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Speedburner on Sports

Growing up in Los Angeles during the 70’s, I became a huge USC football fan, and my love of sports and statistics just snowballed from there. I still live in L.A., and still love the Trojans, but hate the Dodgers and Lakers. I’m also a huge fan of tennis – both watching and playing - and hope to someday see a revival in its popularity.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Sunday Playoffs…

First of all, sorry for the long hiatus, but hopefully you enjoyed reading the weekly NFL Awards while the Speedburner Blog was in hibernation. Now, onto my epic Sunday…

So I wake up Sunday morning just hoping to catch some of the Chargers/Colts playoff game while I do chores around the house getting ready for baby # 2 to arrive – we’re inside of a month at this point. Then I get news from the heavens through my wife – she’s taking the 2 year old for a haircut, be back in an hour & a half. Hello couch, hello playoffs!! I’m hoping the Bolts can make a game of it, but I also realize it’s a longshot. I text my cousin Mike how I’d love to see the upset; he responds that the Chargers are fags…such an intellectual he is.

Sure enough, the Colts drive easily to their first score, but I take solace in the fact that at least I got to watch it uninterrupted by my boy (‘daddy, wanna shoot baskets?’) or the wife (‘We need to get the room ready for the baby, you do know it’s coming in a couple weeks, right?). But the Chargers come back for a score of their own midway through the 2nd quarter, so I’m feeling alright. Cut to the end of the first half when the Colts are up 10-7 and driving into Charger territory. An incomplete pass to Reggie Wayne, guarded by Antonio Cromartie, prompts Dan Dierdorf to proclaim Cromartie as the best athlete in the game today. I love Cromartie, he’s an absolute playmaker, but there could certainly be debate on that proclamation. The very next play, a Manning pass is tipped into Cromartie’s hands at the Bolts’ 11 yard line, and he takes it 89 yards for a touchdown in one of the more amazing interception returns I’ve seen. Nice call, Dierdorf!! The TD is called back, but the Colts didn’t score, and the Chargers gain momentum for the 2nd half.

Half-way through the 3rd quarter I call my wife to see if she wants me to make lunch for our son. ‘No, we’re going to eat lunch with my mom at California Pizza Kitchen’. Jesus, I’ve died and gone to heaven! The whole house to myself for the entire game!! Meanwhile, Rivers had thrown an absolute beauty of a pass right into Chris Chambers’ arms to give the Chargers the lead for the first time, 14-10. Then Manning throws a short pass in the flat to Wayne, who puts a nasty move on the Charger defender (definitely not Cromartie, Drayton Florence, I think) and barely gets in the endzone for a 9 yard TD. Rivers is out now, along with Tomlinson, but the Bolts are undeterred, as even their backups are playmakers. 3rd string RB Darren Sproles takes a short pass and scoots 56 yards for the score as the Chargers retake the lead, 21-17. Next thing you know, Anthony Gonzalez is motoring 55 yards for a touchdown as the Colts reclaim the lead. This is one of the best games I’ve seen in quite a while – a playoff game, big plays everywhere, the lead changing hands every 15 minutes it seems. Finally, the Chargers score the winning TD on a drive that featured a huge 27 yard catch-and-run from 4th string RB Legedu Naanee (love the name!). Boy how the depth chart shined for the Bolts on this day, and boy how the football Gods shined on me, giving me the entire game uninterrupted!!

Of course, # 2 is due on February 3rd, aka Super Bowl Sunday…oh well, you can’t win ‘em all.

Posted by Todd R in NFL Read More | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0) • | Permalink •

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