I voted “Yes, gimme the damn ball”, but only because I saw this comment. In real life I definitely want to be in charge of my own destiny. Sometimes that is good, sometimes it is a little overbearing (I tend to want to do everything my way when working in teams).
The metaphor did throw me off, being so sports orientated, and me being so not sports orientated. Despite my answer above, I spent most of my mandatory high school field hockey and cricket practices lurking on the field hoping the ball would stay far, far away from me!
It depends on the context. If it’s a field in which I’m competent, and, in my own judgment, I’m the best choice (which might also depend on many different factors), then yes, let me take my fate into my own hands. But no sport is a field in which I’m competent, and if I’m for some reason on the field (/court/pitch/whatever), then my team can be best served by keeping the ball as far out of my hands as possible.
At the school where I taught, we had an annual teachers vs. students basketball game. They were middle schoolers but trust me, they were plenty good. You had the whole school watching and the game was always a big deal.
Anyway one of our gym teachers was a phenomenal athlete. He played ball in college and was a multi-sport star.
With the game winding down, we’re down by two and call a time-out with about ten seconds left. For us, the strategy was simple. Get the P.E. teacher the ball and let him do his thing. Naturally the students know this so when play resumes, the phys. ed. teacher has triple coverage on him.
I’m wide open in the corner, in three-point land which is definitely not my spot. I get the ball, there’s no one on me, I square up and let fly and……
BAM, nothing but net. Game winner and who da man?? I’m the man!!
Yeah it was against a bunch of 14 year-olds but it was still totally awesome.
But it’s not just your fate - it’s the fate of the whole team. The goal is to win the game. If you’re the best man for the job, then you do it. If not, then the heroic thing to do would be to swallow your pride and let the most qualified player have the shot.
Any team insane enough to play with a short, fat, middle aged woman with bum knees deserves what they get. You make the play, your team goes home heroes. You blow it, it’s still a game.
Any team sports I played, I was mainly a role player, and seldom a big scorer. Hoops was my main game, and I would rather set a pick or dish off a pass to a shooter than take the shot myself.
I still think it depends upon the situation. If team mates are better at whatever-it-is, then I expect a better outcome if they do it. If I’m the best at it, well, I should do it.
For me it’s the shot that Gyan put off the crossbar a week or two back - ball on the spot, twelve yards between me and the goalie, put it in and you win it - and you bet I want to be the one taking that shot.
If it’s an actual ball game, probably not. If it’s a metaphor for wanting to be the guy making the critical attempt at something else, then probably yes.
Assuming it’s a metaphorical ball - my answer is, “I’ll take the ball if I believe no one else is more capable than me, and the team offers it to me. I’ll ask for the ball if I believe I’m the best person on the team, and I’ll argue for it if I have to. But I will adamantly refuse the ball if I know that someone else on the team is better-qualified.”
It depends on my confidence in the given sport. In basketball, I can pass well but can’t shoot worth a damn. In baseball, I’d definitely want to be at the plate. If I were fielding, I’d hope the hit went to a teammate, but I wouldn’t shy away if it came my way.
So, if you were falsely accused of murder or sued for millions of dollars, would you hire the best lawyer you could find, or would you defend yourself?
Agreed, though with exceptions along the lines of what Thudlow Boink noted. (Hell, let’s take it a good deal further - if I’ve got a plumbing or electrical problem, I’m gonna call the plumber or the electrician, and give them the damn metaphorical ball.)
But in situations that (a) are important to me, (b) don’t call for specific skills (or call for skills I’ve got), and (c) will work out better for me, the more fully involved I am, yep, gimme the damned ball!
Other option: the person who is going to do the best thing with the ball gets it. I may want that person to be me, but I’ll be happy if it’s not, if it leads to the best chance of success.
You make the play, your team goes home heroes. You blow it, it’s still a game.