One of these days, I really will learn. Until then, however, I suppose that I am doomed to suffer from history repeating itself - and that history is the Philadelphia Eagles destroying my spirit every single year.
The Eagles lost in the NFC Championship this past week to an inferior Arizona Cardinals team. It literally pains me to talk about it, and that in and of itself is a symptom of a greater problem. Why does it hurt me so badly when a stinkin' football team loses one step away from the Super Bowl? If they don't care that much, then why the heck do I? Why do I now have to avoid newspapers, sports talk radio, and my beloved ESPN podcasts?
Because I am insufferable. The older I have gotten, the better I've taken the in-season defeats. Back when I was a kid (and young adult), the regular season gaffes and debacles would ruin weeks and cause the destruction of many small items around the house. These days, though, I deal with the regular parade of losses very well - especially since I don't want to get yelled at by my wife for acting like an idiot (since she's right).
But this particular defeat set me off like few losses before. Perhaps it's because they really had a great shot at finally winning The Big One; perhaps because they were just 2 or 3 plays away from winning by two touchdowns; perhaps, just perhaps, because I am starting to start my own football mortality in the face. After all, it's no given that any team will win a championship. Every year is a new opportunity to lose in exciting and different ways.
The real issue has nothing to do with me, though. Heck, I am barely concerned about myself anymore. After all, as a 38-year old man who has followed this team his entire life, it's pretty clear that they're not going to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. Now, though, I have a much greater concern - my little boy. He's only 18 months old, but he's already fallen victim to my Eagles dementia. The day of the game, we were both sporting Eagles jerseys, chanting the E-A-G-L-E-S cheer, and generally chasing a rolling football around the house.
How can I in good conscience pass this horrible, awful disease on to him?
Sure, at this point, he doesn't really know an Eagle from a Giant or a (gasp) Cowboy. When he gets a few years older, I'll likely encourage him to choose his own team without being "forced" to be a Birds fan. I just hope he doesn't follow in his Dad's footsteps on this one. After all, I am tired of this happening every darned year. It's exhausting, and frankly I don't know how much more I can take.
*sigh*
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
It's the most wonderful time of the year...
...and I don't mean the holidays. Few stretches of time are better for football fans than the 11-day marathon of college and pro games that started on New Year's Day and ends on Sunday.
Between the BCS Bowl games and the NFL playoffs, only 3 of the 11 said days do not offer at least one compelling big-time gridiron tilt. Whether or not you're a long-suffering diehard like yours truly (more on that in a second) or someone whose teams have long since stopped being relevant this season (which, more often than not is me as well), anyone who likes their pigskin served with a heaping portion of talent, drama, and high stakes is in their glory right now.
The College Angle
I was born rooting for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Both of my parents graduated from there, and I was born in the shadow of the school. So before I discovered professional football, baseball, or hockey, I already knew Bear Bryant was the best coach of all time and Joe Willie Namath could do no wrong.
As a kid, it was great, since the Tide was always in the mix. When I was 9 years old, they even won a national championship. I just figured that this was normal, and they'd be #1 all the time. Unfortunately, shortly after that 1980 Sugar Bowl win, Bear Bryant retired and died, and other than a miraculous blip in 1991 when Gene Stallings led the team to an improbable National Championship against a supremely talented Miami squad, the Tide has been languishing as an SEC afterthought.
The school went through a parade of average coaches until they stole one of the best in the business away from the Miami Dolphins in Nick Saban. After a rough first year, he had somehow gotten this season's team up to #1 for five whole weeks (thanks in no small part to historically bad losses by USC, Florida, and Texas). Sure, they were ahead of schedule, and really, I didn't think they had a legit shot at winning the championship...
...but yet they did.
Sadly, their 12-0 team got thumped by hated Florida in the SEC title game, but that's OK. Heartbreaking but not entirely unexpected (Florida was a 11-point favorite, after all). Even so, they got an invitation to the Sugar Bowl and a date with undefeated Utah, and a chance to atone for their loss, finish 13-1, and launch themselves into a great recruiting class for the future.
