Sean University: Are you ready for some [business metaphors involving] football?

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Iâ??m no etymologist. In fact, I only learned what â??etymologistâ?? means after spell check told me â??wordtometristâ?? wasnâ??t a real word. Still, you donâ??t need to be all that etymoligious to break down a word like â??metaphor.â?? Itâ??s a simple two-parter:
 
Part 1: meta â?? an anagram for â??meat.â??
Part 2: phor â?? the more letters version of â??for.â??

See: thatâ??s why metaphors are so interesting, because theyâ??re essentially â??meat for [thought].â??

Now, has all this talk of thought meat gotten your brain thoroughly hungry? Good! Because it just so happens that the Sean Adams University of Business Management Development Leadership is serving up a few juicy metaphors today, specifically football metaphors for business. Check em out:
 
1. Football is a tough sport. Nothing comes easy, and thereâ??s going to be a lot of contact. Thatâ??s why football players need to protect themselves by wearing pads and helmets. Business can be tough at times too, and if you want to get ahead youâ??re going need to protect your company. How? By doing stuff like getting copyrights and keeping your network secure and making all your employees wear football helmets in case a light fixture falls. 

2. In football, the player must take great care to hold on to the ball. After all, a fumble could cost the game. However, once a player gets into the end zone and scores a touchdown, then itâ??s to throw the ball to the ground and celebrate. Same goes for business: if thereâ??s ever a time to smash your laptop to the floor and start dancing and yelling, itâ??s after youâ??ve done something really awesome for your company.

3. This year, the Super Bowl will be played in Indianapolis, even though one team is from New England and the other is from New York. This is just like it is in business: you can establish your business in whatever cool place you want, but no matter how hard you try, thereâ??s just no avoiding Indiana.

4. Touchdowns arenâ??t the only way to score in football. If a team gets close to the end zone, but it looks like theyâ??re not going to be able to get a full blown touchdown, they can always kick a field goal. Likewise, with your business, things donâ??t always work out exactly how you want them to, so youâ??ve got to be ready with a plan b. For example: if you want some buzz for your company, try to make a cool, useful product. Then, if that doesnâ??t work, aim to make something a little bit easier, like a noteworthy sandwich.

5. Football in America is different than football in Europe. Itâ??s not just that theyâ??ve got a few rules we donâ??t have; itâ??s like a whole different sport. Similarly, business in America is totally different than business in Europe. Or at least, thatâ??s how it seems. I really canâ??t tell with all their silly accents.

Have a question? Or a good football metaphor of your own? Share it in the comments. (And if youâ??re wondering why I didnâ??t do something about commercials, itâ??s because I already did.)



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