Wow! I have to say that after years of not being a fan, Brian and I are certainly getting quite the introduction into all the excitement NFL football has to offer! Amazingly, both the Vikings and the Jets won their division games on Sunday, and so this coming Sunday, they're playing in their conference championship games!! And this also means the possibility of a Vikings-Jets Superbowl is still alive!
But before I go into that, let me talk a little about last Sunday's games. The Vikings-Cowboys game was great because the entire Vikings team looked good - including the defense. The defense had been a little sketchy the last few games, but on Sunday they looked more like they had back in October. Even my favorite defensive player, Jared Allen, had his first sack in several games! And he wasn't the only one who had a turn knocking down Tony Romo. The Cowboys really just seemed unable to do anything, as evidenced by the very lopsided final score of 34-3. But that didn't bother me one bit! I thought it was great to see the Vikings on fire!
And as I think about the Jets-Chargers game and why that was exciting, I'd have to say that it was pretty much for the same reason - the entire Jets team looked good too. There was no question in my mind that the defense would perform well - after all, they have the number one defense in the NFL - but I was kind of worried about the offense. However, they warmed themselves up slowly, and by the second half, they were looking good and scoring points. And they actually scored enough points to win the game!! At the end of the fourth quarter, when there was about a minute left, it slowly dawned on me that the Jets really were going to win, and the Chargers couldn't do anything about it! I really was quite astonished - but thrilled as well!
Of course, this means we have at least one more Sunday of nerve-wracking excitement in our household! And I really don't know what to think at this point about who's going to win each game. It boggles my own mind when I think about how many articles and interviews I've read about these upcoming games and the reasons why each of the four teams could win or lose. I mean, I have really become a football fanatic! Although I wouldn't be able to have a very long, complicated conversation about technical aspects of the game, I think I could probably keep up in a simpler conversation for a good while. And at this point, I think I can list the names and numbers of more Vikings players than Brian can. (I'm getting there with the Jets - but we haven't seen as many of their games on TV because they weren't broadcast in our area.)
So, back to the idea of a Vikings-Jets Superbowl - I guess it really could still happen, but do I want it to? I'm not sure! I will be sad if one of the teams loses on Sunday, but if they both win, I really don't know who I'm going to root for! There are so many good reasons to root for both teams! But I guess I shouldn't worry about that yet... right now I just have to make it through this coming Sunday!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Playoffs!
If you remember from my post back in October (titled "a strange transformation"), my husband and I, for the first time in our lives, have become fans of NFL football. And we're not only supporting one team, but two - the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets.
And can you believe this - both of our teams are in the playoffs! And they're both playing today! So at 1:00 today we'll be wearing our Vikings apparel, cheering them on against the Cowboys, and then after that game is over we'll quickly change into our Jets apparel, and start rooting for them to beat the Chargers!!
I know there are probably some mathematical statistics that could be calculated to determine the odds of this situation, but I have to think it's a pretty rare occurence. I mean, consider the following:
1) it's our first year following NFL football
2) there are 32 teams in the NFL - 16 in each conference
3) we become fans of one team in each conference
4) both teams make their conference playoffs
5) both teams play on the same day
And I'd say most people would agree that the Jets being in the playoffs is kind of surprising. (Even in October I was saying I didn't expect them to make it!) With a rookie coach and a rookie quarterback, they weren't exactly a well-oiled machine. However, they're certainly looking more like that now, as the season has unfolded.
As for the Vikings, well, I don't think it's as much of a surprise that they're in the playoffs, with quarterback Brett Favre at the helm. However, their performance in December kind of fizzled a little, although they did do well in the last game they played.
However, despite what others may have thought and predicted, both the Vikings and the Jets are getting ready to play today, in really big games. And I think they both have very tough opponents to face. The Vikings got a week off to rest and recharge, which will hopefully help them, along with their home-field advantage. On the other hand, the Jets have not had a break, but it seems like for them that might be a good thing, because they've been building momentum and getting better each week. Of course all this could be subjective wishful thinking of a fan. :-)
I certainly hope both teams win, but I don't think it's guaranteed for either of them. So It's going to be quite a tense afternoon in our household today!!
And can you believe this - both of our teams are in the playoffs! And they're both playing today! So at 1:00 today we'll be wearing our Vikings apparel, cheering them on against the Cowboys, and then after that game is over we'll quickly change into our Jets apparel, and start rooting for them to beat the Chargers!!
I know there are probably some mathematical statistics that could be calculated to determine the odds of this situation, but I have to think it's a pretty rare occurence. I mean, consider the following:
1) it's our first year following NFL football
2) there are 32 teams in the NFL - 16 in each conference
3) we become fans of one team in each conference
4) both teams make their conference playoffs
5) both teams play on the same day
And I'd say most people would agree that the Jets being in the playoffs is kind of surprising. (Even in October I was saying I didn't expect them to make it!) With a rookie coach and a rookie quarterback, they weren't exactly a well-oiled machine. However, they're certainly looking more like that now, as the season has unfolded.
As for the Vikings, well, I don't think it's as much of a surprise that they're in the playoffs, with quarterback Brett Favre at the helm. However, their performance in December kind of fizzled a little, although they did do well in the last game they played.
However, despite what others may have thought and predicted, both the Vikings and the Jets are getting ready to play today, in really big games. And I think they both have very tough opponents to face. The Vikings got a week off to rest and recharge, which will hopefully help them, along with their home-field advantage. On the other hand, the Jets have not had a break, but it seems like for them that might be a good thing, because they've been building momentum and getting better each week. Of course all this could be subjective wishful thinking of a fan. :-)
I certainly hope both teams win, but I don't think it's guaranteed for either of them. So It's going to be quite a tense afternoon in our household today!!
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