So, Friday night I settled into my easy chair with several adult beverages ready to be consumed. Thanks to the 8:30 starting time, the little boy and wife were both asleep. I was ready to watch my favorite team take it to an inferior opponent.
And then they got absolutely pounded into the ground. By the end of the first quarter, Utah was up 21-0. The Tide made a bit of a comeback to get within 4, but never really had a chance. I don't even remember what the final score was (I refuse to read about it). And my Friday night was ruined.
Sure, they had a great year, finishing 12-2. Sure, they were the #1 team for over a month. Sure, they have a young team that will only get better next year.
But you never know when you'll get another shot at a national championship - and they had one and blew it.
The Pro Angle
My love for the Philadelphia Eagles is a little more complicated. As a youngster, I loved the NFL, but didn't really have a favorite team so much as several teams I liked. I thought the Vikings uniforms were cool, dug the Jets, even had a fling with the Chargers.
Then when I was 11 or 12, my Dad got us season tickets to the Eagles.
And so it began.
I immediately got indoctrinated into Eagles Nation, a ridiculous cacaphony of drunken louts, heartbreaking defeats, and an incredibly awful stadium. Over time, the team ownership changed, a beautiful new stadium was erected, and the lowest of the low fanbase got priced out of attending. But one thing has stayed the same for these 20+ years.
They never win the big game.
More often than not, they've been terrible. Sometimes, they're good - just good enough to lose in the playoffs. Twice, they've been great enough to make it to the Super Bow, but not great enough to win it. Invariably, every single season I have rooted for this team, they have broken my heart.
This year, believe it or not, was more bipolar than most. Somehow, some way, they literally backed into the playoffs, thanks to an incredibly fortunate series of events that rarely befalls this team as well as a historic beatdown of the hated Cowboys.
Their first playoff game was Sunday afternoon against the extraordiarily average Minnesota Vikings, and from the moment on Friday it was clear Alabama was getting their butts handed to them, I was hoping against hope that the Birds could save my weekend.
And save it they did - eventually.
After letting the Vikes hang around all day and doing their best to not score any offensive touchdowns, the Eagles pulled off the one big play they had to and the victory was secure.
Yes, I know they likely will lose to the Giants this weekend coming up.
But they're still alive, and they have a chance.
Maybe, just maybe, this is the year.....
Between the BCS Bowl games and the NFL playoffs, only 3 of the 11 said days do not offer at least one compelling big-time gridiron tilt. Whether or not you're a long-suffering diehard like yours truly (more on that in a second) or someone whose teams have long since stopped being relevant this season (which, more often than not is me as well), anyone who likes their pigskin served with a heaping portion of talent, drama, and high stakes is in their glory right now.
The College Angle
I was born rooting for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Both of my parents graduated from there, and I was born in the shadow of the school. So before I discovered professional football, baseball, or hockey, I already knew Bear Bryant was the best coach of all time and Joe Willie Namath could do no wrong.
As a kid, it was great, since the Tide was always in the mix. When I was 9 years old, they even won a national championship. I just figured that this was normal, and they'd be #1 all the time. Unfortunately, shortly after that 1980 Sugar Bowl win, Bear Bryant retired and died, and other than a miraculous blip in 1991 when Gene Stallings led the team to an improbable National Championship against a supremely talented Miami squad, the Tide has been languishing as an SEC afterthought.
The school went through a parade of average coaches until they stole one of the best in the business away from the Miami Dolphins in Nick Saban. After a rough first year, he had somehow gotten this season's team up to #1 for five whole weeks (thanks in no small part to historically bad losses by USC, Florida, and Texas). Sure, they were ahead of schedule, and really, I didn't think they had a legit shot at winning the championship...
...but yet they did.
Sadly, their 12-0 team got thumped by hated Florida in the SEC title game, but that's OK. Heartbreaking but not entirely unexpected (Florida was a 11-point favorite, after all). Even so, they got an invitation to the Sugar Bowl and a date with undefeated Utah, and a chance to atone for their loss, finish 13-1, and launch themselves into a great recruiting class for the future.
So, Friday night I settled into my easy chair with several adult beverages ready to be consumed. Thanks to the 8:30 starting time, the little boy and wife were both asleep. I was ready to watch my favorite team take it to an inferior opponent.
