Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away

by Annie Duke

some of the other well-known and documented failing strategies that pro sports teams were slow to quit: always punting on fourth down in the NFL (instead of going for it); always attempting extra-point kicks after touchdowns (rather than two-point conversions); MLB teams positioning infielders in the traditional spots (rather than shifting); MLB teams bunting and stealing bases as an offensive strategy; NHL teams’ reluctance to pull their goalie earlier or when facing smaller deficits. There are huge rewards in professional sports for innovating (or just following successful innovators). The innovators and rapid adopters have excelled, like the Oakland A’s and the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball and the Houston Rockets in basketball, producing consistently winning teams with historically low payrolls. In football, the New England Patriots have built a two-decade dynasty without the benefit of those coveted top draft choices.