Reflections on Momentum… This Week, Steve Gets Philosophical!

Hi everyone! With the World Series now in full swing, and just about everyone believing the Toronto Blue Jays have zero chance of beating the L.A. Dodgers, there has been a lot of talk about how a positive attitude can overcome superior talent, and how teams on a hot streak are unbeatable. I think we all saw last night how a superior team can fall flat on its face, and while it is just one game, there is no reason to believe the Jays can win three more. Are the Jays on an upswing after their dramatic wins in Games 6 and 7 versus Seattle, and are just going to ride momentum all the way to the championship?

Momentum is indeed a funny thing. There may be no other area in life in which momentum plays a bigger role than in sports. When is the last time you remember someone at your office talking about how the latest project succeeded because the team had built up so much momentum it felt it was going to meet the deadline? Never, that’s when. In sports though, broadcasters and journalists can never stop talking about how this team or that team is favored to win because they’ve been on a hot streak. Personally, I don’t believe momentum actually plays a role in determining which team is going to win a game. Sure, players may feel a little more confident in their abilities, but the fact of the matter is every game is a reset. No matter how well you are playing, you can’t avoid bad breaks or bad officiating. In professional sports, every team has a puncher’s chance on any given night. Upsets happen even though the favorite team may be on a hot streak, and all streaks, good or bad, come to an end sooner or later. Momentum, in my opinion, is just an indicator of how things have been going in the past, and has no bearing on events that haven’t happened yet.

This week, I’ve posted a couple of fun Lee Susman cartoons for your enjoyment: the first from January 1969, about the Seals’ struggle to develop any kind of momentum in developing its fan base, and the second, from six days later as the Seals were preparing to take on the sizzling Boston Bruins, who looked like they were never going to lose again. You can check out these cartoons right here. Thanks again to Bob Marceau for providing them!

Have yourselves a great rest of the weekend, and Go Jays, Go! Until next time, stay gold!