Monday, January 16, 2006

Ah, Forget It, More Football

We joined the Colts-Steelers football game just before half-time.

No, that's not disloyal, that's called "being at church." I did not pray for the Steelers while at Mass, nor did I think about the game more than once, during the sermon, when I wondered for the seven billionth time in my life how many times a preacher has to say the same message over and over again. "Oh," I thought, "football. I hope the game isn't over before this charming fellow is done." (He was a sweetie, a substitute priest filling in for our beloved Fr. Carota, but his message was one I've heard so many times in over forty-five years of paying attention at Mass and many years of religious education conferences, one I read about and taught so many times in my 15 or more years as a religious education teacher. Maybe that will be the subject of another blog entry.)

I was stunned to find that the Steelers were in the lead when we joined the game. Peyton Manning was actually playing for the Colts -- I thought when I saw the score that maybe someone had sawed off one of his legs or something. Pittsburgh was playing some agressive defense, keeping him contained.

One weird play is all it takes to stop a team in its tracks, though, and Pittsburgh's Weirdie was Troy Polamalu (cute as a button and energetic as the Tasmanian Devil of Warner Brothers) intercepting a pass, rolling with it, fumbling with it, recovering it -- and then having a referee rule that he never really received it. Oh, my brothers and sisters, that was one Bogus Call.

Peyton Manning took heart from the discomfiture of the Steelers and drove his team down the field like an ambulance on fire, scoring to make it a head-to-head game, if only the Colts could get one more field goal.

It seemed unlikely, as unlikely as Jerome Bettis (The Bus) carrying the ball toward a Wrap-It-Up Steeler Win and FUMBLING THE BALL! "Aaaaaaahhhh!" I screamed. "Did I tell you? Did I tell you that if I watched them that was what would happen???"

Fortunately the quarterback, Ben Rothlisberger ( I think I want to adopt him) hooked a hand around the ankle of the Colt who recovered the ball (Nick Harper, poor fella) and stopped the almost certain touchdown run, saving his team's ass.

I still think it was a near-massacre. Too close. I like to see my favorite teams MASH the oponents. I hate surprises. Next year, Peyton Manning is going to be gunning for the Steelers, and he may succeed. The young man is phenomenal.

Next weekend the Steelers play Denver. Okay, I watched Denver chew up New England like they were Papier Mache Patriots this past weekend, and New England is GOOD. Denver may crunch the Steelers up into little tiny pieces. I'm a pessimist -- it's likely that they will. But I will still watch the game, and cheer for Rothlisberger, Bettis, Ward, and Polamalu.

Especially Polamalu. Every football pundit there is has reviewed that interception and said he definitely had the ball.

I think the ref was crooked, or he needs corrective eyewear.

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