Back to the Superbowl, because it really is just such a perfect lesson for all of us. The team that wins — well, we all know who won — but that team always seems to be the team that scouted the other team and looked for ways to beat them.

Which pretty much brings me to dating. Dating is scouting.

The more you see somebody, the more they show up. The more they show up, the more you can go back to the tape and see whether or not the person who is showing up is the person who represented themselves on the scouting report.

Think about when you first go out on a date. They hand you the scouting report.

Oh, they tell you how great they are and how loving they are and how affectionate they are and how much work they’ve done… so they can be in a relationship.

They give you their scouting report. They believe all those words. If they don’t believe it, nobody else will. They sell themselves. They want draft picks.

They’re ready to be your defensive stud.

They’re ready to be the quarterback of your team called love.

Actually, I have a motto.

I scout a lot.

I don’t sign anybody to a long-term contract at all.

As a matter of fact, I invite all my draft picks that I’m scouting to training camp. And over a period of months I allow them to show me how bad they want to be part of my team.

I don’t make a decision on anybody until I see all their physical skills.

All their emotional skills.

How they handle pressure, when they’re being blitzed how do they handle the pressure?

There’s no reason to sign somebody early based on the scouting report they’ve given you. Because when you do that and you make a huge mistake you end up with somebody who you’re not supposed to be with.

Look back at all your relationships right now, look back at all the people you made high draft picks.

Look back at all them and ask yourself, were they as good as their scouting report?

That’s why I’ve got no problem taking things slow and allowing my draft picks to show me exactly who they are.

See, I don’t buy into the scouting report and I don’t buy into what Mel Kiper or anybody else says about her. I don’t listen to what her friends say. All I do is listen to who she is and how she shows up and what she’s all about.

That is the only way you are ever going to get into a healthy relationship. Allowing somebody to show off exactly who they are is by far the safest and best way to date.

When you fall for the scouting report, guess what happens?

You end up in a relationship that you’ve been in before. A relationship that I believe will not be good for you.

So ignore the physical specimen and ignore the workout Columbine warriors.

And see who actually shows up for you, who actually shows up based on their scouting reports. Who actually shows up as the person that they sold themselves to be.

That’s what makes successful relationships happen. Think about yourself as your own NFL team. You’re drafting lots of people in order to do what. In order to join you on the team called love. You can’t just make a decision and go with the first person that shows up with a great scouting report.