I love the don't leave it in the hands of the refs argument. Yeah, just win every game by 14 points. Why didn't I think I of that. Guaranteed super bowl win every year.
This is moreso about the mentality one would want in a locker room.
Don't leave it in the hands of the refs encourages ownership of both individual mistakes AND team destiny.
It's easy to point a finger at the refs purely out of emotion. Emotions have their place—for sure! What is important to remember though is that most of the NFL is comprised of young men who are less than 30 years old, with most of them being 24-26 years old. They are not children but they are also not seasoned men whom are emotionally mature.
Puka should have learned something from this. In men, anger is almost always masking a deeper emotion. It easier to be angry than it is to allow yourself to feel the sting of that deeper thing.
If you want a young man to be selfish then you allow him to say and do things out of anger.
This will ultimately lead to selfishness .
If you want him to be responsible then you teach him how to identify and deal with this thing in a constructive way. This will lead to sacrifice.
Which do you think is better for a locker room, character or catharsis?
That being said, if we are to expect character from young men, then we should expect even more from the older referees.
