The pro football teams opened their training camps over the past weekend as they begin to prep for the upcoming start of the new season in the fall.  But let’s take a look back at the 2007-08 football season.

The New England Patriots had quite a season.  16 straight wins.  And a big scandal about videotaping opposing teams coaches on the sidelines and stealing signals of upcoming plays.  They were the talk of the country.  A perfect season.  No one had done this except the 1972 Miami Dolphins.  And then… They went to the Super Bowl. 

Someone forgot to tell the New York Giants that the big bad Patriots were playing them in the Super Bowl and they should lose.  As the years go by, what do you think people will remember?  The perfect season the Patriots were having up until they met the Giants at the Super Bowl or the loss they suffered from a team with a regular season record of 10-6?  Either way, it doesn’t matter.  The Patriots lost the Super Bowl.

It’s how you play the game, isn’t it? 

In the game of business, we should do everything honestly and ethically.  The goal is to win the business from the competition.  The difference today versus 50 years ago is there is so much more competition.  We live in a global society.  And due to technology, life and business are fast paced.  Unless you are on your “A” game or you have a product that is copyrighted or patented, you’re playing the Super Bowl of life and business every day.

Years ago I met a business person who would be absolutely excited every time he was bidding on a job and came in second.  I could never convince him that coming in second and not winning the job was no different than coming in last.

Business is truly a competitive, contact sport.  You’ve got the coach, the players, the opposing team and the playbook.  If the playbook is well written and you exercise it perfectly, you will win the game of business.  If you don’t have the right people on your team, the right perspective about your business, and the determination, one day you’ll wake up and find yourself working for the competition. 

We all have choices in business.  Ask yourself:  Do you want to be a competitive team or do you want to be on the bottom rung of the ladder always struggling?

Success is a choice.  Once you choose to succeed you are on your way to winning in the daily game of business.

Here’s to a great football season too!  And since I am from Pittsburgh and the Steelers are my favorite team…  Go Steelers!