Sometime they’re the wrong goals. And other times the way in which they’re being pursued is the wrong way.

In the case of Prince Fielder and the Detroit Tigers, the second case could be true. Fielder and the Tigers just agreed on a nine-year, $214 million deal, because team owner Mike Ilitch desperately wants to add a World Series title to the Stanley Cups his Detroit Red Wings have won.

The question is: Was signing Fielder the right way to pursue that dream?

Fielder is 27 years old and approaching his prime. He weighs 275 pounds, more than 75 pounds over an ideal weight for a man his age and height. That is, pardon the pun, huge.

At the same time, Fielder has been one of the most durable players in the major leagues, having never played fewer than 157 games. Will that durability continue, or have all those games taken a toll? In short, right now Fielder looks like a good bet, but where will he be three years from now? Remember, the contract is for nine years.

Then there’s the question of lineup chemistry. Will Fielder add $214 million of value to a team that won a series in the playoffs last year? Hard to say, even harder to measure. Baseball is filled with unproven articles of faith. One of them is that adding a great hitter to a lineup makes the other hitters even better. This may well be true, but there is no way to test it. You can’t have a controlled study, with Fielder in one lineup and not in another.

Finally comes the intangible team factor. Adding Fielder assures the players that the team is willing to spend for success. That could help motivation, energy and focus in the clubhouse.

Try to imagine 2020, when Fielder’s contract would expire. What factors would help you decide if the deal was worth it? If the Tigers won even one World Series, you’d have to say yes. Two titles would make it a no-brainer.

But suppose Fielder can’t win a World Series? Would a near-miss make it all worth it? Or would the Tigers have to point to increased revenues, and yearly status as a contender?

I wish Fielder and the Tigers luck. I think their contract is better than the one the Angels gave Albert Pujols, or even than the one the Marlins gave Jose Reyes, but I believe there were better ways to pursue the goal of a World Series title.

*** *** *** ***
TotalGamePlan offers Winner’s Workshops for schools, sports teams and businesses. The emphasis is on motivation, skill-building and teamwork. To bring a Winner’s Workshop to your group, just email coachtully@totalgameplan.com or call (973) 800-5836. To order a copy of “Ten Things Great Coaches Know,” click here.

Tiger certainly seemed to. He had money, fame and a new family. But now his image is in shambles, and who knows how he will move on from here?

Whatever happens, the story brings to mind the two biggest mistakes that competitors can make: First, they give their opponents too much credit; second, they don’t give themselves enough.

Great champions like Woods always carry a mystique. They seem other-worldly. But these troubles show just the opposite: Woods is very human. And that should help those who go up against him on Sunday afternoon. Why give him too much credit?

On the other hand, some people give themselves too little credit. They see only their flaws and not their strengths. They defeat themselves before others even have a chance to do so.

Herb Brooks understood these two mistakes when coached the United States hockey team to the Olympic gold medal in 1980. Going up against a Soviet team that seemed unbeatable, Brooks tried to humanize the foe. He noticed that Soviet star Boris Mikhailov resembled comedian Stan Laurel and used the comparison to make fun of him. At the same time, Brooks constantly suggested that SOMEONE was going to beat the Soviets. Why not his own team?

Like Brooks, Joe Namath never accepted the role of underdog. He guaranteed a Super Bowl victory — and delivered it — by refusing to give too much credit to the Baltimore Colts. When asked later how he could have been so sure the Jets could compete with a team that was favored by 18 points, Namath simply said, “I knew we were as good as they were.” How did he know it? From his college career.

Josh Beckett also refused to buy into mystique. In fact, he pushed back against it. When the Marlin were debating who should pitch in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, Beckett supposedly said, “Gimme the ball. I’m tired of this Yankee stuff.” Whether or not the story is true, Beckett pitched a shutout and the Marlins won the Series.

So Woods now has less of a mystique. He may still be a great golfer, but perhaps people won’t give him more credit than he deserves.