SportsGirl

And all through the house…oh ok, that’s about as far as I can go with this joke. Seriously though, I think I’m almost as excited tonight as I was on Christmas Eve this year! Is that a sign that I’m getting older and that I don’t feel the same excitement on Christmas Eve or a sign that what could potentially happen tomorrow is really that momentous? Maybe a little of both. 

I’m desperately trying not to be over confident. I find myself defending Eli Manning in casual conversation just to cover my bases, while secretly I’m thanking Plaxico Burress for making his idiotic prediction that the Pats will only score 17 points. You’re one of the biggest stars on the team and you have post-season experience and yet you apparently are the only guy who doesn’t realize exactly what the Patriots can do when you give them “bulletin board” material like this.  I’ve gone over every angle of this game in my head and 1+1 is still equaling two. I just don’t see how the Giants will win. My fav, Bill Simmons of ESPN fame, is not only predicting the Pats victory, he’s predicting that the Giants are cruisin’ for a bruisin’. And he’s a cya kind of guy when it comes to not jinxing your team. So I’m feeling more confident with these feelings of excitement for the game tomorrow. If it turns out that these feelings were completely unwarranted because New England loses, it will be a sad, sad day for the SportsGirl. 

In the past 2 days, there has been a renewed interest in the “Spygate” chronicles. This time, Sen. Arlen Specter wants an answer from Roger Goodell on why the tapes were destroyed. The senator even goes so far as to suggest that the destruction of those illegally-obtained tapes was obstruction of justice and that Specter’s interest in this matter stems from the protection against anti-trust/anti-monopoly laws the NFL enjoys. Give me a break. I find it highly suspect that Specter is also notably a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Congress can’t seem to figure out how to counter-act the effects of a tightening credit market in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage mess, but they have enough time to investigate exactly what was on the tapes that Goodell’s office destroyed? At least the steroids in baseball issue has a more direct impact on the youth of the nation and I can possibly justify the involvement of our Congress in the matter, though I still think it’s overboard.

But in a round-about way, I’m almost glad that there’s a renewed focus on the spying mess. We saw what happened in Week 2 after New England was caught spying on the Jets sideline. A definitive statement was made to say look, we don’t need no stinkin’ tapes to win these games. Our execution on the field is tops and that’s all that matters. If they can feel that same motivation tomorrow to show the world that they belong in the rarefied company with the ‘72 Dolphins, then more power to them! I’ll have to remember to send Sen. Specter a thank you note for lighting that fire. I had been wondering how they were going to feel like the underdogs when nearly the whole world thinks they’ll win the game… 

It all ends tomorrow. One way or another. I can’t say I’m excited about that, even if the Pats pull it off.  A life without football is just not as exciting a life as one with football. Alas, I have no choice. Let’s hope it ends on a good note. If the Patriots lose, it won’t just be like one team losing in the Super Bowl. It won’t be “eh, better luck next year”. This is the perfect season on the line. The chances of this happening again next season or even in the next 10 seasons are slim. The Giants have exceeded everyone’s expectations and Eli has found his game. They can have better luck next year. So let’s go Pats!!