The easiest thing to do is the other person's job. America is filled with second-guessing wannabes. We have a plethora of news commentators, sports' analysts, movie and fashion critics not to mention the millions of daily coffee shop Monday morning quarterbacks.
I recall the three Jacksonville high school basketball seasons, which had All-Stater, Andy Kaufmann leading the State in scoring with 32.0 points per game. One local media personality was constantly wanting me to 'keep' Kaufmann in games late in the contest when we had large lead-margins. This individual wanted Kaufmann to average more and break more records.
I tried to explain to my scribe friend the many considerations that weigh heavily NOT to leave a top performer in a game when the opponent is being soundly defeated. Here were my reasons: (1) What goes around comes around...one day my team will have to be coached the day after being beaten badly. I never wanted the opposing coach and his team to feel humiliated. (2) Each practice night I demanded that my reserves give maximum effort...they deserved some playing time. (3) Whereas I wanted Kaufmann to maintain his State-leading 32 points per game average, I also felt obliged to keep some other starters on the floor thus to maintain their averages and college scholarship hopes.
The job looked easy from the third row of the bleachers! It always will.
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