The significance of the Utes’ Sugar Bowl victory on Jan. 2 reached well beyond football. Their complete domination of the higher-ranked Alabama team, when many like FOX commentator Barry Switzer had written them off, can serve as an inspiration for all of us. There are times when most, if not all, of us have to deal with unjustified negative evaluations of ourselves by others. Unfortunately, too many of us tend to accept these opinions as valid, when in fact they may be no more accurate than Switzer’s less-than-flattering characterization of the U’s football team.
Switzer is no mere talking head. He was an extremely successful football coach for the University of Oklahoma, where he led the Sooners to national championships in 1974, 1975 and 1985. He later went on to coach the Dallas Cowboys to their victory in Super Bowl XXX in 1996. One of his greatest strengths as a coach was his ability as a recruiter. In their book The Story of Oklahoma, authors W. David Baird and Danney Goble said about Switzer: “…the most important quality that Barry Switzer shared with (legendary coach) Bud Wilkinson was his magic as a recruiter. Surveying the talent he had amassed, some dared whisper that he was an even better recruiter than the master had been.”
When a coach and recruiter of this caliber states, “There is not one current player on the Utah team that Alabama would choose to recruit,” many would take it as an authoritative and accurate evaluation of the abilities of Utah’s players. Anybody who watched the game, however, was able to see that Switzer was very wrong.
Football players are not the only ones who have to deal with unjustified criticism and rejection. To a certain extent, it is a problem that we all have to put up with during our entire lives. There is seemingly always somebody out there ready to say that we are not good enough or can’t do something we want to do.
This problem is arguably worse during one’s college years than at other times in life. A college student has to apply for admission and is graded to a certain extent on subjective factors. The student’s social life is likewise determined in part by others’ subjective evaluations. In order to date somebody or pledge a fraternity or sorority, a person has to receive the acceptance or approval of one or more persons. When the student graduates, he or she has to apply for a job or for admission to graduate or professional school. All along the way a student is subject to unjustified Switzer-esque judgments.
These negative judgments and rejections can have two types of unfortunate effects on a person. First, there is the unavoidable fact that if you are rejected, you will not get into the school or the organization you wanted. You won’t get to take out the girl you liked or get the job you wanted. This is unavoidable, though having a good plan B can minimize the harmful effect the rejection has on you.
The second effect of a rejection or a negative evaluation is the hurt or loss of self-esteem one feels at a rejection. Often, this is more painful than the loss of a desired position or experience. Consider how many guys won’t approach or ask out a woman they are interested in out of fear of rejection. They are willing to forfeit any chance of ever going out with the desired woman to avoid the pain of a rejection.
Fortunately, this effect is avoidable. This is where Switzer and his goofball evaluation of the Utes comes in handy8212;if a man of his undoubted expertise and ability at recognizing athletic talent can be so wrong, why should we accord any more credence to the negative opinions that lesser individuals or groups proffer with such authority?
Steve Warrick