As each week passes we get closer to the return of the NFL. Training camps approach, preseason beacons.

Fans start being fans. They obsess about every little bit of information they hear about their teams. Some obsess as much about what their rivals do.

One of the common complaints is that their team did not do enough to beat the Patriots, the Seahawks, the Broncos, whoever. When I see this all I can think is that they have the horse around backwards.

Yes, you can build your team to counter a particular teams strengths. In some small way you can achieve success this way. The problem lays in the fact that what it takes to beat one team may leave you vunerable to others. It is not the way to create excellence.

That is what we are after isn’t it?

As fans we want our teams to achieve excellence. Win division titles and championships. Unfortunately some teams may stand in our way. Season after season we fall to the same team. The same team prevents us from achieving our goals. Finding a way to beat them seems to be the right course of action.

But is it the only way?

Of course not. There is never only one way to achieve our goals. So if not designing the team to beat the rival how do you get over the hump?

Simple. Make your team better. Breakdown your own flaws. See what you do well and what you don’t and fix that. Do that and everything takes care of itself. Every great team has its own personality, live in that. Be yourself, do not pretend to be someone else.

When we play at being someone else we fail. Be yourself and it will all work out.