I happen to love sports, which is ironic, since I never actually played one as a kid. Following family tradition, I am a rabid Yankees and Giants fan. I was the team statistician for the Montclair High School football team so I really do understand the game.
I don’t root for the other NY teams. I refuse to bend on my hatred for the Eagles and my extreme dislike for the Patriots. I am proof that sports fandom brings out the best and the worst in the human race.
The two football games yesterday were absolute nail biters. When the place kicker for the Ravens, Billy Cundiff, missed the field goal that would have tied the game against the Patriots, my heart sank for him. Later Cundiff spoke to the press. He told them that this was a kick he had done a thousand times and he would make no excuses for himself for missing this one. A fellow player spoke next, and he was emphatic that a team wins and loses together and that what happened to Cundiff should not affect him past that moment, as life will continue to happen. First humility, then kindness. This is the stuff of role models.
The Giants game was another story. There is nobody better than Eli Manning for being cool under pressure. He found the hole again and again and despite throwing the ball a gazillion times in terrible weather conditions there was not one interception. When the Giants recovered a fumble in OT I actually thought I might stop breathing. We watch all of the big football games with our dear friends and next-door neighbors. My kids are always embarrassed by my behavior and the words that stream out of my mouth. Too bad, so sad.
The death of Joe Paterno bothered me on so many levels. I will not take away from him the many accolades he helped his Penn State players earn over 42 years as head coach. Players young and old came out yesterday to praise Paterno for changing, and in some cases, saving their young lives. Our sons do not yet understand exactly what is the scandal that keeps being mentioned on ESPN. They will ask me about it someday and I will tell them that this was not a case of covering up a player’s speeding ticket or fixing grades to keep a kid eligible for play. Though Joe Paterno did not break any laws, as he reported what he heard to his superiors, he broke a moral code by not going the extra step to protect those children. I will always believe that he died not from the lung cancer, but from a broken heart.
I will spend the next two weeks washing Giants’ jerseys and keeping up with the daily commentary of our 12-year old Sportscenter mouthpiece. I need to know when Bradshaw is going to run through the 5 hole and when Manning is going for a fake. Will Weatherford be able to respond to a bad snap as well as he did last night?
As I said at the beginning of this blog, sports fandom brings out the best and the worst of people. Pending the outcome of the Super Bowl, you’ll know whether it is safe to say hi to me in the supermarket on the 6th. Go Giants!!!!