The practical, tactical law enforcement lessons we can learn from sports never cease to amaze me.
Seven months ago I posted a tip about what a 37-year-old journeyman baseball player can teach law enforcers about “routine” events, and the just other day I saw something on ESPN which gave me an idea about the dangers of underestimating your adversary on the street.
Shortly after the Miami Dolphins locker room bullying scandal broke, video emerged of a shirtless and intoxicated Richie Incognito — who will forever be anything but “incognito” — storming around a billiards bar shouting various profanities and racial epithets.
Check out the video, then let’s pick back up with today’s tip below.
Check the Label
Quick: Even if you knew nothing else about Richie Incognito, and basing your decision strictly on this video, what is the first word would you use to describe him?
I’d bet most of you said Adam Henry, right? Maybe DB. Possibly even POS.
Watching that segment on ESPN the other day I said something to the effect of, “Well, that about sums it up. That guy’s an _______.” (Adam Henry is the family-friendly version).
Here’s the thing. A guy that size could probably kick my ass without breaking a sweat. I might put ten well-placed rounds in him and he still might pose a threat. Well, no, not really, but you get the idea.
But by labeling him an “_______” I’m potentially diminishing the respect I must have for him as a threat.
That, my friends, can cause real trouble.
How so? By placing a disparaging label on someone, our subconscious mind begins to dismantle our respect for his or her ability to do us harm.
Look at it another way. What if the guy in the video wasn’t a 320-pound NFL lineman, but a 5’4” scrawny guy — shirtless, drunk, and stomping around the neighborhood bar?
Obviously, he’s an “_______” right?
Well, how many of those little dudes have we seen fight as ferociously as a bag full of weasels?
I was talking about this with a law enforcement friend of mine and he mentioned to me that my idea is not a new one — further evidence (if any was needed) that it’s quite possible I haven’t had an original thought since prom night (that was a really, really good idea).
My buddy told me that there was a police trainer a few years back — name escaped him, and Google hasn’t been helpful in my attempt to give credit where credit is due — who suggested that officers consider likening their approach to dealing with suspects to football or some other competitive contact sport.
By using words in your head like “opponent” and “adversary” we keep up your guard — and your respect — for the level of potential threat an antagonist on the street.
We don’t have to respect the person, their motivation, their behaviors, or what they’re shouting at us, but failing to have healthy respect for a challenger’s abilities can have serious consequences.
