The Kansas City Chiefs Are Cheating.
The Cultural Rot of Conspiracy Theories
The conspiracy theory regarding The Chiefs cheating their way into the Super Bowl is a sad and pathetic attempt to discredit the effort, hard work, commitment and dedication of an organization, a group of athletes, and their coaches. The message this conspiracy theory sends to an already confused public is that the only way you get ahead in this world is by cheating. It’s a strategy that’s long been used in politics, sports and entertainment and is damaging to the bedrock values of our society.
“Luck always favors the prepared”
I would argue that, in the long run, cheating always results in a catastrophic outcome for those who imbibe. History will inevitably demonstrate who the real victors were. When we examine the greatest in our history, whether it be leaders, teams or organizations, there are many consistent themes. I took the time to watch many Chiefs press conferences and listened for themes that each player and coach were saying. Here’s some key words and phrases that I discovered:
Mature
Willing to listen
Smart
Tough
Aptitude
Poise
Confidence
Humble
Love to play
Culture of the team
Fun
Top down
Accountability
Same goals and morals
When you listen to these interviews with Kansas City’s players and coaches you understand how this team wins consistently. You hear words like trust, consistency, determination, grit, communication, commitment, tireless effort, and never back down, over and over again. These are the words that emanate from a culture that wins, not from a culture that cheats. The players, coaches and staff have worked tirelessly to bring in the right personnel to create a culture of men and women that trust each other to find success.
This is why they win in the closest games; they are more secure in their beliefs than the other team. Their culture is stronger, their beliefs are shared and they respect each other. They are battle tested, they show poise, they behave themselves and they trust their leaders. There aren’t 53 men vying for the leadership role. There are the main coaches, there are the veteran players, and everyone else listens and knows their role.
It is trust, preparation, shared values and confidence that gets them across the line more than the other teams, not cheating. Here are some quotes from a variety of Chiefs players and coaches that provide some clarity on how they win in the closest situations:
“We constantly find ways to get better”
“We are going to do the hard work”
“Good people, the right work ethic, and the right talent”
“I wanna be one of the best teammates these guys have ever had”
“I love being a part of this organization”
“I have respect for my coaches”
“It’s the guys around me”
“He comes from a long lineage of great coaches”
“We are blessed to have leaders that we have”
We are being fooled to believe that the Chiefs success is being decided behind the scenes by pawn movers. Rather, it’s being decided by the team’s belief system. They trusts each other, they embody their overarching ethos, and they believe they can win any game. When they face adversity they rise together.
In society, when we feel threatened, we tend to want to harm “the other” in order to make sense of the world and justify our belief systems. “The other”, can be scary. They don’t look like us, they wear a different color, they sound differently. However, a healthy society learns to embrace “the other”. A healthy society relishes in the success of “the other”.
Many people feel threatened or even respond violently to a team, a person or an organization that wins. Theoretically, when someone wins we assume they have the right stuff: a combination of hard work, discipline, good fortune, and commitment. Now, it appears we assume that they’ve cheated, had a hand up, we are being fooled, or they must have paid someone off.
We see this play out in today’s news cycles and social media. Anyone with a keyboard can create a conspiracy theory and if it gets into the “right” hands it can go viral and become “fact”. There have been many disturbing theories circulating the news cycles over the last decade. These denigrating claims make the creator and his/her followers feel justified in their spite. This is a very destructive thing for our society. We see it play out all the time….A far fetched theory gets posed, the believers are born, the fanatics follow suit, and a “religion” develops which encourages violence against the proposed dissenters. It’s dangerous.
We are in the midst of a values crisis. The ignorant are vulnerable and easily misled. For those who don’t have their feet firmly rooted in reality, anything seen or heard can cause a crisis of faith. If you’re distrustful to the central tenants of society, you may become vulnerable to the worst possibilities. The fray can sweep you up and next thing you know you are being radicalized.
When you look around the NFL and around the world, there are individuals, teams and organizations that know how to get things done and win while others falter. This is based on solid systems, trust, clear positions, defined goals, progress reporting, determination and a belief that when things get tough, you and your organization will not falter. The Chiefs have this.
We can choose to live in a world in which we celebrate those who win, elevate those who try their best, and lift each other up. When we do this, we all win.