And then they got absolutely pounded into the ground. By the end of the first quarter, Utah was up 21-0. The Tide made a bit of a comeback to get within 4, but never really had a chance. I don't even remember what the final score was (I refuse to read about it). And my Friday night was ruined.
Sure, they had a great year, finishing 12-2. Sure, they were the #1 team for over a month. Sure, they have a young team that will only get better next year.
But you never know when you'll get another shot at a national championship - and they had one and blew it.
The Pro Angle
My love for the Philadelphia Eagles is a little more complicated. As a youngster, I loved the NFL, but didn't really have a favorite team so much as several teams I liked. I thought the Vikings uniforms were cool, dug the Jets, even had a fling with the Chargers.
Then when I was 11 or 12, my Dad got us season tickets to the Eagles.
And so it began.
I immediately got indoctrinated into Eagles Nation, a ridiculous cacaphony of drunken louts, heartbreaking defeats, and an incredibly awful stadium. Over time, the team ownership changed, a beautiful new stadium was erected, and the lowest of the low fanbase got priced out of attending. But one thing has stayed the same for these 20+ years.
They never win the big game.
More often than not, they've been terrible. Sometimes, they're good - just good enough to lose in the playoffs. Twice, they've been great enough to make it to the Super Bow, but not great enough to win it. Invariably, every single season I have rooted for this team, they have broken my heart.
This year, believe it or not, was more bipolar than most. Somehow, some way, they literally backed into the playoffs, thanks to an incredibly fortunate series of events that rarely befalls this team as well as a historic beatdown of the hated Cowboys.
Their first playoff game was Sunday afternoon against the extraordiarily average Minnesota Vikings, and from the moment on Friday it was clear Alabama was getting their butts handed to them, I was hoping against hope that the Birds could save my weekend.
And save it they did - eventually.
After letting the Vikes hang around all day and doing their best to not score any offensive touchdowns, the Eagles pulled off the one big play they had to and the victory was secure.
Yes, I know they likely will lose to the Giants this weekend coming up.
But they're still alive, and they have a chance.
Maybe, just maybe, this is the year.....
Friday, January 2, 2009
Holidaze
I am not a "bah humbug" kind of a guy - far from it. I legitimately enjoy Christmas and New Year's, especially with a little one now in the picture. Heck, next year he'll be 2 and a half, and will actually start to "get it" with Santa, presents, and so on.
But I am also not going to kid you. I am glad that the holidays are over. It's simply too busy too much, and I don't even do the shopping! Between furiously trying to make sure work is covered, packing up and going to all the different places we have to go, and meeting all the obligations we have, Christmas and New Year's are exhausting. So while I love 'em, I'm also glad that I am heading back to work and a normal schedule in a couple of days.
I have been able to take a little time and play some games over the past month or so, though, which has been a nice bonus. With so many games in my backlog, it's been exceedingly hard to figure out which ones to choose from. Luckily, I had one choice made for me due to a review. So here's the rundown:
Call of Duty: World At War (PS3)
I've played plenty of CoD's, and they're almost always terrific. Modern Warfare was a particularly high watermark in the series, and to be honest I was not exactly clamoring to jump right back into World War II (especially after spending November in Brothers in Arms). However, World At War takes all of the things that make CoD great and puts them together in a package so polished, gritty, and complete, I was blown away.
The single player campaign was simply tremendous, especially the Russian campaign into Berlin. Full disclosure: I am a big WWII buff and my favorite battles have always been Stalingrad and Berlin. The developers did such an amazing job with the final battles in Europe that I was stunned. The final levels, putting you in the shoes of the Russians storming the Reichstag and planting the Soviet flag on the roof, were just incredible. I can see how some people might not "get it" - it's just another level in another linear shooter - but damn it to hell if I didn't love every second of it.
Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's another WWII game. But it looks amazing, sounds terrific, controls perfectly, and you get to get yelled at by Keifer Sutherland. What more do you need?
Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)
This one had been sitting on my backlog pile for over a year, and I finally decided to give it a whirl. Man, it looks good. But that can only take you so far. About 3 or 4 hours in, after caling the same tower about 5 times, and committing the same assassination 3 times, I decided I was bored. As an added "bonus", none of my Achievements were saving. While I know that shouldn't matter, it was the straw the broke the back, and I put it back on the pile.
