Did you follow the 1987 football season when the Denver Broncos played the
Cleveland Browns for the AFC title?
Less than two minutes remained in the game and Cleveland was ahead by a
touchdown. The Broncos had just fumbled the ball out of bounds on their own 1/2
yard line. Hostile Cleveland fans were already throwing dog biscuits onto the
field and celebrating a sure Cleveland win.
While the announcer was discussing who Cleveland would play in the Super Bowl
and Denver fans were nursing bruised egos, the Broncos huddled in their own end
zone. Quarterback John Elway was known for miraculous wins, but this situation
was almost impossible.
All-pro left tackle Keith Bishop looked around the huddle at his team-mates,
took a deep breath and said, "Hey, now we got them right where we want them!"
Tense silence was broken by laughter.
One player laughed so hard he fell down! Somehow the joke lent perspective to an
absurd situation and a sense of calm confidence replaced anxiety.
What followed has been dubbed the annals of football lore as The Drive. In less
than two minutes, John Elway and the Broncos drove the length of the field and
tied the game with just seconds left.
They won in overtime and went on to the 1988 Super Bowl (which, judged by the
Broncos poor showing, was itself a kind of joke...).
An amazing shift occurred in the huddle that day. Laughter prepared them to
bring their best to a demanding situation as nervous, negative energy was swept
away in the absurdity of the moment.
Laughter has a way of creating positive change in any tense and stressful
circumstance. But, as Mark Twain said, laughter is the greatest weapon that we
humans possess and it's the one we use the least. Daily, we have countless
opportunities to use the power of laughter to make a positive difference.
Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please
authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances
dictate.
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