Counterpoint: Fans are the Only Ones Allowed to Blame the Referee
One of the main complaints of Super Bowl LV was how bad the referees were. A large contingent of fans (who were mostly rooting for Kansas City) were mad at the referees for making bad calls. Subsequently, many people on social media went as far as to claim the fix was in and that the NFL made sure that Tom Brady would win.
These viewpoints are all well and good for fans. However, if you are a coach or a player you should never, ever blame the referee. Unless of course you are fine with being a lifelong underachiever.
Super Bowl LV was not a disaster for Kansas City because of two or three bad calls. Yes, those calls may have been legit bad calls. But you would still need two hands to count the numerous other mistakes and missed opportunities made by the Chiefs to get the whole picture of why they lost so bad. If Kansas City did not make those other mistakes, then the referee’s bad calls wouldn’t have mattered.
Simply stated, underachievers fixate their mind on things they can’t control such as bad calls by a referee. On the other hand, high achievers always take responsibility for their fate. High achievers focus on the factors they can control, and high achievers logically figure out how to work around the factors they can’t control.
In short, while it may be comforting as a fan to blame others for a loss so you don’t have to deal with reality, never take that mindset into a situation when you are in control of your fate.