Making history out of plays

The vapor trail of some kind of energy, gathered by Firsty for your reading pleasure
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firsty
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Making history out of plays

Post by firsty » January 22nd, 2007, 2:43 pm

The team that loses with the ball in its hand is different from the team that loses on defense. It's a horrible truth — the failure of a team's defense to keep the other guys out of the goal (whatever that goal might be) — but nothing like the buzz-killing dead weight of the truth of failing to score when it mattered, when in control.

So I knew, with a minute remaining and the RCA Dome still shaking from the screaming, that this last drive by the Patriots was going to be in some way historic. It would mean either that they are still just as good as they have been, and that the Bears are doomed, or that they have fallen more than one place-kicker from the pinnacle of today's NFL parity era.

Until that 1:00 remaining, Peyton and the Colts were demonstrating that kind of arrogant, reckless patience that brings up in my soul the memory of so many bad writers. But then the Colts' special teams finally stopped the return man. One 1st down, Brady and one of his receivers had a miscommunication. a 19-yard pass later and still with 2 timeouts, then another good middle-of-the-field pass later, we had 24 seconds for Brady and Belicheck to prove the true situation one way or the other.

And then The Interception. Marlon Jackson with the quick pick of that rocket up the middle of the field, and Manning has finally done it. And it was historic — hey — the largest NFL final round comeback (from 21-3), two black head coaches in the big dance, Manning, now, at this moment, for the first time, the sure first-ballot Hall of Famer.

21-6 at halftime. Manning and his thumb. Sanders and his knee, both still moving on to the end, but the images of them at the time were the kind of familiar pain that makes you close your eyes instead of hit the brakes when you know it's too late. I was becoming familiarly annoyed at watching Manning and Dungy make their slow, deliberate, almost cocky comeback, having to keep catching up to tie it. hoping that the Patriots magic never seals the deal. Tempting fate, at its best, now I see. The Colts were begging themselves to lose the game, begging the Patriots to simply do what they do. Begging for a kind of normal to sneak its way into the heat of the field-level air in the dome. Instead, they won, and Manning is, by default, 3 years closer, at any given moment, to getting into the Hall of Fame, than he was before kickoff tonight.

Jim Kelly needed those four Super Bowls to make himself a first-ballot guy. Maybe he could have done it with 3, but definitely not 2. But Manning has the numbers, so that one final game appearance is enough, whichever way it swings. But if you travel in betting circles, I would (were I a gambling person) advise collecting your pile as soon as possible. For the first time in a big game, the Colts are not the sucker bet.

And for those of you who've never even heard the term, "flyover states," the Bears-Colts matchup is one of the most profound geographic rivalries in the National Football League. You should pay attention to this game for its historical significance. I thought the only historic event tonight would be in that last one minute. I was wrong, which is unusual, but, then again, I just watched Peyton Manning play through pain and Tony Dungy win a conference. You cant blame me if I'm a little woozy.
and knowing i'm so eager to fight cant make letting me in any easier.

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Post by stilltrucking » January 23rd, 2007, 3:08 pm

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Last edited by stilltrucking on January 26th, 2007, 7:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by firsty » January 23rd, 2007, 4:48 pm

johnny unitas officially declared himself a former baltimore raven several years ago, giving baltimore football fans the vote of confidence they needed to overwhelm their sense of guilt about having a team in their city that was brought there by someone more evil than the opiate-addled irsays - art modell.

a lot of people hate the colts. i never did. the first pro game i ever attended was at rich stadium against the baltimore colts. i remember them moving, but didnt care. at the time, the colts were even worse than the bills in the afc east, and most of my hate went to the dolphins. i was happy that the colts moved out of the afc east because i wouldve hated to have the bills' arch-rival dolphins leave the division. the current colts were built by the ex-bills gm, bill polian, who i admire greatly. and ted marchibroda has connections with both buffalo and indy. i'll be rooting for the colts, my man, but i respect your choice to go with the bears, even tho, of course, the bears will lose.

:)
and knowing i'm so eager to fight cant make letting me in any easier.

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Post by stilltrucking » January 23rd, 2007, 5:32 pm

...
Last edited by stilltrucking on January 26th, 2007, 7:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by firsty » January 23rd, 2007, 5:40 pm

the halftime show is going to feature prince. he strikes me as a sensitive guy. maybe he'll sing a protest song.
and knowing i'm so eager to fight cant make letting me in any easier.

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Post by stilltrucking » January 23rd, 2007, 6:25 pm

...
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Post by stilltrucking » January 24th, 2007, 9:21 am

I keep trying to imagine what it would be like to stand in a crowd of 100 thousand silent people.

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Post by firsty » January 24th, 2007, 12:20 pm

the NFL did cancel the first weekend of play following 9/11/01, and i'm pretty sure that the MLB missed several days of play, also.

at halftime in (was it?) 2002, U2 played the gig, and they ran the names of all the confirmed dead on 9/11 on a giant screen.

i went to the first rangers hockey game in the fall of 2001 at MSG during the height of nyc nationalism, and it was a strange feeling being in that arena, packed to the ceiling, both the sabres and the rangers wearing similar colors as ny teams and in honor of the fallen, and they did ceremonies, etc., but it was indeed a strange feeling with all those people standing silently, except for the crying.
and knowing i'm so eager to fight cant make letting me in any easier.

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Post by tarbaby » January 24th, 2007, 12:50 pm

I used to be a Quaker, no preacher, it was a Silent Meeting for worship.
but it was indeed a strange feeling with all those people standing silently, except for the crying.
Yes it was a nice fad, I was hoping for it to catch on. It would be such a comfort for the families I think, to see in some meaning full way thier losses honored. Before they sing the national anthem, before, they say play ball, before gentlemen start your engines, before the noise of the crowd, start every public gathering with a moment of silence.


I crave silence
“Where is that man who has forgotten words that I may have a word with him?”

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Post by firsty » January 24th, 2007, 2:09 pm

well, like true knuckleheads, we cliche'ed the thing to death. now we have to listen to "god bless america" at every 7th-inning stretch.
and knowing i'm so eager to fight cant make letting me in any easier.

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Superbowl Shuffle

Post by roxybeast » January 24th, 2007, 7:15 pm

To be honest, I was sort of dreading having the Patriots in yet another Superbowl. Thank God the Colts came back. Bears v. Colts. Love it.
Ancient stalwarts of the NFL. Think I'll practice my Superbowl Shuffle.

Bill
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http://www.studioeight.tv/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=59

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