Whose Fault Is It Anyway?

CBN.com - First, it was Boston Red Sox manager Joe Kerrigan in Spring Training. Then, Phil Garner walked the plank in Detroit during the seasons first week. Next came Milwaukee skipper Davey Lopes. Just the other day, Kansas City Royals manager Tony Muser was given his walking papers. Buddy Bell? Gone. Call it misfortune, call it poor performance, call it bad timing, but these five were all dismissed from their respective teams for one reason and one reason only: they were not winning.

In this age of pay now, win at all costs, managers and coaches across the land are being asked by ownership to work miracles even when they are handed a team that could not compete at some minor league levels. In essence, they are hired to be fired. So, whose fault is it anyway? Is it the owners, the players, or just plain old bad economics? The answer is none of the above.

Coaches and managers will tell you that being fired is just part of the game that they actually expect to be fired before fulfilling their contractual obligation. They accept the realization that being a professional sports manager/coach is not forever. That is why it is a rarity to see someone like recently retired Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly last 17 seasons with the same team (they should erect a statue of TK in front of the Metrodome for his achievement).

Garner, one of the nicest men in Major League Baseball, has been hired and fired on two separate occasions due to the fact his small market, David-configured team could not win in a league of Goliaths. Is he to be blamed for managing a team that is destined to fail from the first pitch of the season? No, but an owner feeling the pressure of dwindling gate receipts based on a teams poor play must do something to retain the fan base. Rather than firing/releasing his entire team, most owners find it much easier to point the finger at the manager (and it costs a lot less too).

The incredible ascension of player salaries is frequently cited in the blame game. Recently, Milwaukee Bucks head coach George Karl told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that his players penchant for being conservative with injuries was a key reason his team failed to make the play-offs.

"The culture of injuries is not a good one for coaches, he said. "No one knows how (the player) feels. Serious injuries are easy. We didnt have serious injuries. We had injuries players could play on, depending on how much they manage their pain. That throws the coach into a compromising situation."

Illustrating his point, top Bucks, Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, Glenn Robinson, and Tim Thomas all sat out games with nagging injuries that resulted in almost 50 games lost between them.

Credit Karl for his brutal honesty. It seems players have lost their heart due to high salaries. They would rather sit on the bench with a minor injury than risk their "careers" playing with it.

In professional sports as well as in life, people are very eager to point the finger in every direction but at themselves. No one wants to take the blame for anything.

This is never more evident than in the workplace, and yes, even church. It is an age-old problem in houses of worship from coast to coast. I am sure you have either seen it in other churches or you have experienced it first hand. When attendance, spiritual growth, or tithing begins to decline, a quick, knee jerk response is to remove the senior pastor of his duties. Rather than taking a good, hard look at diagnosing the problem and working toward a reasonable solution, parishioners want results and fast. In many cases, results mean change. This is an unfortunate situation but painfully real.

So, what is the solution to the blame game? I believe it all begins with a strong sense of personal integrity or a code of good moral values that we should live by. Couple that with the cultivation of a good reputation and many of ills of the blame game will fade away. Our reputation is to be held in high esteem. In other words, it is critical that we, as individuals be known for our truthfulness, morality, kindness, and faithfulness rather than consistently pointing the finger at others.

It says in

When placed in a situation where assigning blame is a possibility, people need to step out of the moment and consider the inner qualities of their character. A strong sense of integrity will strengthen and influence those around you, even when everything swirling around seems less than endearing.

Remember that the value of a good name is priceless. Better yet, it is honorable in the eyes of the Lord.

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