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| Keeping warm at NFC Championship Game in my In the Arena / L.L. Bean down hoodie |
After moving to
Charlotte in May, I have had the privilege of having two professional
high-profile professional sports teams quite literally in my own backyard: The
Carolina Panthers and The Charlotte Hornets. I’ll be the first to admit that I
really enjoy watching other professional athletes at the top of their games
“throw down” live or on television showcasing God-given talent and nerves of
steel. I love every part of it: watching the warm-up, seeing how coaches handle
adversity, the interaction between opposing teams, witnessing how good (or bad)
some players are under pressure, and the hype of big games.
That being said,
the opportunity to attend yesterday’s NFC Championship Game between the Arizona
Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte was an experience
second-to-none. Considering the winner received a bid to Super Bowl 50 (and I
am a track guy), I couldn’t help but correlate it to being in the final heat at
Olympic Trials in July vying for one of those three coveted spots. Each player
was in pique condition and so psyched up for the game: trained, hydrated,
rested, mentally prepared and focused; hours of tape on opponents had been
watched by both teams. It all came down to who would “show up” more on Game
Day.
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| FOX announcer booth getting the crowd hyped up |
From the start,
all of us Panther fans could tell our team was going for it. Just like in
track, they went out hard and fast and did not look back. They took chances.
They caused seven turnovers, Ted
Ginn, Jr. crossed the entire width of the field from end-to-end in one route
for six points while our quarterback Cam Newton scored two touchdowns by
running the ball in himself—with one an actual front flip into the end zone.
The Panthers have a goal of winning the Super Bowl—not just the NFC
Championship, so to achieve this, they had to pummel their opponents yesterday.
They were not content or complacent nor happy with just a win. They would have
found a way to get it done no matter what! It inspired me.
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| The beautiful city of Charlotte with its snow post game |
The Olympic
Trials loom in July. The clock is ticking, but I do not want that to be a
negative thing. My focus and resolve is true and I will be ready to achieve my
bid to tow that line, Lord willing. Learning from these amazing powerhouse
athletes at this level has given me just the kick in the bottom that I needed.
See you on the track! Onward and upward.
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| We saw the Theodore Roosevelt In the Arena "Daring Greatly" quote on our walk to the game in uptown Charlotte |
