Football as a metaphor

[Freecare Spiritwise]

I grew up loving football, and my mentors in the business world loved football. It's perfect because a company is a team. You run the company just like a you run a sports team. And the metaphor is easy to communicate. Even for non-football fans. A team is a team.

When we're down by 7 in an away game and it's 4th and 1 with 2 minutes left on the clock, you know I will be busting out the football metaphors. The offensive line needs to step up. The coach needs to call a few better plays.

[Ddrak]

They're also awesome when pushed too far!

Dd

[Partha]

Football is wonderful for business because decisionmaking is almost entirely in the coach's hands. They like their employees dumb and compliant.

[Embar Angylwrath]

Football is wonderful for business because decisionmaking is almost entirely in the coach's hands. They like their employees dumb and compliant.

That couldn't be farther from the truth and indicates you've never really ran a business, or successfully managed one.

Employers want engaged, intelligent, motivated and driven employees. We fight for talent. Having a dumb and compliant workforce pretty much guarantees the business will fail.

That said... Free... I liked you much better before I knew you were part of Fader Nation. Not that I'm biased as a KC fan or anything...

[Harlowe]

From what I've seen, that could be said for a great many privately owned companies, but that's not what you see as the norm in publically owned businesses. And the larger the business = the worse it is. Office politics and outrageous bullshit is the norm.

[Ddrak]

It changes at about 100-200 employees. Companies go through a transition at that point to where the management structure makes a difference in communication lines, rather than everyone talking to everyone else.

Dd

[Freecare Spiritwise]

I stopped liking the Raiders when they moved away. LA was the biggest TV football market and the league kind of ignored that after Al Davis packed up.

Our current development team is in Manila. I don't know what hell metaphors to use on those guys.

[Freecare Spiritwise]

That said... Free... I liked you much better before I knew you were part of Fader Nation. Not that I'm biased as a KC fan or anything...

Aren't the chargers in the same division? Traitor!

But yeah, I've always respected KC too. When the Faders didn't suck, it was usually KC that gave us the competition. Remember that one running back in the 90's? They called him the "Nigerian Nightmare". Dude would just mow people down. KC had some great running backs and they always had a good play action quarterback.

It used to be great watching play action at the stadium. You could see everyone in the whole stadium (including the TV cameras) turning their heads to see where the ball actually went.

The Rams used to play like 5 minutes from my house in Anaheim. I blame myself for them leaving too. I was at their last game. They sucked so bad that the stands were empty long before the game was over. At Angel stadium as you wind your way down the stands, you get closer to the field. So at the bottom you're in earshot of the team. So, I shouted out "THE RAMS SUCK" and the whole team turned around. The head coach, even the owner gave me icy stares of death. A couple weeks later the owner up and moved the team to St. Louis.

A while later I saw someone at an airport wearing a St. Louis Rams jersey and I said "Hey, you got our shitty team" and he says "You got that right".

[Raelesyn]

The team to watch this NFL Season IMO would be the Philadelphia Eagles... Yes I am a die-hard Eagles fan but this time..they really drafted well...got some very good draft choices for their tired ass defense...I can't wait for this season to start!!

Rael

[Partha]

I stopped liking the Raiders when they moved away. LA was the biggest TV football market and the league kind of ignored that after Al Davis packed up.

LA wouldn't have a problem filling a football stadium if they didn't have a long and boring history of undersupporting teams actually IN the city. Plus that whole 'don't have a stadium' thing. That's kinda important.

[Kulaf]

They could probably get one in the city now with real estate in the toilet.

[Garrdor]

Barbaric