Expect the Unexpected

No one deserves anything in life. You earn it. It’s more rewarding that way.

This past weekend (starting on Thursday) was the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia. Many were glued to their computers, smartphones, and televisions. If you watched it live and stayed off social media – you got a huge surprise when it came to the heavyweight match.

This was the final bout of the night and after several upsets throughout the tournament, it was one that many had on paper going to Gable Steveson of Minnesota University. Gable has previously won the tournament and is also an Olympic gold medalist. A true legend in the sport and someone who most people (most meaning everyone) believed would be the champion after coming back from retirement in a Jordanesque move this season.

Well the spoiler is coming if you are not a wrestling person and you were watching basketball instead. Gable did not win the championship. In a rare twist, Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State scored a takedown and secured the win in dramatic fashion in the closing seconds of the third period. Gable sat stunned in disbelief as the clock ticked away and Wyatt stood victorious in a match that many regard as historic. People will remember where they were when they saw this go down.

And it all begs two questions: Did Wyatt deserve to win? Did Gable deserve to lose?

The truth is that our actions in life dictate so much of what happens to us. Had Wyatt believed he did not deserve to win he might not have taken that last second shot to score the winning takedown. And perhaps because Gable believed he deserved to win, he didn’t try to score more points in the whole match. Hard to say, but life has a funny way of rewarding our beliefs and also punishing us for them as well.

The best part of a match like this one is that both men believed they could win – even when others only thought Gable would emerge victorious.

It is exciting to expect the unexpected when it comes to these types of athletic contests. The circumstances of belief and work ethic produce amazing moments that we will remember if we are the fans lucky enough to witness them.

I am certain that many were stunned to see the outcome play out the way it did.

Ironically, Gable lost his last match – one he was expected to win. The same thing happened to Dan Gable (whom Gable is named after) in his last college match. The blemish is strangely the similar and familar.

In Wyatt’s corner was former Olympic gold medalist, David Taylor. A newly appointed head coach who took over for Olympic champion, John Smith. Another weird connection since Taylor and Gable share that golden background together from the Tokyo games.

When was the last time you took a chance despite the odds not being in your favor?

Do you expect certain things in life without the work behind those expectations?