FRIDAY COMMENTARY – WHY SOME TEAMS ALWAYS LOSE

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 FM & Rock 98.5 FM)

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I’VE EVER READ IS CALLED “THE DARK SIDE OF THE GAME” BY FORMER NFL’ER TIM GREEN.

IN IT, THERE’S A CHAPTER ENTITLED “WHY SOME TEAMS ALWAYS WIN, AND SOME TEAMS ALWAYS LOSE.” THE SUMMATION WAS THAT IT STARTS AT THE TOP.

SO I’VE BEEN IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR PRETTY MUCH ALL OF FALL AND THE #1 TOPIC I’VE HEARD HERE IS, “WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE DOLPHINS?”

WELL I’VE SEEN THEM PLAY LIVE TWICE AND WHILE SITTING IN A LUXURY SUITE WITH SUPER AGENT GIL SCOTT ON SUNDAY WHILE THE DOLPHINS WERE GETTING SMOKED BY THE COLTS, A VOICE IN MY HEAD SAID, “CULTURE”.

THERE WERE BAD PENALTIES, DROPPED PASSES, MISSED TACKLES AND POOR BLOCKING. LITTLE THINGS ADD UP TO BIG THINGS AND IT’S BEEN GOING ON WITH MIAMI FOR DECADES. A BAD CULTURE CAN BE HARD TO BREAK.

GIL SCOTT’S A BIG JIM HOPSON FAN AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE FORMER RIDER PRESIDENT. IN HIS 10 SEASONS IN CHARGE OF THE RIDERS, THE TEAM APPEARED IN FOUR GREY CUPS, WON TWO, AND IT WAS THE GREATEST ERA IN RIDER HISTORY.

JIM DID IT BY EMPOWERING HIS STAFF, HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE – INCLUDING HIMSELF – AND SPENDING MONEY TO MAKE MONEY.

HOPSON DIDN’T MIND BEING CRITICIZED BECAUSE THE STADIUM WAS ALWAYS FULL, WE WERE IN THE GREY CUP EVERY OTHER YEAR, AND THE TEAM WAS MAKING MILLIONS. ANY CRITICISM AROUND THAT WAS JUST NOISE.

HE’S PROVEN TO BE VERY HARD TO REPLACE.

LOOK AT MY 15 SEASONS WITH THE REGINA PATS. THEY WERE LARGELY UNMEMORABLE. BUT JUST A FEW YEARS AFTER THE TEAM WAS SOLD IN 2015 – WITH ANTHONY MARQUART AS GOVERNOR AND TODD LUMBARD AS PRESIDENT – THE PATS WERE IN THE LEAGUE FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1984, AND THEN THE MEMORIAL CUP FINAL.

SAME STRATEGY; HIRE GOOD PEOPLE, LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS, AND GIVE THEM THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE SHAKING YOUR FIST AT THE PLAYERS ON THE ICE OR FIELD, YOU MIGHT WANT TO DIRECT YOUR ANGER UP TO THE OWNER’S BOX. IT SEEMS FANS PAY LITTLE ATTENTION TO WHO OWNS, OR RUNS, THEIR FAVOURITE TEAM. BUT YOU REALLY SHOULD.

AND IT’S NO DIFFERENT THAN WHY I’M IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, BUT STILL ON THE AIR EVERYDAY. THE OWNERS OF THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW WANT TO KEEP ME HAPPY.

 

THAT’S WHY WE’RE WINNING.

 

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

 

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Reg Dunlop
Reg Dunlop
3 years ago

The fact you mention Tim Green’s book wow. That was a small book from the late 1990s; that got very little attention as the NFL did not endorse it. Yet, Tim was prophetic. Similar to you he is a well rounded man. If anyone gets a chance – look up his novels and and young adult series. He writes page turning fiction. Unfortunately he seems to have dried up. Jim Hopson is the most important individual in team history. Miami Dophins, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Mets, Regina Pats, and there are others that have no excuse not to contend… Read more »

Jim
Jim
3 years ago
Reply to  Reg Dunlop

Beg to differ, Roy Shivers was the most important man in Saskatchewan Roughriders team history. The Riders organization as a whole including Jim Hopson learned a lot from Mr. Shivers as he set the foundation for on and off the field professional football team success.

john dolter
3 years ago

great article rod… edgar schein quotes that “The only real important thing that leaders do is create and manage culture and you only begin to understand a culture until you try to change it!” He goes on to say “If you do not manage culture, it manages you and the scary part is you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening” People in organizations make up the culture and most often imitate those around them and conform to what others are doing. They assume if others are doing it it must be ok. This… Read more »

Obama
Obama
3 years ago
Reply to  john dolter

B.S – you’re reading way to many fluffy business manuals. The reality is in 22 years of Human Resources I’ll give you the low down. First you run an organization like a para-military situation and you don’t treat people how you want to be treated you treat people like they want to be. Jobs are clearly defined and have a purpose and accountability. This is why government, crown corps are complete wastes of space. So what if they don’t align with culture? Or you get the places like (name) where they all fall lockstep with some moron running it. No… Read more »

Obama
Obama
3 years ago
Reply to  john dolter

Hey and anyone pulls the make you have to make me happy card on me. It’s like an ex wife or ex girlfriend. Sure I’ll smile and say, “What do you need from me and the organization to make you successful” – so we follow it and then I say to the top bosses, “Start looking for a replacement right now and until we find one he or she can think they are happy.”

I’ll go find younger and cheaper every time.

justin
justin
3 years ago
Reply to  Obama

hey obama 22 years of human resources experience doesn’t make YOU an expert. puting ads in the newspaper and doing paperwork is one of the reasons businesses fail. Culture is build by hiring the right people not just any people maybe it would do you some good to read as you call it fluffy business manuals…