I don’t like to write about sports “too” much, but when something happens that’s never happened before and is unlikely to ever happen again, it’s worth nothing.

Did you see the Monday Night Football game between the Giants and the Patriots on December 1? The Giants are having a terrible year: 2 – 10 when the game started, 2 – 11 after. But while the game was up for grabs, they had an opportunity in the second quarter to close the gap from 17 – 7 to 17 – 10. A makable field goal. Except, wait for it, the kicker completely missed the ball!

That’s his kicking toe embedded in the turf. In the next frame (not shown), the kicker is in front of the holder, and the holder still has the ball.

Earlier, bad kicking  by the Giants was a factor in Denver’s historic comeback.

…backup kicker Jude McAtamney cost the team a potential win by missing kicks during the collapse in Denver and Koo now missed the ball entirely. – Matt Ehalt, NY Post

The guy who missed two extra points in Week 3 is long gone. But Koo?

Koo, 31, is a veteran kicker. He began his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. Koo is best known for his multiple seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (2019-25). He was the NFL’s scoring co-leader in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl that season. – Andrew Olson, Saturday Down South

A veteran kicker. Formerly the NFL’s leading scorer. All-star. Now he’s done something he will never live down. I don’t know if it’s related, but when the Giants scored a touchdown in the second half, they went for two instead of letting Koo attempt an extra point.

So what’s the lesson? Maybe it’s this: my friend Fisher DeBerry, former head football coach at the Air Force Academy, had a sign in his office:

You’re only as good as your last play.

Ezekiel said something similar:

The soul who sins shall die…If a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live…But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. (Ezekiel 18.20 – 24, ESV)

For perspective, please review two blogs on backsliding from a few weeks ago.

But take a lesson from Koo. Yesterday’s successes don’t count. Ask anyone in AA. Yesterday’s discipline doesn’t count. Ask any elite athlete. It’s daily intentionality.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. (Psalm 5.3, NKJV)