Admittedly I watched a lot of football this afternoon & evening - watching the Patriots & Chargers and the Giants & Packers it was remarkable to see how their strengths and weaknesses played out on the field. The Patriots' creativity and constant pressure eventually knocked the Chargers out. It looked like they outplayed, out-thought, and forced the Chargers into some bad plays. The health of San Diego's best players definitely played a role and I think that is pretty analogous to having a successful rowing season - you need to be healthy to contribute!As we return to school there are many people that will be recommitting to academics, extracurriculars, their social lives, etc. That initial excitement and discipline can be wonderful if it's channeled properly. If you have been training consistently then you should be good to go...but if you have been off the ergometer or out of the weight room then you need to pay close attention to how quickly you jump into the workouts. It's awfully easy to get injured by the intensity of the workouts if you're not accustomed to the movements.
As for Packers & Giants, the lesson I learned was never stop going for it! The kicker Lawrence Tynes missed TWO potential winning kicks and still kicked the winner in overtime from the longest distance out...47 yards when no kick at Lambeau field had ever been completed from 40 yards out. I could almost imagine the holder saying "Shake it off, there's going to be another kick and you better be ready for it!" Sure enough there was...and he hit it!
