Mooney and I got a new television set for Christmas. I felt it was an 'over-the-top' present, far too generous, but I've been secretly wanting for a fancy High-Definition television set ever since my cousin Walter got one. Watching the game in this format of the future is as good as it gets - better than watching in person even, now that my eyes are starting to rust up.And what a first game to watch on the new device! You've got to admit it was a great game, even though it featured a few stupefying officiations and a despicable defensive strategy on the final drive of the game. Watching Wallace catch his second touch-down of the game as time expired was so rattling in High Definition that my mid-section cramped up, causing me to fall out of my rocking chair. The jolt was so sudden that one of my house-slippers fell off!
As I lay on the rug staring up at the stunningly-clear replays of that great catch, I felt as though I had entered a portal into the mind of corner-back Josh Bell, who gave up the come-back-go-aheader. I thought, Who am I? And why am I covering this wide receiver one on one? And why didn't Dom put any pressure on Ben Roethlisberger on this final drive?
Truth be told, dear readers, that play will stick with me for a while, but one that is really giving me a belly-ache today is the second-to-last play of the game, where Cullen Jenkins had Big Ben dead-center in his cross hairs for a sack. Had he simply wrapped up the big QB, time would have expired and the Packers would have all but clinched their first playoff birth in the Ronnie Rodgers era. But he didn't. For unexplainable reasons, Jenkins was not able to arm tackle Roethlisberger, and on the next play - an early gift, I guess - the man who won last year's Super Bowl on a last-minute pass threw an eerily-similar pass to lift his team to victory once again. You can't give guys like Big Ben that kind of chance. He's proven he'll make the most of them.
So it was a tough loss. I picked myself up and put my hoof back in it's slipper and got a cup of coffee and made a consolation sand-which with extra mustard.
A few weeks ago I said that I'd be happy if we won two of the next three against the Ravens, Bears and Steelers, and we've done just that. We're in good shape, even though we have too many problems to be serious contenders in the playoffs this year. After we dismantle the Sea-Hawks next Sunday at Lambeau, we should be just fine.
Until then, it's Christmas Over-drive for yours truly. My to-do list is a mile long and the days are numbered. Now if I can only remember where I buried my gifts I'll be set. Until next time, then,
FG
