Written by You can tell a lot about an organization’s culture or an individual’s character by how they handle setbacks. There are two paths to go down, acceptance or denial.
Setbacks are inevitable. We know this. Lately, it seems that they are coming at us more frequently and with more incredible velocity. They are coming after us like the big, bad wolf seeking out the three little pigs. The fairy tale we all heard growing up teaches a valuable lesson about the importance of having a solid structure in place to protect against inevitable adversity.
Having a house built of bricks means that you understand the inevitability of challenges. You know the wolf is out there and that he likes pork. You invest in protection, and you maintain your investment. It allows you to go down the path of acceptance. Let him huff and puff all you want. Let him get angry and try to come through the chimney.
Acceptance can be a long path. You admit that there is a problem, apologize to your accusers, and commit to redemption. You take things one day at a time. Some of those days are good, and some are bad. You adapt and adjust. I have a lot of respect for people and organizations that choose to take this route. It shows they have a focus on the long term and can withstand current difficulties.
The wolf has been on the prowl in Houston, and our three sports franchises are on the run. I wrote about the Astros in an earlier article. They appear to have built their house with bricks. They went down the path of acceptance and are slowly rebuilding their reputation. It is going to take a while.
I am hopeful that the Rockets also are operating out of a brick house. The events that led to James Harden’s departure weren’t pretty and have remained a bit of a mystery. However, they have a large stockpile of draft picks, a talented group of young players, and plenty of financial flexibility.
More importantly, they seem to be building a robust team-oriented team culture. After the Rockets broke a 20-game losing streak this week, the team celebrated as if it were a college team that had just advanced to the Sweet 16. They have a lot of affection for Stephen Silas. They are coming together as a team in the face of adversity.
Silas inherited an impossible situation. He certainly expected to be coaching a playoff team when he took the Rockets head coaching job after serving 20 years in the league as an assistant. Instead, he is in a rebuilding effort. It will be a good test of the Rockets’ culture in the coming months. Do they sack Silas and make him a scapegoat, or do they stick with him?
The Texans have built NRG Stadium out of straw. They lack any apparent culture and have repeatedly been rebuilding throughout their nearly 20 years of existence. We should have seen the signs from the beginning. The original field, made out of turf squares, was a disaster. The roof broke in a storm. After they fixed it, they refused to open it on beautiful Texas autumn afternoons. Every coaching hire is a head-scratcher. Players we love get dismissed. They somehow have no cap room. The Dolphins have all of their draft picks. The new general manager is trying hard, but it will take a lot of work to fortify the shed.
However, we can’t blame the wolf’s latest attack on the Texans’ team culture. This one is the fault of the character of the individual. Deshaun Watson has hired Rusty Hardin. People only hire Rusty Hardin when they are in trouble. Sexual assault lawsuits against Watson are piling up in Houston as rapidly as Rockets losses. The details of the allegations are, at the least, creepy and, at their worst, criminal. Talk about whether or not to trade Deshaun has subsided. The discussion now is about how long he will be suspended. The court of public opinion has made a ruling, but the Watson camp is hunkering down to prepare for civil and criminal litigation. I’m trying to keep an open mind, but so far the story is one-sided.
Deshaun appears to be going down the path of denial. His lawyers probably are advising this due to the considerable exposure of the penalties Watson faces. It is a familiar strategy. Deny, deny, deny, and counter-attack. The accusers are out for money, and their lawyer is seeking publicity. We see it so often because it works, at least in the short term. It is the same “Endure, Learn, and Move On” strategy, minus the uncomfortable 12-step program. You endure the media onslaught, learn to keep your mouth shut and wait for the public to move on. At least that’s what the lawyers want you to believe. Ask O.J. Simpson whether the public has moved on yet.
I remain a fan of Deshaun. Will Fuller made an excellent statement this week, while most everyone else has stayed quiet. He didn’t convict or acquit him. Fuller just publicly stated his support of Deshaun. I’m glad he has friends, and I also hope that Deshaun is OK. I hope that he goes down the right path.
Watson’s background story is terrific. He has fantastic people around him, including his mother and Dabo Sweeney. Everyone makes mistakes, and we live in a tolerant society. We forgive people who choose the path of acceptance. Deshaun is a young man, and he is still architecting his house. He needs to design it understanding the wolf will always be outside huffing and puffing. If Watson decides to make it out of straw or sticks, the house will get blown down.