Thoughts for the Day, January 13, 2025: Why the blame game?

Why are we so quick to blame?

Whenever something goes wrong or doesn’t turn out the way we want, what makes us so quick to put the blame elsewhere. And it is not just politicians.

We are less than one week into the fires and blame is being spread all around, yet no one has had a chance to make an accurate assessment of the cause of the fires and why they have burned out of control. We saw the same thing during Covid. To what end is the blaming effective? How does it help when it is based on speculation and not fact?

The blame game is not limited to major catastrophes. It goes on in our daily lives and I am not sure why. It is not productive, especially when it is based on speculation.

Car accidents are not always caused by a driver doing something wrong. If two cars collide because they slid on black ice, does it mean one of the drivers was at fault. Both drivers may have been driving carefully and fully alert. They may have been going at the proper speed and their cars had new tires. Yet someone is going to look to blame someone.

If it is not the drivers’ fault, it must be the road commission’s fault for not getting salt on the road in a timely manner. Yet, the road commission is not at fault because the weather forecast did not show conditions for black ice. If that is the case, then it must be the meteorologist’s fault for getting the forecast wrong. It also must be the fault of the person who hired such an incompetent meteorologist. The blame can go on and on.

As I have learned in sports, sometimes Johnny strikes out not because Johnny is a terrible hitter, or the coach is a terrible hitting coach. Sometimes, Johnny strikes out because the pitcher just threw him a pitch that even Shohei Ohtani wouldn’t have been able to hit. No one is to blame. Johnny struck out on a great pitch that no one on the planet would have hit.

Just like in life, sometimes shit happens and no blame is necessary.

*************************************************************************************

Dateline Heaven

From the Borowitz Report: In a wide-ranging interview on Thursday, former President Jimmy Carter said that the best part of Heaven “by far” is the knowledge that he will never see Donald J. Trump again.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful for the gift of eternal life,” he said. “But an eternity without Trump is the greatest gift of all.”

Carter said that he was “far from alone” in appreciating his Trump-free existence, adding, “Nelson Mandela just said the same thing.”

Asked if he had seen Trump on cable news criticizing his sale of the Panama Canal, Carter responded, “We don’t have cable news up here. I’ve heard it’s on nonstop in the other place.”

************************************************************************************

Let’s talk some sports

Last week I reported that none of the major sports teams in Michigan had lost in 2025. I am sorry to report the Pistons suffered their first loss on Thursday, however they rebounded with a win later in the week. The Red Wings win streak has reached 7, while the Michigan and Michigan State basketball teams continue their winning ways. The Lions remain undefeated so far this year. Thirteen days into the year and only one loss among the five major sports teams. Let’s keep it up through the remainder of the week and beyond.

Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press has had direct access to all Lions’ staff including owner Sheila Hamp, and the rest of the Lions leadership team. Seidel has written a three-part report on the behind the scenes process the Lions put in place to go from the laughingstock of the NFL to where they are now. It is a great story of leadership, vision, belief, and execution of the vision. The first installment was in Sunday’s sports section. It is well worth the time to read as both a sports article and an article on creating a culture of success. Jeff Seidel gets my Orchid of the Day.

*************************************************************************************

Some things make no sense

In the second week of the current college football season, Notre Dame who was ranked the number three team in the country at the time, lost 16-14 to Northern Illinois who finished with a 4-4 record in the Mid-American Conference and 8-5 overall. Yet on Monday January 20, Notre Dame will be playing The Ohio State for the college football national championship.

Go figure.

********************************************************************************

Quote of the Day: “Nobody cares. Work harder.” Chris Spielman, the Lions behind the scenes secret weapon.

Orchid of the Day: Detroit Free Press reporter Jeff Seidel for his three-part piece on the culture of the Detroit Lions and how it came about.

Onion of the Day: The blame game. I hope we all think before we start pointing fingers. We will probably be pointing fingers in the wrong direction.

Lyrics of the Day: “Yes, and how many years must a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea? And how many years can some people exist Before they're allowed to be free? Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head And pretend that he just doesn't see?”

If you think you know the answer, indicate your answer in the comment section below.

Answer to January 9, Lyrics of the Day, Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison

Question of the Day: Is it human nature to blame whenever something goes wrong?

Video of the Day: In Memory of Bill McCartney, former Michigan Assistant Coach and University of Colorado head coach. McCartney passed away over the weekend at age 84. A great coach, a better person.

Miracle In Michigan: Colorado Buffaloes' Kordell Stewart's Hail Mary Stuns Michigan Wolverines

Feel free to share my blog with others. To receive the blog in your email, please use the subscribe/sign-up button or send an email to me at thomasdbiggs@gmail.com and I will start the process for you.