Full Bleed: Winning and Losing

I play on a BYU intramural team comprised of university employees—accountants, graphic designers, and other administrators. I recruited a handful of guys from the group I play with three times a week: a strong inside player, a mid-range shooter, a three-point sharpshooter, a defensive force . . . all willing to pass the ball to a teammate with a better shot. While older than the students on other teams, these guys can really play. I had a few shots go in, but my guys are the ones that really wreaked havoc, averaging 3.7 points per minute (89 points in two 12-minute periods . . . this is with a running clock).

The previous game we had a similar fast start but then had a letdown after halftime, only winning by 3 or 4 points in the end.We were determined to not repeat that mistake and played hard the entire game. The obvious question, I suppose, is, at what point should a team “take it easy,” and not run up the score? One of my teammates shared this quote after the game.

“We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition: A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.”


 —John Kreese (Cobra Kai sensei), Karate Kid, Part I

I’ve been on the losing end of athletic contests before. In two years of high school football, our team won only one game (to the Shelley Russets . . . that’s a potato, if you don’t know . . . the only mascot our Mighty Beavers could dominate. I have a warm spot in my heart for Shelley, and potatoes, even now.)

We lost our Homecoming game to the Preston Indians 76–0. It is still vivid as I played the whole game and never stopped trying to get to the quarterback. In the end, there’s nothing I hate more than a team that gets a big lead and then stops playing. Win or lose, I want to fight until the buzzer sounds, and leave feeling I did my best and so did my opponent.



If you show up to play, there is no expectation that the other team should “take it easy” so you can feel good about yourself. True players want to earn respect through their efforts. So when a game is out of reach, and you see that one guy who looks a little foolish because he continues to play as hard as he can? He’s the one who loves the game the most.


TANGENT 1: My pathetic football career had a bright side. It helped me to build character. (I’m a character . . . ask anybody.) And, thankfully, my parents were in England at the time and did not have to witness it. My sweet big sister, however, would faithfully show up to the games. I think losing is always harder on the spectators than the athletes. For her support then and myriad other reasons, I love her even more than potatoes.

TANGENT 2: The team name is Full Bleed, which means “to be printed so as to run off one or more edges of the page after trimming.” Seems appropriate.