I don't have time to play games that I don't like, after all. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Godfather: The Game (Xbox 360)
This one had been sitting on the backlog even longer. I'm not exactly a Godfather fan (hell, I never even saw the movie front to back) but I had always wanted to spend some quality time in the universe that EA created.
Remeber all that complaining I did about Assassin's Creed? You know, repetitive missions? Doing the same thing over and over? Well, take that, and add in the fact that the games looks ass ugly, and that's Godfather.
However, and this makes no sense, I'm enjoying it immensely. It's basically a GTA clone with lousy cars and an ordinary story, but I am getting a big kick out of taking over neighborhoods, advancing up the Corleone family ranks, buying properties, and taking over gambling and prostitution rackets. I also like the RPG-esque character upgrades; I have dedicated all my skill points to shooting so far, and with fantastic results. My dude can take out a kneecap at 50 yards no sweat, which comes in very handy when you're trying to eliminate a couple of dozen rival family thugs.
So that's where I am on New Year's 2009.
Happy New Year everyone!
But I am also not going to kid you. I am glad that the holidays are over. It's simply too busy too much, and I don't even do the shopping! Between furiously trying to make sure work is covered, packing up and going to all the different places we have to go, and meeting all the obligations we have, Christmas and New Year's are exhausting. So while I love 'em, I'm also glad that I am heading back to work and a normal schedule in a couple of days.
I have been able to take a little time and play some games over the past month or so, though, which has been a nice bonus. With so many games in my backlog, it's been exceedingly hard to figure out which ones to choose from. Luckily, I had one choice made for me due to a review. So here's the rundown:
Call of Duty: World At War (PS3)
I've played plenty of CoD's, and they're almost always terrific. Modern Warfare was a particularly high watermark in the series, and to be honest I was not exactly clamoring to jump right back into World War II (especially after spending November in Brothers in Arms). However, World At War takes all of the things that make CoD great and puts them together in a package so polished, gritty, and complete, I was blown away.
The single player campaign was simply tremendous, especially the Russian campaign into Berlin. Full disclosure: I am a big WWII buff and my favorite battles have always been Stalingrad and Berlin. The developers did such an amazing job with the final battles in Europe that I was stunned. The final levels, putting you in the shoes of the Russians storming the Reichstag and planting the Soviet flag on the roof, were just incredible. I can see how some people might not "get it" - it's just another level in another linear shooter - but damn it to hell if I didn't love every second of it.
Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's another WWII game. But it looks amazing, sounds terrific, controls perfectly, and you get to get yelled at by Keifer Sutherland. What more do you need?
Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)
This one had been sitting on my backlog pile for over a year, and I finally decided to give it a whirl. Man, it looks good. But that can only take you so far. About 3 or 4 hours in, after caling the same tower about 5 times, and committing the same assassination 3 times, I decided I was bored. As an added "bonus", none of my Achievements were saving. While I know that shouldn't matter, it was the straw the broke the back, and I put it back on the pile.
I don't have time to play games that I don't like, after all. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Godfather: The Game (Xbox 360)
This one had been sitting on the backlog even longer. I'm not exactly a Godfather fan (hell, I never even saw the movie front to back) but I had always wanted to spend some quality time in the universe that EA created.
Remeber all that complaining I did about Assassin's Creed? You know, repetitive missions? Doing the same thing over and over? Well, take that, and add in the fact that the games looks ass ugly, and that's Godfather.
However, and this makes no sense, I'm enjoying it immensely. It's basically a GTA clone with lousy cars and an ordinary story, but I am getting a big kick out of taking over neighborhoods, advancing up the Corleone family ranks, buying properties, and taking over gambling and prostitution rackets. I also like the RPG-esque character upgrades; I have dedicated all my skill points to shooting so far, and with fantastic results. My dude can take out a kneecap at 50 yards no sweat, which comes in very handy when you're trying to eliminate a couple of dozen rival family thugs.
So that's where I am on New Year's 2009.
Happy New Year everyone!
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