And, true to form, last Sunday’s NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers (which the Giants won in OT 23-20) and AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers (which the Patriots won 21-12) did not disappoint.
However, since I’m not much of a fan (Sunday was the first time I even bothered to tune in to the NFL this season) and even less of a critic of football, I shall limit my commentary to the off-the-field significance of these games.
I had mixed emotions watching the NFC game. Because on the one hand, I wanted the Packers to win to further vindicate the decision of their elderly quarterback, 38-year-old Brett Favre, to play this season. Especially since virtually every sports writer said his best days were way behind him, and that there was no way he could help his team improve on last year’s 8-8 regular season record.
Therefore, despite their loss on Sunday, which, unfortunately, he aided in part by throwing a critical 4th-quarter interception , Favre should derive considerable consolation from the fact that he led the Packers to a remarkable 13-3 record this year.
On the other hand, I wanted the Giants to win to give their nerdy young quarter back, Eli Manning, a chance to emulate his big brother Peyton – the quarterback of Indianapolis Colts who not only led his team to a league championship last year, but also to victory in the Super Bowl.
Therefore, here’s to Eli and the Giants for keeping this sibling rivalry going.
Meanwhile, I had no mixed emotions watching the AFC game. Because, like everyone else – except Chargers fans – I was rooting for the Patriots to continue their historic and improbable perfect season.
Therefore, it was tremendously gratifying that by half time, quarterback Tom Brady had his team well on its way to a rendezvous with destiny: to win the Super Bowl and become the first team in NFL history to go 19-0! And this, notwithstanding having to deal with the distraction “a female friend” of the team’s star wide receiver, Randy Moss, caused when she accused him of assaulting her last week.
(Of course, a 19-0 record would surpass the 17-0 perfect season the 1972 Miami Dolphins played when there were only 14, not 16, games in the regular season.)
Indeed, since I want to see history made more than I want to see Eli emulate his brother, I’m picking the Patriots to win the Super Bowl!
Sorry Eli….
NFL league championships
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