every play?   

In the office, how many times have you seen a coworker strut their stuff, boasting about their past accomplishments, holding court by the water cooler, and pounding their chest in sales meetings, only to fall horribly short when they are given a responsibility or asked to take the lead on a project.  The moment the individual faces a road block, they are lost.  Sure, when they were first hired, everyone heard about their tremendous upside and how their hiring is going to put the entire staff on alert, but in the end, all you got was a lot of hot air.  The individuals that are consistently at the top of their profession are the ones sitting in front of “the class," engaged and actively contributing to the team’s goal.  They stimulate discussion, and are willing to put their own success aside for the betterment of the team.  They are part of the “assembly line,” coming to work every day and playing their role in the company’s success.  

Give me the player who has the raw skills and is a sponge in practice soaking up all he can to improve his game…Show me the player who might not have all the talent in the world, but knows how to get the job done…Get me the teammate that will pass up the accolades and the highlight reel, instead hinging their own success on the team’s record.  Equally important, is the effect a player with this mindset and commitment has on his teammates.  Look at many of the underdog success stories in sports, the David who slays Goliath, certainly you will find the team filled with players who have the “never say die” attitude and win at all costs spirit.    

Yes, everyone loves the one handed acrobatic catch, the ESPN play of the day, and the sprint to the end zone that brings the crowd to their feet, without the super athlete the game would be boring – I get it.  But looking to build a championship team, a team that competes day in and day out…I’ll take Attitude over Talent any day of the week – especially on Sundays!