Seidemann: If you want to be believed, be believable

From the other side of the bench

by David Seidemann

Issue of February 12, 2010/ 28 Shvat 5770

Yes, I was one of the few who not only wanted the New Orleans Saints to win the Super Bowl, I predicted that they would win the Super Bowl. Not only did I pick New Orleans to win, I predicted the final score. Hours before the game even began, I wrote, New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17.

I predicted that Indianapolis would score the first 10 points, that the half-time score would be 10 to 6, that New Orleans would go ahead 24 to 17 and that a fourth-quarter drive engineered by future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning would be thwarted by an interception that would be returned some 60 yards for a touchdown, that would result in an insurmountable 31 to 17 lead and final score.

Now I don’t expect any of you to believe me and I can understand why. I mean, where is the piece of paper upon which I wrote those predictions? And even if I did produce such a piece of paper, why would anyone believe that I wrote it before the game? It’s all about credibility — and if I had a history of accurately predicting the future, perhaps you would believe me.

Credibility results from being correct in the past, and having adhered to past promises. Credibility is the result of not making statements that fly in the face of reality. Credibility is the result of saying the right thing at the right time and from adjusting one’s remarks to account for present day realities.

For instance, even if one does believe in “global warming,” it’s probably not a good idea to announce a new government commission to report on global warming two days after a 36 inch snowfall in Washington and two days before another 20 inches is expected.

For instance, if one just finished submitting a budget that called for trillion dollar deficits and the need to rein in spending, it borders on the incredulous to announce the formation of an additional government agency, especially if that new government agency is a global warming agency and especially if more than 50 inches of snow will have fallen within a week. Does anybody out there still believe I predicted the final score of the Superbowl, let alone all the details of the game?

Tevye the Milkman had it right when he said that his dream in life, in addition to being rich (not that there’s anything wrong with that) was to have a seat by the eastern wall and to be sought after for his advice. Taking advice from an educated man is not necessarily the path to follow.

This world is full of advice givers with advanced degrees. Every Tom, Dick and Mary has their own radio show, cable show, blog, or Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, myface, His face, or her space account.

Access to an audience does not make one an address for guidance. Taking advice from an honest person is much more noble and beneficial than taking advice from, let’s say, a wealthy man, an educated woman, a celebrity, an athlete or an emaciated movie star.

I am an avid sports fan and particularly an avid football fan. This past Sunday’s Super Bowl was an enjoyable game to watch not only it was a well played game, and an exciting one, at that; but because the leaders of both teams, Peyton Manning for the Colts and Drew Brees for the Saints, are credible and seemingly wholesome individuals.

Often we watch movies with full knowledge that the actors and actresses are anything but wholesome like the characters they play in the movie. Politicians are known for doublespeak, broken promises, and distorting reality. Usually one does not have to wait until the future unfolds to know that that which they are promising will never come about. Lawyers enjoy the same unfortunate reputation.

But when Peyton Manning and his team, and Drew Brees and his team, donned their uniforms and treated us to three hours of true, credible effort, I felt as if I wanted to capture that truth in a bottle, and sprinkle some in every courthouse, in every lawyer’s office, and all over Washington, D.C.

I wanted to blanket Washington, D.C. and 56 inches of pure white truths like pure white snow. At the very least, those three hours of intense, true human effort served as a reminder to me to be as credible in my efforts as the Colts and the Saints were in theirs. A good, honest football game is more than just 22 kids who refuse to grow up. In many ways it is a lesson of life.

And in case anyone is interested my prediction for next year’s Super Bowl is...

David Seidemann is a partner with the law firm of Seidemann & Mermelstein. He can be reached at (718) 692-1013 and at ds@lawofficesm.com.