I hope all you New England guys know I was just jerkin' your respective chains. I am very happy for all of you and wish you nothing but health, happiness and prosperity. MJ, I recall reading a recount of the story about the members of this site chipping in to buy you the outboard to get you out on the deep blue, and, call me a puss, but I almost get a tear just thinking about it now. There are truly good and genuine people in this world, and it is amazing how an inordinate number of them have made their way to this site.
Now putting all of that mushy stuff aside, I was seriously pissed at my Colts loss yesterday. I have to hand it to Belichick and the Pats in their 16-0 (Heck, 18-0) season. They did not pull the starters in the last 2 games did they? Man, when you are 14-0 you are in rare air, and I think a team owes it to the fans, to the players, to future generations, to go for the whole banana.
I was able to take my youngest son (9 year old Peter) to the game yesterday. I got tix from my brother in law. We had a great time, but left the game feeling somewhat cheated because the Colts pulled their best off the field. Yeah, maybe that game did not mean much to the Colts in terms of standings, home field advantage, etc., but people paid millions of dollars collectively to watch that game, and, in my opinion, got less than what they deserved for their $. Sure, Manning and/or other starters may have gotten hurt in the last quarter and 1/3, but the odds of that happening are just pretty slight. And if someone got hurt, so what, that is the game of football, a game you should go out to win every time you step on the field. It is really much too dangerous a game to do anything but that.
Near the end of the debacle, I pointed out a sign to my son in the opposite end zone. It said "One Game at a Time." The Colts were not following that philosophy--they were looking ahead to their bye game and, hopefully not their first and last, playoff game. I think what the Colts management/coaches did sends a message of fear to all who they may face in the playoffs, and that is not the message you want to send.
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