1.11.09

I'm watching the Giants take on the Eagles in a playoff game right now, and I must say, I'm not feeling as excited as I should. This has been the story of the NFL season this year. I never really go into it. I think in part because last year was so good I couldn't have scripted a better season. This time last year we were playing the Cowboys in Dallas and I was partying in a house full of people. Today I'm in my house alone watching an early 1 o clock game, and I have this feeling we are going to lose. I think this season will be remembered for the Giants as the season Plaxico shot himself in the leg. If the Giants lose this game, I will have zero interest in the rest of these playoffs. The Arizona Cardinals?! C'mon now. Do you realize the Super Bowl can be the Cardinals vs. an LT less Chargers? I couldn't predict a more boring crappy Super Bowl. None of the stars are left in the playoffs this year.... No Peyton, No Brady, No Favre, No T.O., No Romo, No LT, No Moss. Not much of anyone good. Instead this year, we might be treated to rookie QB Joe Flacco versus born again Christian, Kurt Warner. Wow... compelling stuff there. Not quite as good as a raging underdog Giants team led by Strahan in his final year going against the undefeated cheating villains of the league Patriots in the Super Bowl. Last year we beat the Cowboys in Dallas at the last second, intercepted Favre in OT in one of the coldest games ever in Green Bay, and beat the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl including one of the most amazing plays of ALL time. How can any sequel live up to that?

A sports league thrives when the big market teams are winning. Baseball thrives when Boston and the Yankees are on top, not the Tampa Rays. This is why basketball had a resurgence with Boston versus the Lakers in the championship. This is why I think these leagues are better without so many god damn teams. Why does the NBA have a team in Toronto? These expansion teams hurt the league. No one cares about them, even their hometowns. And when they win... they are met with apathy and poor television ratings. This overabundance also takes away from the true essence of sports... rivalries. Rivalries are what draws college sports ratings so high. Basketball used to thrive on rivalries. Magic/Bird, Miller/Knicks, Jordan and just about everyone. You don't really have this anymore... the only professional sport that still pushes rivalries is football. These leagues are so concerned with neutering their athletes, and present "positive" images they are destroying the drama. Not everyone can be a good guy... every great story has a villain. This is why last years Super Bowl was the highest rated of all time.... the Patriots fit into the role of villain better then anyone I've ever seen. Its much harder to get someone to tune in and root for a team they don't necessarily care for, then it is to get them to root against a common villain. Villains are what sell tickets.. in order for a great hero, you need an equally "great" bad guy. Everyone outside of New England was rooting against the Patriots. It wasn't so much they liked the Giants... it was just a unified hatred against the cheating stoic emotionless Patriots.