Looking at the New Year, who would you rather be? Brett Favre or Tony Romo?

All celebrating happens in the end zone. Well, it used to before new rules once again try to curb the enthusiasm of jubilant ballplayers. Who doesn’t understand the spontaneous desire to take the moment to propose to a cheerleader? Or lie down to attempt a Snow Angel? A touchdown’s been scored! No one would think of performing this celebratory behavior on their own 5 yard line.

 So why does everyone kiss and pop champagne corks on the stroke of January 1^st? To me, there’s still 99 yards till the Billy “White Shoes” funky chicken dance. Fifty-five minutes left on the game clock. A game in which I want to perform my best and ultimately achieve something, even if only a movie night once month with spouse. So with the new year on the line…

 Who would you rather be, Brett Favre or Tony Romo?

 Trick question. No one would want to be Tony Romo on a football field the third weekend in January. (Probably even Tony Romo.)

What about Brett Favre or Drew Brees? I favor Favre, but that is out of love for the color purple and no pathetic vicarious identification with an overachieving 40ish professional athlete.

Favre and Brees wear confidence. With objectives in mind, they focus on nothing but crossing the goal line in bounds. Not on crazy fans all around them dressed in vibrant colors, screaming and blowing into horns once worn by some large prehistoric beast. Not on beautiful girls on the sidelines. Not on beautiful girlfriends in luxury boxes. No distractions. Distractions cause failure to reach goals. (See Romo.)

Each January, deep in my own territory, I draft major areas in my life that are important: Family, spiritual, physical, financial and career. Then I write in specific things I hope to achieve in that area. Each month I look to my list and access progress toward goals in spiritual formation, for example. Hoping that at year’s end, I will whip a Sharpie out of my sock to sign my bible in celebration.

Of course, even the best plans go awry. Jobs end, illnesses occur and coaches who pledged they’d “never leave you or forsake you” pack up in the middle of the night, don Trojan visors and head out cross-country to the land of TMZ. 

What to do? Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, pull out your goals and call Derek Dooley. Who seems a much nicer young fellow than Mr. Pseudo Visor-Wearing Fancy Pants.

 We can’t control everything. We weren’t supposed to. By keeping our heads and focusing on objectives, even bad things…things that take us by surprise…can have great outcomes.

People say you’re too old and that you don’t have the college pedigree. Embrace the Favre mindset and look toward the celebration zone. If the opposing defense adjusts — and most defenses adjust– with slight changes in our game plan, we still will find ourselves spiking the ball next December. But please while celebrating, don’t wear baseball cap backwards if you’re over age 25. Looks goofy. (See Romo.)  

And let me know… Favre or Brees?

Okay Tony, much better look re cap.