Last Thursday, I was reminded that football season was upon us because the sounds of Denver reverberated through my home. Peyton Manning put on a spectacle—7 touchdown passes in a single game! However, what stood out in my mind was the premature. . . “celebration” of Denver linebacker Danny Trevathan as he dropped the ball en route to the end zone.
This was reminiscent of exactly what Barry Sanders was not. Barry was a Heisman Trophy winner, League MVP, and now a Hall of Famer. Aside from bringing so much joy to the city of Detroit, he is remembered by the rest of us for his enviable humility.
No matter how many touchdowns he scored and no matter how mind-boggling his efforts to get to the end zone, he would just hand the ball back to the referee after the touchdown. There were no dances. No crowd surfing.
In my opinion, there are far too many Danny Trevathan’s in the world of dating when there should be more people like Barry Sanders. Ladies, this is not just about the men. I hear the following critique all too often: “Her perceived self-confidence comes across as utterly arrogant. She is way too into herself.”
Gentlemen, this is a common one: “According to him, he is a real captain of industry, but somehow I’ve never heard of him.” This is so not Barry.
How refreshing would it be to find out after the date that he or she is a ‘Master of the Universe’, a Heisman winner, just like Barry?
Barry’s job was to get to the end zone. So he did his job. While I encourage clients to share their lives on the date, I also think it’s important to show genuine interest in the other person.
By leaving ‘you’ out of the date just a little bit, you allow yourself the freedom to discover whether this is someone you should be with.