Why Good Teams Go Bad Part 2

In Part 2 of Why Good Teams Go Bad, I will examine what I think is the main reason a team can go from 13-3 or 14-2 to a losing season...the Quarterback.

• Capacity. 9 of the 12 teams had QBs age 30 or over. 2 others, Mark Brunell was 29 and Donovan McNabb was 28. Now this is not a statement of age discrimination. On the contrary, experience if leveraged correctly actually increases a person's capacity. However, in sports, age can limit your physical capacity. 2 of the 9, John Elway and Brett Favre, retired after their great seasons. 6 of the 12 were injured the following year. The question all leaders must ask is the following "Have I identified the capacity issues within my team?" It may be a skill issue, a depth issue, a character or resource issue, or a lack of creative thought. Whatever it may be, your successful team may be undone because you no longer can perform at a high level due to capacity issues. In future blogs, I will be examining how to increase your capacity.
• The Inner Circle Changes. Records are limited here but it is interesting that no team changed Head Coaches. However, a minimum of 5 teams changed Offensive or Defensive Coordinators. This changes the system, the terminology, the appreciation of skills, the pace and rhythm of practice, and the human relational dynamic that is so important when dealing with high capacity individuals. Remember, no one likes change but a baby.
• Because of parity, most NFL teams are basically evenly matched. As a result, leadership is many times the deciding factor in games. During the winning seasons, the teams can a combined 68-13 record in games decided by 7 points or less. The following seasons, the same teams combined for a 33-62 record. The biggest change was experienced by the 2001-02 Chicago Bears. In 2001, the Bears went 8-1 in close games. The following year after being the most injured team in the league and losing on-field leader QB Jim Miller after 8 starts, the Bears went 4-6.

This brings us to the 1-6 Tennessee Titans. They fit the profile perfectly. They have a 36 year old QB who was replaced after game 6. They lost their best player, Albert Haynesworth, to free agency and best defensive back Cortland Finnegan to injury. They have a 1st year Defensive Coordinator in Chuck Cecil. They are currently 0-3 in games decided by 7 points or less after going 4-1 last year. The team has no sense of urgency.

This now brings us to your ministry or organizational team. If you are ignoring capacity issues, have lost your best people, have new unproven leadership, and seem to be just missing opportunities, you may be a good team about to go bad. One of the best lessons I was ever taught was as a leader to frequently pretend I was a new leader taking over every 6 months. Some things we do very well. Some things the next person would obviously change. It was my responsibility as a leader, and now yours, to proactively make those changes before significant negative performance occurs.

Why Good Teams Go Bad Part 1

The Tennessee Titans started this NFL season with six consecutive losses after going 13-3 in 2008. Since the NFL expanded to a 16 game season in 1978, 12 of the 47 teams that went 13-3 or better had losing records the next year. That's an amazing 26%! I had to find out why and if there were common links between these teams.

The following are my key findings. You will be able to apply these learnings to your church, non-profit, recreational, or business organization so that you will be able to have sustained excellence in your marketplace or area of influence.

