Wild Card Weekend and General Football Musings

One of my sure-to-be-broken New Year's Resolutions is to blog more. So here goes.

I will now talk football.

It will surprise no one who reads this that I watched all four wild-card games last weekend, even though getting through the Philly-Minnesota game required me to stay up until 2 am this past Sunday night, making for a fun, fun, fun Monday morning.

Here's a few of my thoughts on the ongoing playoffs:

-When the playoffs began I thought the following teams had a chance to win the Super Bowl: Giants, Panthers, Eagles, Colts, Steelers. I thought all the other teams had some serious issues. (Most notably I am convinced the Kerry Collins will at some point single-handedly destroy the Titans.) After this past weekend, I might have to add San Diego to that list because their defense impressed me. I hadn't seen them play in a while.

-I really wanted the Vikings to beat the damn Eagles because a)I hate the Eagles and generally root for them to lose and b)The Eagles currently scare me.

To be honest, I really enjoyed watching them (the Eagles) beat the living crap out of the sanctimonious and presumptuous Cowboys in humiliating fashion back in week 17. (Not sure how the NFL reclaimed the Lombardi Trophy it handed out to the Cowboys in the preseason, but the process must have made for some awkward moments, possibly involving a backwards hatted Tony Romo throwing things, stomping on the ground, and generally putting on a mega temper tantrum.) Unfortunately that dominating win has created what appears to be a monster in Philadelphia, and I was really hoping the Vikes might get the better of them because I much rather would have faced the softer Cardinals team in the Meadowlands who probably would have been scared out of their minds. The Eagles will come in with no such fears and and as such here we sit with another cutthroat dog eat dog Giants versus Eagles game in which I will live and die on every play, endlessly rocking between plays like a psychopath off his meds, not to mention that I will probably end up in the fetal position for several minutes at least three times during the game - and that's if we win. Plus I'm tired of hearing the "are the Eagles the 2007 Giants of this post-season?" argument which makes me want to pull my hair out.

-I hate the fact that Plaxico Burress shot himself because it turns out he was really, really good at football. He was a monster against blitzing teams (Eagles!) and he was the perfect bail out receiver for every back-footed Eli Manning pass that has no business being caught by anybody. He is irreplaceable. His loss hurts. And because of that, I hurt.



-I will be thankful that we get to play this game in the Meadowlands. Sure it will be that much more humiliating if we lose, but at least I won't have to watch Brian "helmet to helmet cheap shot master" Dawkins flap his arms while that awful "Fly Eagles Fly" song blares on in the background after every Eagle score or big play. Thank God for small favors.

-I have nothing personally against Andy Reid, but I honestly fear for his life. Every time I see him patrolling the sidelines I play a fun little game with myself to see if can guess his current blood pressure and cholesterol based on the numbers of some of my current patients. Let me assure you the numbers I'm guessing are not low. Sadly, when (not if) we read about that man's heart attack or stroke in the next few years, I will not be the least bit surprised.

-I am tired of hearing about Joe Flacco, the essential rookie Trent Dilfer QB who simply doesn't screw up and lives of the sloppy seconds of the Raven's defense. I don't care that he can throw the ball 85 yards or whatever. I'm just not buying into him quite yet. Matt Ryan is better.

-Larry Fitzgerald is officially my second favorite NFL receiver because he repeatedly makes insane grabs like they're nothing, just like he did last weekend for a touchdown. For the record, Calvin Johnson, aka Megatron, is my favorite NFL receiver because he is effing awesome and also his nickname is the sweetest bar none. In my dreams I scheme of ways for the Giants to sign him. And if they don't - it will happen in my Madden game, just you wait.

-This Chargers/Steelers game is turning out to be a real stressor for me. On the one hand are the lovable Bolts, supported by my entire San Diego posse, and often at times indirectly by me. On the other hand, are the Steelers, beloved of my beloved, sweet Gwendolyn, and whom I tend to root for now unless the Giants are involved. Neither side will back down here and I fear I'm caught in the middle of an ugly debate about who I "want" to win this game. I will say only this: I think the Steelers will win, but I will be happy for the supporters of whoever wins. Blase and non-committal enough? Furthermore, this game is on right after the Giants/Eagles game. In the end, if the Giants lose, to be honest, I won't give a rat's ass.




Only seven more football games this year people. Soak it in.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

*sniff*

I think it's quite clear where your sub-Giants loyalties should lie. Although I'd root for the Chargers, too...if they weren't playing the Steelers.

All of this is gentle debate, however, because a vastly more dangerous game MAY be coming our way with a more far-reaching devastation.

I don't even want to think about what a Giants-Steelers Superbowl would mean...

Gwen

Gabriel said...

Mick its pretty obvious where your loyalties lie in the Pitt/SD game. Just look at the picture you selected - a Steeler player running away from the Chargers defense.

Maybe a picture of a pregame coin toss between the two teams would have been more appropriate.

Good luck Gwen *fingers crossed*

Gabe

eryn_roston@yahoo.com said...

"I will say only this: I think the Steelers will win, but I will be happy for the supporters of whoever wins. Blase and non-committal enough?"

how about miniature American flags for some, and abortions for others?