What are your norms?

They say that to each choice there's a consequence. Sometimes, those consequences are minor, and in other cases, those same consequences can become so severe that its impact far exceeds the choice. In the case of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, there's one choice that will have far lasting consequences. Super Bowl Sunday was the perfect example of the latter. 

You might remember the gentleman in the above video as New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, best remembered for his game-saving interception against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 (with cries of "Run the Ball! still echoing in the greater Northwest) and now known as the guy that Coach Hoodie demoted to special teams the day of last Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, while no one can say for sure why Darth Belichick did it, because no one knows what is going on inside the hood, but the stories of missed curfews and bad practices are circling the media rounds trying to find the root cause.

Many disagree with what Belichick did in benching a guy who played approximately 98% of the defensive snaps this season. They say, "Why not just bench him for a series, or at least a half? But the whole game? Especially when the Patriots defense was getting lit up?" Then again, if they knew who Belichick was, and what he stood for, they'd easily understand that this decision was the right one.

I learned in my management class this week about norms. They are defined as "beliefs about how members are expected to behave. What norms do is establish a standard of behavior up a team’s members and produces guidelines for what will be accepted and what will not be tolerated."

Essentially this is how the Patriot way has been established. Call it a deliberate act of defiance by a coach who has won 5 Lombardi's, but I see it as a man who lives by a norm and will not deviate from it, regardless of the consequences. I respect him for it, because a lot of coaches tend to look the other way (hello again, Pete Carroll) when players break the rules just so they can win a game.

You may hate the Patriots, and as someone who has a lifetime of "28-3" jokes to endure, I certainly have my reasons. However, one thing that cannot be disputed or disrespected is a man who has a standard that everyone is expected to abide by. Whether it's on the field of play, boardroom, or in your household, there comes a time when rules must be followed to the letter. There comes a time when there are clear black-and-white lines that cannot be crossed. Perhaps instead of blasting Belichick, how about Butler doing his job and not doing whatever-he-did to deserve his benching? 

I know that we live in a society that abhors rules, but at some point there has to be a choice to demand more from people and rightfully hold them accountable. Are you willing to live up to the consequences of your choices of principle?