SportsGirl

My immediate thanks to ESPN’s John Clayton for using that phrase in his recounting of yesterday’s Dallas-New England matchup. What a great way to describe the team they’ve assembled up there in Bean Town. And my immediate apologies to the devout Dallas Cowboy fans that are still smarting from the loss and who will think me a traitor for being excited over the Patriots win. But seriously, what football fan isn’t gaga over what the Pats are doing so far this season?! They’ve been amazing and yesterday truly wasn’t even their best game.

Sunday’s game was the kind I like; I honestly would have been happy if either team had won. I obviously love the Patriots because of Brady being a Michigan guy, and also because he was a late-round pick that gives us all hope that the “little guy” or the diamond in the rough can actually make something of himself. But I really do like this Cowboys team, more-so than any team in years past, despite my lack of affection for Wade Phillips. I love Romo (see little guy reference above), I don’t hate TO with the passion I felt last season, and I think this team is going to do some good things this season. But I grew up loving anything U of M; I didn’t grow up loving the Boys. So yesterday’s outcome thrilled me to death!

One thing that killed me from the game? Romo taking a knee with about 30 seconds left at the end of the fourth quarter. I know, there was no prayer of them winning at that point. Even if he threw for a touchdown and they recovered an on-side kick and immediately returned that for a touchdown then recovered another on-side kick…you see where I’m going. But by the same token, the game was done, so what’s the harm in risking an interception by throwing a bomb down the field? Are you going to be more demoralized at that point with an incompletion or a pick? Probably not. But to just give up and take a knee and concede defeat was horrible to me. I want to go down fighting, leaving everything on the field. I just thought the action lacked spirit and sent a message to that team that their coaching staff didn’t care at that point. I know, I know, the risk of injury on every play is real and if you’ve lost the game why continue with the risk. I didn’t like it.

Up next for the Cowboys is Minnesota. I’m back and forth on how I think that game will go. Adrian Peterson is paying huge dividends to any fantasy owner who took a chance and drafted him. However, the Boys did at least stop the Patriots run game, albeit with Sammy Morris and Lawrence Maroney on the sidelines. I think Dallas will bounce back, get their wits about them after two weeks of under-performing.

Next up for New England are the Miami Dolphins. No game is a gimme in my book, but good golly if the Pats don’t win this one it better be because Brady has the first known human strain of the bird flu and Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Dante Stallworth all have double broken legs. Miami is that bad.

If week 2’s game was the Patriots making a statement that they can win without the use of any “visual aids”, this week was their follow-up to that statement to remind us that there is not a stop to their dominance in sight, until possibly Week 9 when they meet Indy. I’m already popping the popcorn for that match-up!