December is funny for people who work in football.

You’re watching all your friends gear down. Celebrate the season. Attend Christmas parties. Take time off, etc. Meanwhile, depending on the specific area of the sport you are part of, you’re:

• Working hard to find your coaching client a job or some opportunity.
• Working with a school to find the best possible front office or coaching hire.
• Trying to find your own opportunity at a new school in coaching or personnel/recruiting
• Making decisions on investments of several thousand dollars with players who may or may not have NFL futures
• Figuring out who’s in the portal, who’s worth a financial commitment, and who will fit your team’s culture (or trying to talk a player out of entering the portal)
• Pressing an all-star director to get your client (or potential client) into his game
• Trying to decide which agent is best for you
• Wondering if you’ll still have a job in early January when the NFL season ends
• Otherwise weighing your football (and, probably, life) purpose or destination

For all these reasons, it’s easy to react the wrong way when you’re pressed. Recently, one of my best agent friends sent a completely innocuous and professional text to a member of the P4 personnel community (whom I also happen to know). The response he got was remarkable, in a bad way — dismissive, inflammatory and abrupt. Despite this, he responded in a very accommodating and patient way, and got more abuse for his troubles.

Another example is something one of the all-star directors told me recently. “A lot of these guys I’m dealing with right now are NIL people and they just don’t understand what’s going on with all-star games. They are not dumb by any means, they just don’t have any experience.” He went on to give a couple of examples: “I call the agent and they blow me off . . . Or they take my call and then just blow me off thereafter.”

I’ve been there, believe me. You might have been there, too, and if you haven’t, you will be. People get treated the wrong way all the time in this business. Here’s what to remember when it happens.

• It’s a high-pressure business. If you work in the game, it’s a privilege. Try to remember that and recognize that you might be in the same situation someday soon.
• Nobody’s perfect. Yes, there are a lot of egos in this game, but maybe the offending person wasn’t acting personally. Maybe he just got flamed and you happened to be the next person he had contact with.
• The football world is a very small one. Chances are, you will see that person again. You may need him. On the other hand, if you can’t take the high road, at least think of the low road. You will probably get a shot at revenge if you’re in the game long enough.
• It’s Christmas. Try to give people grace. It’s been rare, but there have actually been times when people have apologized to me. I’ve seen one person I really respect have to do that multiple times over the past few weeks because he’s new in his position and still learning the demands of the job.