“Conventional wisdom” doesn’t work and it never did. It is always a limitation, prevents creative thinking and is , in general, a formula for mediocrity. In the sports world, the media are the biggest purveyors.

It seems safe. So what. Life is inherently risky. No one knows what is going to happen. No risk, no growth. If what you tried didn’t work the response isn’t “oh shit!” It needs to be something like “what did I learn?”

Sports commentators always know what the performer “should or should not” have done when something doesn’t turn out. In baseball it is play by “the book” even though it has been proven that the stats don’t necessarily support “the book.”

Conventional wisdom attempts to take the “human being” out of performance. What commentators are actually saying is that is what they would do if they were the performer. Well they are not them. They don’t have the same swing, the same strengths and weaknesses, the same view of life, etc. The performer needs to trust herself, go to her strength and put 100% into the shot.Then as the Scots say when it comes to golf, hit it and go get it and hit it again.

Knowing the “right thing” to do is an illusion. It is a judgement call after the result is in. One, there is no right and wrong to it and two, once the ball is struck the golfer has nothing to say about the outcome. Where does luck fit into conventional wisdom? And, you know there is no such thing as luck.

So what prompts the media to do what they do? Try admiration and its little brother “looking good.” The thing is with admiration, the more you get, the more you want. It is never enough. Stop second guessing the coach’s play calling or substitution or game management. For all the commentator knows the results could be worse using good old C.W. But, in the end they will be safe and not risk losing any admiration.