arrogance loses again

I was amazed last night when I watched the US Men’s Olympic 4x100 Freestyle Relay Swim Team defeat France. The Americans shattered the world record and took the gold medal. Not quite as important, but fairly satisfying nonetheless, was their defeat of the French team. I have nothing personal against the French but they had gone public with their goal to “smash” the US team. Because of their skill level and experience, no one gave the US a chance to win. They were mistaken. The US team trailed for almost all of the race but team Captain Jason Lezak swam the race of his life and edged out Bernard from France. It was an incredible comeback and a remarkable moment.

I have never been a fan of trash talk. Most sports accept it as normal and part of the competitive process. I think it is not an indicator of confidence. I believe it is an indicator of weakness. In the case of this race, this is proven to be true. Maybe this is also a reminder to us of the principle: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 NIV)

Let’s stay humble. We don’t want to miss a gold medal because we are too busy talking.