It’s the Monday after the Super Bowl and your team just lost. Chances are, people are going to be in your face about it. You want to hang your head low, avoid those people, and go to work without any problems. But if you’re honest, you know you’re going to encounter difficult people that next day. They’ll be wearing jerseys and shoving their victory in your face, when all you want to do is forget about the previous night.
Jesus said to love your enemies, but that command becomes especially difficult when your opponents in the hallowed Super Bowl claim a victory over you. No matter what you might be feeling about your team’s chance at winning, they might lose, which means you need to prepare.
Here’s a guide for handling the difficult people you’ll encounter if your team loses:
1. Realize that love isn’t conditional; it’s a practice of grace.
The best friendships simply don’t care about approval because their foundation rests on the practice of grace, not that your ideas line up the same. With this in mind, you might encounter your best friends making you angry about the loss. No matter what they do, remind yourself to show them grace. They know not what they’re doing . . .
2. Acknowledge the good plays the winning team made.
Don’t spread the rift wider than it has to be. Instead, as hard as it may be, try to get on common ground with your opponent. If they try rubbing the victory in your face, mention the good plays that your enemies’ team made. Once you guys start agreeing, find an exit to the conversation, and go rinse your mouth out after complimenting the other team (just kidding).
3. Keep silent.
The weird thing about your enemies is that they find amusement getting a rise out of it. If they know you’ll react strongly about a loss, they’ll bug you about it even more. To combat this, simply keep silent about the matter. Oftentimes, Jesus did this when Pharisees tried getting Him to react in strong ways, like in John 8:1-11. Jesus kept silent until after their persistence prompted Him to say something incredibly clever to end the conversation. This is what being silent does: it buys you time to think of something to say that’ll stop your opponents’ badgering.
4. Don’t draw attention to yourself.
Remember, if your team loses, humility is your best friend. Don’t stomp into your workplace and throw out all the good things that your team did. Admit the loss and subtract your team pride from the equation. If you know you’re going to get angry or upset from mentioning the game, don’t mention it or don’t bring up that you were rooting for the other team. Oftentimes, people don’t need to know what team you were rooting for. Simply retreat and get back to doing what you need to with your day.
5. Treat football as if it’s just a sport . . . because it is.
If all else fails, try to downplay the sport. Downplaying the sport is better than causing a rift in your friendships. Say things like, “Yea, it was just a silly game,” or, “I’m glad that’s over and we can get back to important matters.” Doing this will hopefully snap your enemy into the present.
The truth is, those who are rooting for the other team aren’t your enemies. They are your neighbors and friends who become difficult at one certain time of the year. Follow these few steps and you’ll survive this time keeping your sanity.
And as a practical example for living out these tips, don’t ask me what team I’ll be rooting for this Super Bowl. That’s my little secret.