The greatest critics reside in the cheap seats. Their absolute refusal to pay the premium price of admission, leaves them furthest away from the action. There is very little cost to weighing in on matters so far away.
The Cheap Seats
Baseball legend Babe Ruth once said, “The loudest boos always come from the cheapest seats.” People whose sole game plan is to drag everyone else into the abyss of misery they dwell in.
I love sports. My passion within sports lies in the title of Coach. I have spent twenty-seven years of my life developing young athletes.
One of life’s greatest rewards is helping athletes reach their full potential…on the field and beyond. Sports can open doors to opportunities that might not have existed otherwise.
From a coach perspective, I have had the opportunity to watch many of our former players play at the collegiate level and even the pro level.
The kickoff for both of these levels is just around the corner. As the season approaches, I think a lot about the level of unfair criticism that these coaches and players are subjected to.
Here are five characters that will emerge as the seasons start and some that we may encounter along our leadership journey:
Fat-Thumbed Warriors
You heard it right…fat-thumbed warriors. These are the decedents of the keyboard warriors. No longer do you have to physically get to a computer to criticize others, you can do it from a hand-held device anywhere. Their thumbs are the healthiest part of their body, strengthened by frequently partaking in online critiques of others.
These fat-thumbed warriors will soon fill our feeds as college and pro football kick off. Thumbs connected to people that likely had little to no athletic talent, providing their opinions. Critical of athletes and coaches performing at the highest levels, in the most elite competition, on the biggest stages.
The same applies to life and leadership. Social media has given these people a megaphone from the cheapest seats. Stay the course as their thumbs stay busy.
Second Guessers
As a coach, I have received my fair share of boos from the cheap seats. Boos that come shortly after a play doesn’t go as planned. I can guarantee out of the thousands of plays I have called in my coaching career, I never called any with the intention of not working out…I promise you.
Those sitting in the cheap seats have a distinct advantage on those of us in the game of life and leadership. They have the keen ability to criticize a decision after knowing the outcome.
In life and leadership, if you want to rile up the cheap seats…make a pivotal decision. The second guessers are prepared to pounce upon the result! Make the decision despite the second guessers.
Fault Finders
The cheap seat holders possess another unique talent…they can issue fault…immediately. Their index finger naturally points in the direction of the coaches and players they blame for the unsuccessful outcome.
Those in the cheapest seats would much rather blame others than get into the game themselves. Their avoidance to participate positions them perfectly to point.
In life and leadership, fault finders exist too. Just look around when things go south, their fingers will be pointed your way. Don’t fear the fault finders.
Word Hurlers
Sadly, one of my most memorable moments as a coach, was one of the worst. I was a twenty-four-year-old kid, volunteering my time to coach seven-year-old youth football. I didn’t even have a child on the team.
I was walking to the parking lot after the conference championship game. The game decided who went to the Superbowl and who didn’t.
Those parents in the cheap seats were lined up in the parking lot after. They hurled Mean and Nasty insults towards me as I made my way to the truck.
Here is the crazy thing…we won! Our kids played an incredible game and pulled it out 7 to 6.
It was one of those nights where I seriously was reconsidering the value of coaching.
In life and leadership, word hurling is the preferred choice of weapons for those residing in the cheap seats. Don’t let them cause you to reconsider your leadership position.
Distracters
Those in the cheap seats are the loudest. It draws the player’s attention away from the game and towards them. Distraction is the tool they use for relevancy, without it, no one will ever know they exist.
Life and leadership is hard enough without distractions. When we take our eyes off the game and place them on the distractors, we make game altering mistakes. Stay focused on the game.
Conclusion
If Babe Ruth, one of the greatest baseball players ever, struggled with those in the cheap seats…we can succumb to the criticism as well.
As a coach and leader of people, I can struggle with those in the cheap seats as well. Too often, we pay them way too much attention. But, dealing with the boos from the cheap seats comes with the territory of life and leadership.
There are two types of people that matter most in our worlds: those battling in The Arena beside us and those sitting on our Front Row. It takes both to overcome the boos.
When the criticism gets loud, remember those wise words from Mr. Ruth…“The loudest boos always come from the cheapest seats.”
