Wild Card Weekend

I still have a hard time swallowing the "Patriots ended the 2008 season with an 11-5 record and didn't make the playoffs, but also lost the division to the friggin' Dolphins" pill. But something happened around 10:30 am on January 4, 2008 as I was watching the Saturday Wild Card games on DVR...I can watch the games and route against the teams I hate! Pissah!
I was with the majority of Patriots fans who hated Peyton Manning, until their Super Bowl season, when my Mom asked me why I hated Manning. I had to sit back and just as I was about to say "he's over-rated, and he is in too many commercials," my Mom hit me off with on of the best follow up questions I have ever seen in my experience in the media, "How would you feel about Manning if you weren't a Patriots fan?" I thought about it, and actually Peyton Manning is everything I believe a pro athlete should be. So I have been able to appreciate Manning ever since then, that being said this morning I got to watch the Colts take on the San Diego Chargers. Now the Chargers are the franchise I hate more than any other in Pro Sports, yes that includes the Yankees. I always have despised the attitude of the Chargers, and especially after the recent contests between the Pats and Chargers. I hate their higher than tho attitude, and Philip Rivers is the quintessential spoiled brat. When those two masses meet, it was easy and fun for me to route for the Colts...until Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning forgot how to connect on the long ball. The fact the Colts lost to the Chargers is a similar feeling, to a lesser degree, as if the Pats had lost to the Chargers in a playoff game.
Of course before that game, I was watching the NFC Wild Card game between the Falcons and the Cardinals. This was a great game for me because I was able to sit back without any real care as to the outcome of the game, and watch two all-time great skill players in Kurt Warner and Edgerrin James do what they did back in their heyday. On the other side of the ball it was great to see Boston College's own Matty "Heisman (even though he didn't win the Heisman)" Ryan continue his story like rookie season into the Playoffs. Ultimately the Falcons had to play from a position they hadn't had to play from all season, behind. Atlanta did alright, but ultimately lost to the home town Cardinals, but it was certainly an entertaining game, and was a better game than what most of us Man-Town experts thought it would be.
Then just a few minutes ago, I had another unique experience...I was a Ravens fan. Yeah, a Ravens fan. I hate Baltimore fans, as they are more arrogant and less knowledgeable than Boston fans, and here I am cheering like a fool alongside of them, and yes it is because of a hatred I have cultivated toward Miami since 1986 and the "Squish the Fish" game. I have long felt Chad Pennington ins the epotime of an over rated quarterback. He just annoys me, usually I can give you some facts and legitimate in-sight, but truth be told he just friggin' annoys me, so to see him throw 3 interceptions was fabulous, superb, nifty, wicked awesome, fantabulous! I loved it. I don't get Yankees Fans in Boston, and on that same note, I don't get Dolphin fans in Patriot territory either. To be quite ignorantly honest with you that is a major part of my disdain for the Dolphins as well, and the best thing about sports, is sometimes that is all you need to wish for misery to a franchise.
There is still the Philly/Minnesotta game, but you know what...I couldn't care less about that game. I really couldn't. So instead of watching that, I am watching some MLB network shows I have on my DVR. I will probably watch the second half of that game, but maybe I will go to the gym, or make my Chicken Salad for my lunches for the week, who knows. I have already had my fun this weekend. Another plus for this weekend, with all of the games, it gives us the opportunity to move on from all the nonsensical Brett Favre drama.
Of course, the only thing which would have made this weekend better for me is having the Pats in the playoffs beating the Ravens in Foxboro, but as Mick Jagger said "You don't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find, you get what you need."