1. Focus on Fundamentals and Continual Development. In the NFL, there are four primary fundamentals - blocking, tackling, avoiding penalties, and not turning the ball over. 11 of the 12 teams had a positive turnover ratio during their winning seasons. Combined, they averaged over a +10 with the highest being the 1998 Atlanta Falcons with a +20. During their losing seasons one year later, 9 of the 12 had a negative turnover ratio with the 2001 St Louis Rams at -19. When you have a measure of success, there is a tendency to get complacent and trust the power of your talent, personality, or charisma to get you by. In the Christian life, the default mode is that you don't take the time to pray and set aside time for Bible study like you once did and the enemy catches up to you. In business, you relax and enjoy the fruit of your labors thinking your customers will automatically stay with you. Meanwhile, the competition you have previously beaten has made game-day or off-season adjustments and has caught up to you. Their presentation is now sharper, their product line is bundled and more comprehensive, and they don't take their customers for granted. What you are left with is a perfect storm of relaxation which brings its twin brother lack of preparation, little to no improvement of your skills, and the competition is now surpassing you because they did make adjustments, worked smarter and harder, and improved. NFL teams now have tape on Mark Sanchez and his performance has had a noticeable dip. What got you to the top will not keep you there.
2. Loss of Talent. The only appreciable asset any organization has is its people. Everything else depreciates. 11 of the 12 teams arguably lost their best player the following year. The 1986 New York Giants lost all 3 games the replacement players participated in during the strike. 1997 Kansas City Chiefs were affected by the retirement of Marcus Allen. The 2000 Jacksonville Jaguars and 2001 Chicago Bears were among or the most injured teams in the NFL that season. The 2004 Philadelphia Eagles suspended the dysfunctional Terrell Owens and had injuries to Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook. The aforementioned 2001 St. Louis Rams had 3 separate QB injuries that season. Whether it is injuries, retirements, free agency, holdouts, or trades, it is important that each organization identify its key personnel and build a deep bench behind them. Look around at your best players. Do you have a Lou Gehrig behind your Wally Pipp? Or are you like the 1998 Denver Broncos that when John Elway retired and Terrell Davis was lost for the season with a knee injury opening weekend, you went from 14-2 to 6-10. John Maxwell states that The Law of the Bench is that great teams have great depth. He is correct. Can you sustain the loss of two or three key individuals?
3. An Unreliable Spike in Positive Performance. 6 of the 12 teams had a .500 or less record prior to going 13-3 or better. They then "returned to Earth" the following year. The best indicator of future performance is past performance. When evaluating performance, notice if it is a 1-year run or does the individual or team have sustained excellence. How often do we see players perform well in the last year of their contracts? Avoid these players and give me sustained and consistent excellence anytime. Here's the bigger question regarding team performance, what are the factors that allow you to have a performance spike. We will be analyzing these 6 teams in a future blog to identify why.

In my next blog, I will discuss the main reason for a drop in team performance - quarterback play and its multiple effects on the overall team.

An Ode To The Los Angeles Angels

We have all been inspired by the play of the Los Angeles Angels this year as they responded to the untimely death of Nick Adenhart. I feel that along with the New England Patriots, they have the finest organization in sports. In the first of a two part series discussing their approach to winning, I will first profile Owner Arte Moreno and the organizational approach. The second blog will focus on Manager Mike Scioscia.

• Moreno cares about the fans. Upon purchasing the team, he created "fun, safe, affordable entertainment." One example is that he lowered concession prices. The lowering of prices cost the club $5o0K in beer sales in the first year. However, he sold $600K more netting a $100K increase in revenue. The customer matters.
• He also branded stability by retaining the services of Manager Mike Scioscia and GM Bill Stoneman.
• They pay their people well. Their generosity and ability to evaluate talent at all levels throughout the organization allows them to get good people, and keep them.
• From 2003 to 2007, Stoneman steadfastly refused to move his top minor league prospects for established stars. This was considered a strength at the time and allowed the Angels' minor league system to be ranked in the Top 5 the last seven years. This practice is still in largely in place today.
• Moreno's chief concern is balancing competiveness with affordability. Several years ago he released Kevin Appier because of poor play despite eating a $16M contract. Also, Stoneman was eventually released in October 2007, primarily for refusing to part with young talent in an attempt to win a championshp. This year they signed Bobby Abreau to a 1-year, $5M deal, the best bargain in baseball.
• Baseball people make baseball decisions. Scioscia signed a 10-year extension this past January.
• New GM Tony Reagins signed Torii Hunter to a free agent contract and then in the summer of 2008 traded for Mark Teixeira. This year, the obtained Scott Kazmir.
• Because of their approach to player development, the Angels have a deep team with many interchangeable parts and a manager who knows how to utilize all 25 players.
• The MVP of this team is not Vlad Guerrerro, Abreau, or Hunter. Because of their depth, it would be organizationally developed players Kendry Morales (26 years old, 43 doubles, 34 home runs, 108 RBIs) or the lead-off man who previously plugged holes by playing four different positions, Chone Figgins (114 runs, 42 steals).
• Finally, was there a better picture in all of sports this year than the spontaneous dousing of Adenhart's jersey when they won their divison title. In case you missed it, check out the link.

With their deep pockets, robust farm system, and an organizational wide culture of unselfishness, the Angels will continue to compete for years to come. Next will be a profile of the best manager in baseball, Mike Scioscia.