I Confess

(Source)

Okay, so Sunday evening I watched the championship of the National Football League. What is officially called the Super Bowl but the NFL gets angry if you use that name and haven't paid for it. Or something. Perhaps that's only for people selling stuff, as I'm not selling anything, I think I'm okay. But if I should disappear...

Anyhoo. The Patriots, who I follow, played the Rams, The Olde Vermonter's favorite team. "My" team won, (that's in quotes as I don't own the Patriots nor do I play for them) in what many have pronounced to be a "boring" game. By boring I assume most people mean low scoring. One of the reasons Americans don't really care for the version of football played by the rest of the world. Not enough scoring, I mean in Europe a good game might wind up as a 0 - 0 tie (which is what the aficionados call "nil - nil"). Personally I think those games are more of a "coach doesn't want to lose so don't take any chances" kind of thing. A very European way of doing things in my experience.

While I really enjoyed the game (yes, YMMV) for its defensive aspects (I enjoyed playing defense back when I played the sport, offense was too damned disciplined for my free wheeling nature, and no, I don't understand how I survived 24 years in the Air Force, many of my subordinates and superiors couldn't understand it either), there was stuff surrounding the game that I found, for want of a better word, unsettling.

CBS made a big deal just before the game about the "social justice" events in the week preceding the game. Apparently CBS has been infiltrated by progressive elements, why they made a big deal out of that, I have my opinions. Having one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's children (a grown up lady now) do the coin toss was kind of cool. I mean the game was in Atlanta. But having Congressman John Lewis out there as well (with his ever-present scowl) was puzzling, at least to me. His only true moment in the sun was when he marched with Dr. King, to me he's right up there with Joe Namath, who was on hand for the trophy presentation - based on his one, yes one, Super Bowl victory 6,000 years ago. Both are what I like to call has beens, basking in ancient glories that aren't really relevant any more. Not that I dislike those two men, I just failed to see their relevance.

Maybe that's just me.

While I am a huge believer in women being able to do whatever they set their minds too, without society judging them, I also believe that women who are capable of making it, are capable of making it on their own without some sort of "support" group behind them, other then their peers who have "been there, done that." Some of the feminista crap on display Sunday night really bugged me. Especially after thinking of the very accomplished naval aviator, who just so happened to be a woman, who was buried on Saturday after a life time of service to the country. She didn't need Super Bowl ads to encourage her.

But hey, if it makes one female believe she can overcome the odds to make it in her chosen field, then I guess it's all good. Perhaps I am getting to be something of a curmudgeon.

As to the game itself, beautiful defensive work by both teams. When Brady had the Patriots marching down the field on their first possession of the game, I was thinking "blow out." Bye bye Rams. But the Rams defensive coach, Wade Phillips, managed to confuse the Pats quarterback who threw an untimely interception. Yes, yes the ball was tipped by the receiver but Brady was throwing into coverage. You want to make sure that if your guy can't catch it, neither can the other guy. Too many Rams were right there. The look on Brady's face indicated (to me and others) that he knew he shouldn't have thrown that ball.

Both defenses played well but the Rams' defense was just on the field for too long, eventually you run out of gas, and they did. Their offense could have helped them with a couple of sustained drives, but the Rams always seemed to be punting.

Great game, to me at any rate. For those who get all puffed about the Patriots being cheaters, go read this, all teams "cheat." (In quotes because no matter what you do, you still have to pad up and take the field.) For God's sake people, you believe the media on "deflate-gate" but disbelieve them on everything else? Wake up, or grow up, your choice.

What is the problem Americans have these days with an extremely successful sports franchise? You'd think we have become a nation of whiners and losers.

Oh, wait...

Perhaps we have.

Anyhoo, that's my dos centavos, Sarge out.

(Feel free to abuse me in the comments, I can take it. I think...)