For Want Of A Nail And Some Hip Pads

"For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail."

Recently, a High school football  team lost a game by two points.  The reason?  Some of the players chose not to bring their hip pads because they traveled to an area that is known for its hot weather. They were penalized.  Those players who were without pads, came out of the game, and subs took their places.  While the subs were in, and the starters putting on the hip pads borrowed from their team mates, the opposing team, which was losing by 12 points, scored two touchdowns.  With the extra points kicked, they scored 14 points.  This was enough to defeat their opponent.  This was kind of sad for the losers, considering that they thought for sure that victory was theirs.  Sometimes the seemingly minor things are not so minor.