Seeing the Signs
I grew up loving the Minnesota Viking’s NFL Professional football team. I remember being crammed into my grandma’s living room in the 1970’s with its gold shag carpeting crushed beneath the excitement of the holidays. After filling our stomachs with a delicious, over the top meal, my cousin’s and sisters would jockey for a space to sit on the floor as grandpa and my uncles lounged on the couch and chairs.
The television sported the Vikings' Purple People Eaters along with quarterback Fran Tarkenton. I remember the excitement of those games and the tough division we played in, the Black and Blue Division. The Vikings had been to the Super Bowl (and lost) and the fans were hungry for another try. I was young, but I still remember the excitement of those games and passion for the team.
Fran Tarkenton, the beloved quarterback of that time, and now a business coach (gosmallbiz.com), tells a story about his time with the Vikings and famed coach Bud Grant: “One night after pre-season practice, Bud Grant stood up in front of the team. “Guys, I have one thing I’d like you to do,” he said. And then launched into a talk that puzzled me. At about the midpoint of the 200-yard walk from our dormitory at Mankato State University and the Field House, there was a small plot of grass that we had all be trampling on, and the college couldn’t get any grass to grow there as a result. The college had put up a small sign that said, KEEP OFF THE GRASS and asked Coach Grant to talk to us players. He told the team, “When you’re going over to the field, just take a little detour and don’t trample on the grass, because we’d like to get the grass to grow…” and he continued in this vein for some time. I thought it was very strange, him spending 15 minutes telling us to avoid this little plot of grass, to not trample the grass, to honor the sign...
The next day, the team was getting ready to go to practice after lunch. I was still in the dorm when Bud Grant sent the ball boy to my room with a message: “Coach Grant wants to see you.” I went to his room and found him sitting by the window, looking out at the 200 yards between us and the field house. He didn’t even look at me when I came in, but said, “Come in here. Do you see what I see?”
I looked out the window, “I see guys going over to practice, walking over to the field house.”
He shook his head. “No, don’t you remember what I said last night? Look! There’s one!” What he saw was that most players were going around the little patch of grass with the sign—but every now and again, someone would just trample right over the grass. They didn’t see or ignored the sign.
He said, “See those players that are walking over the grass? They’re not trying to disrespect me, but these people just don’t see the signs—even though I told them last night. Do you know what that means?”
“No,” I said.
Bud answered, “Those players will make a really bad mistake somewhere down the line that will cost us a game because they don’t see the signs. Great players see the signs.”
As the season continued, Coach Grant was proven right about who he could trust, and who he couldn’t. It is a lesson I’ve never forgotten.”
Author: Fran Tarkenton
Did you know that there are signs all around?
Did you know you can ask for signs to point you the right direction or to confirm you’re on the right path?
Did you know that we’ve been seeing signs of the shift to Period 9 for the last 6 years. Have you been paying attention?
If you are ready to be better at seeing signs, reading signs, and connecting with your own Divine Intuition and Inspiration, I invite you to attend my I AM Course starting April 6th
