Well - Super Bowl has come and gone. I had no dog in the hunt and that is a very good thing as I would have been a basket case regardless of which end of the score my team was on. But since I was unencumbered I was able to simply watch and enjoy the game. What a game it was.
Super Bowls are rarely super - they are usually a snooze fest. Not 51 - it was a real barn burner. It looked like the Atlanta Falcons were going to run away with the game. I realize my non-America readers may not understand the dynamics of the game of American football. Some even think rugby is a tougher game but let me assure you it is not.
With the exception of boxing and maybe MMA fighting no sport comes close to the concentrated violence of 300 pound athletes running into each other with reckless abandon. Take a look at the concussion issues that are now so regularly in the news.
Yesterdays game was an example of the best the game has to offer as Atlanta Falcons started fast and tried tom but their collective feet pn the throat of the Patriots. Tom Brady was harassed regularly and the Falcons were up 28-3. Then the wheels came off and the high-flying birds became wounded ducks. A run of 31-0 in just over a quarter cemented the legacy of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as the best ever at their jobs. Patriots fans danced with glee while Falcons fans stared in stunned disbelief.
So now today it is back to the real world for all but fans of the Patriots. They have a big parade to look forward to and bragging rights until next season. The rest of us are back to worrying about the next bizarre tweet that may emerge from the White House. It is worth noting Trump is buddies with both Patriots owner Robert Kraft and QB Tom Brady so maybe in his deliriumTrump may be silent. OK - not bloody likely.
I am glad that you found something to take your mind off from other earth shaking things that are happening in your patch of green.
ReplyDeleteSelect sports have been a concern for me for some time, having long been aware of risks for brain damage, of which those in my profession would be keenly aware, long before concussion took news center stage. I was involved otherwise during the game but did see enough to feel the wide range of emotions on all sides. I had mixed feelings wanting to see the young team win their first trophy but also thinking might be nice for the "old man" to show he still had it. Some of my family on the east coast very strongly wanted him not to win based on prior penalties he incurred. Certainly seemed an unexpected ending after the first half. But, the game is never over 'til it's over. I don't like the overtime method used to determine a winner.
ReplyDeleteI played footballfor 4 years in jHS and 2 in college. I got my bell frung - as we usd to call t - several times but no lasting ill effects. I do have gimpy knees and very sore shouders though. I would think twice about letting my 6 year old grandson play football. My sonwas smallwhen young and he took up soccer. I agree on nthe OT stuff but I'm not sure what else would work.
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