Every Sunday I sit back and watch guys like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning dissect the opponents defense. I wonder what separates these guys from the rest. Lord knows it is no longer their physical abilities (NFL Films Greg Cosell said Manning has a "below average NFL arm). Coup d'oeil is a term I came across a few years ago. This French military term refers to the ability to immediately see and make sense of the battlefield. It indicates their ability to act intelligently and instinctively in the moment. This is made possible only after a long and rigorous course of education and experience.
The brain is always looking for shortcuts. It has two strategies to learn and retain information: conscious and unconscious. The conscious mind occurs inside your awareness. The unconscious mind is outside our awareness. So just as we can teach ourselves to think logically and deliberately (conscious), we can also teach ourselves to make better snap judgments (unconscious). The unconscious mind is essentially thinking without thinking. It is how these NFL quarterbacks can do what they do every Sunday. They are able to observe a small selection or sample of the defense they are facing and make an accurate conclusion (most of the time). This is where practice comes in. It takes practice to connect the small cues that collectively create the big picture. So next time your team drafts a "celebrity" quarterback (I am talking to you Cleveland Browns), ask yourself: Would Tom Brady be seen partying with guys like Drake and Justin Bieber? Or Peyton Manning? Or Aaron Rodgers? If the answer is "No", then he is probably not the guy to lead your team. Or better yet, this story just broke today, do you ever see those guys names involved in headlines like this one Johnny Manziel subject of hotel fight?
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