Game Day Zone: January 2008 Game Day Zone

What do the New England Patriots and the New York Giants have in common? Simians. Simians? Correct. Brady and the Pats are the proverbial 300-pound gorilla, while Eli and Company have a monkey on their back. Yep, it's hard to ignore the greatness of New England; dynasty, perfect record, robot-like QB, you know, stuff like that. We don't always find more detailed reasons to cheer for these guys though, do we? Really, Brady is good, very good, but offers no personal reason to invest in him emotionally. Moss, although toned down in '07, still has spots. Interestingly, the most intriguing and genuine part of this team is the linebacking corp. Workman, middle-class, over-the-hill veterans with a personal seasoning in their lives. Good stuff. Other than that, unless you have a personal attachment to the team, there is no reason to cry if they lose. On the other hand is the wild card Giants. Little Manning with his monkey Peyton on his back. Overshadowed, underestimated but never overlooked. No, we never pass on an opporunity to cast a player into the pit of underachievement and high expectation... right? And the rest of the team, well, they're not expected to go any further than NFC champs. Are they? Who knows? Michael Strahan, through his Letterman-smile, said the G-men are a team of destiny, that this is their year. But c'mon, we all say that. I say it every January 1st and by March I'm still in debt, looking at grass where my deck should be and wondering if my bathroom scales can possibly register any lower numbers. But reality is what it is. And sometimes destinies come face to face with 300-pound gorillas. And guess where they sit..

by: Game Day Zone

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Paper Champion

What is a champion? Our old buddy Noah Webster defines it this way: “a winner of first prize or first place in competition; also: one who shows marked superiority”. So, having concluded another post-season collegiate football dance, one that has all the drama and excitement of an arranged marriage, where are we with this crowning of a champion? Les State University has the trophy, they were victorious in the designated game and they presumably reached these goals by following the rules throughout the course of the season. Champions, right? Examine the definition again for a moment. Did they win first place in a competition? Yes. Did they show superiority? Yes. Both answers are positive, but relevant to the last game only. Apply those same questions to the whole year: no and no. Don’t get me wrong, I think LSU is Miles ahead of most programs, but did they deserve even a shot at the national title? Let’s review: two losses, last minute wins and two appearances at #1 only to get knocked off. Most teams never get a chance at being at the top; Bayou Tigers got three. Who else gets that? No one. Some
don’t even get one, much less three. It’s all a matter of timing and perception. When did you lose, how good was the team you lost to perceived to be when you lost to them and how much better did the team you lost to early become late in the season after they beat teams that were thought to be bad but later beat teams that were thought by some to be better than expected?Confused? So are we. This formula does not a champion make. Keep it true. Make a champion earn it. If it means pushing the fat kid off the hill, so be it. If it means jumping the most bricks, let it be. If it means slugging with your eyes closed ‘til the bully
walks away, sport is better for it. Sorry Noah.

by: Game Day Zone

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