Brief intro note: The following essay is based on a presentation concept that I advanced for consideration for the upcoming TEDx Albany event. My proposal wasn’t accepted but I believe that there’s a good idea in here that may be of value to you. Happy reading!
Life is not without challenges. From the little things (getting your kids ready for school in the morning, finding a good parking spot and fixing a leaky faucet) to the big things (losing your job, coping with the death of a loved one and battling a serious illness), we all face what feels like an endless river of challenges during our lives.
This river ultimately presents us with two choices: swim or drown. While quitting is the far easier choice, it’s also the weaker and less rewarding one. Swimming, on the other hand, is harder and more rewarding. I don’t know about you, but the notion of death by drowning is a terrifying prospect.
So now that drowning is out of the picture, the question is this: How can we survive the raging river of life’s challenges? Where do we turn to for help as we’re heading downs stream and getting thrown against the rocks?
My answer is simple: Adopt an underdog.
An underdog is a person or group, engaged in a competition, that is expected to lose. And yet, against all odds, the underdog finds a way to overcome all obstacles and win the day.
History has seen it’s fair share of underdogs. Joan of Arc, Nelson Mandela, Frida Kahlo, pre-traitorous Benedict Arnold (before he became a traitor) and countless others found the strength to preserver and conquer the challenges before them. These underdogs are all extraordinary individuals but I’d encourage you to adopt an underdog that carries a deep personal connection.
My underdog is the 2007 New York Giants.
I’ve been a Giants fan my whole life. I grew up watching Giant legends like Phil Simms, Mark Bavaro and Lawrence Taylor. I also endured the post-Parcells era in which the team had a cumulative record of 45-41. I also suffered through Super Bowl XXXV in which the Giants, who had a 12-4 record in the regular season, were blown out by the Ravens, 34–7. While childhood friends latched onto Joe Montana’s 49ers and Jimmy Johnson’s modern Cowboys, I was True Blue all the way.
Flash forward to 2007. The New York Giants were underdogs in every sense of the word. They were coming off a mediocre 8-8 season. They started the 2007 season 0-2 but still managed to scrape together 10 wins. They secured #5 seed in the NFC after beating the Buffalo Bills 38-21 in a wild, wintry game in Buffalo.
For the record, I was at that game. The bus ride from Albany to Orchard Park was long, the weather was miserable but the victory was incredible.
After a close loss to the New England Patriots in week 17, they then went on an improbable playoff run beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers – all on the road; winning each game by a margin of 10 points or less.
The New England Patriots were a perfect 16-0 in the regular season. They had the NFL’s #1-ranked offense and #4-ranked defense. Their average point total for the season was 35.6. In short, the Patriots ruled the league that season. Know-it-alls across the sports world were ready to crown them the greatest NFL team of all time. Tom Brady and Co. were simply destined to win Super Bowl XLII.
On paper, my underdog Giants looked more like garden gnomes compared to the mighty Patriots. The Giants had the NFL’s #14-ranked offense and #17-ranked defense. They had just 1 Pro Bowl player to the Patriots’ 8. The Giants scored more than 35 points only once in the entire season – during their wildcard clincher against the Buffalo Bills on December 23. Even with their magical playoff run, they were the clear Super Bowl underdogs.
In the interest of time, I’ll get right to the good part of Super Bowl XLII. The Giants are down, 14-10. There’s 1:15 left in the fourth quarter. It’s third down with 5 yards to go. Eli Manning takes the snap and within 3 seconds, he’s completely engulfed by the Patriots defensive line. He’s drowning in a monstrous wave of pressure.
Sound like a familiar feeling?
Through what I can only believe was a combination of athletic ability and sheer will power, he escapes from the pocket, rolls right and throws a 32-yard pass to David Tyree, the team’s third-best receiver.
Manning’s escape was magical. But Tyree’s catch was miraculous.
Battling Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison, Tyree jumped, somehow caught the ball against his helmet and maintained possession of it while falling to the ground.
Four plays after that historic Super Bowl moment, Plaxico Burress caught a touchdown pass that put the Giants up 17-14 and won the game.
At some point in our lives, we’ve all felt like our pocket was about to collapse under the weight of the Patriots defensive line.
And you’ve probably seen opportunities come your way that seemed so far out of reach just like that throw to David Tyree.
We all live with the constant reminder that time is against us – much like it was for the Giants in the fourth quarter.
But as the 2007 New York Giants – my own personal underdog – showed the world on February 3, 2008, you can overcome anything.
You can start slow and finish strong.
You can be thousands of miles from home and still get the job done.
You can defeat the undefeated.
You can win.
Your underdog is out there – ready to be adopted and help you through tough times.