Cajones…The Number One Badass Credential

October 5, 2016

We all remember childhood bullies, the little psychopaths that tormented us and will forever have a place in our long-term memory. We also remember the one kid that stood up to that mutant. Was that you? I have both cowered down and stood up. The times that we stood up are the times that have given us the most pride in ourselves and the person we strive to be. Funny thing you didn't feel so reflective at the time when you stood your ground. You just knew that enough was enough. Cojones is the Spanish term for balls, but the term is transgender when it is Americanized because women can have cojones when it comes to being brave and having some moral courage to take a risk.

When we watch sports, and you see a great play, you feel compelled to yell and hand out high fives. Then you see a play when an athlete took a risk that elevated the team or their performance to a higher level, that is, cojones. If they fail while taking a risky chance, then we call that performer a fool to try. The line between success and failure is very thin, and if you fail, there are immediate consequences.

I was watching the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints on week 1 of the NFL season and saw the Raiders coach sporting a big set of cojones. His team just scored in the last seconds of the game to only trail by one point. The Raiders could have kicked an extra point to tie the game and send the contest into overtime. Raider head coach Jack Del Rio decided to go for a two-point conversion to put their team ahead by one point with 30 seconds remaining. If it backfired, he loses the game, and he is blamed for being reckless. Fortunately, his team succeeded and held on to win the game. NFL games are high stake gambling affairs, are highly scrutinized by the fans and media that have the ultimate power to define your capabilities. Del Rio seemed calm and light-hearted about the call, and that is why I was so impressed.

In these days of big contracts, clothing endorsements, hypermedia scrutiny, and social media, rarely do you see athletes and coaches sway too far outside the norm. When they wander into unconventional behaviors, the backlash will follow tenfold if they fail and make careless decisions.

 I am a big fan of football's "flea flicker" and you only see it on a rare occasion.  It's a shame that football is pretty predictable in its play-calling, and most fans in recliners can figure out what is coming next. Real cojones are not often displayed like using onside kicks when they usually blast a kick off into the end zone. It’s not often when we see a trendsetter and individuals who think outside the box and get us fans excited to see a new way.

Cojones means "not giving a damn about criticism." Be the person with big cojones in your life. When you can get kicked a little, spat on, yelled at, scolded, but what doesn't break you makes you a tough son of a gun. Think outside the box, and you will find how you are alone at times, but when you are right on, the payday comes with higher rewards. I know this is just pop-psychology, but it's the only psychology that makes sense.