By Eric Emery
As I write this, I have one eye on my writing, and one eye on history. It’s clich to talk about how important the civic duty of voting is in comparison to the simple game of football. Most media coverage I listened to emphasized the greatness of the American democratic process, and glossed over all of its idiosyncrasies. Good thing these idiosyncrasies are not part of the NFL, or fans would riot.
* Large market teams wear shiny new safety equipment; small market teams wear wool sweaters with leather helmets.
* Some fans stand in line for three hours to watch the game, others walk move directly to their seats.
* When scoreboard goes down, 12,242 fans file lawsuits instantly.
* TV announcers name the winning team sometime during the third quarter.
* The head coach is interviewed at anytime, with his wife next to him at all times.
* Rather than showing the action, TV coverage centers on two people arguing the effectiveness of each play. Even if the result is clear, they never agree.
* Teams can use extra money to have a seemingly unlimited number of players.
* The winning team needs 270 points to win.
* No matter the team somebody roots for, 100% of the fans are glad the game is over.
–
OverHyped Game of the Week: Packers at Vikings
Storyline: Both states are blue, mostly because they are 4-4 and trail the Bears.
Reality: Minnesota is more of a “blue-green,” green referring to the ill, nauseous feeling that comes from throwing the game away in one pivotal moment.
Prediction: Green Bay Plus 3 Points, Under 48 Points Scored
–
UnderHyped Game of the Week: Saints at Falcons
Storyline: Both states are red, mostly because they are angry that they are staring up at Carolina and Tampa Bay.
Reality: New Orleans is a brighter red, mostly due to having a high-powered offense and an easily burned defense. Relying on that is a recipe for a big road loss.
Prediction: Atlanta Even, Over 48.5 Points Scored
–
Last week’s picks: 2-4
For the season: 20-16-4
–
Eric Emery grew up in small-town Illinois but has an irrational love of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Every week he writes The Blue & Orange Kool-Aid Report and Over/Under. He also is a spark plug in floor hockey. You can reach him here.
Posted on November 6, 2008