Wentz, NFL's Collateral Damage?
A brief review and commentary on some annoying things from week 14. How did we do? After a 7-9 Wk 13, with a bad case of floppy pick, this week we stiffened and stayed the course in going 11-5.
Annoying things? Kissing your sister? The two OT pushes, especially GB rallying from down 21-7 in the 4thQ against the Stains. More annoying? Theater of the absurd?
Flopping on MNF from Fins +14 to Pats -10, advance Nattering...
In which a massive underdog was motivated to prove a point, while the -17 point favorite showed up with a sense of entitlement, and barely went through the motions.
In a game which aside from potential injuries, was inconsequential to the Patriots future, Belichick played it close to the vest in utilizing a plain vanilla game plan, which divulged less than nothing in regard to said future.
Belichick's strategy rendered useless game film for the Pats upcoming opponent Pittsburgh in the following weeks battle for the #1 AFC seed, and resulted in a loss against a highly motivated Dolphins team, for whom this game was their Super Bowl.
If your saving it for the important game next week, why go through the motions using starters and risk injury? Along those lines... more annoying? Pro Football flash mobs?
"Gronkless Minutemen take partial bye week with 1-5 Fins to rest 4 Riveters? +14 road chalk on div rival in prime time? This is the NFL?"More annoying? Post flop, watching a Brady and Belichick Sleepy Time Minutemen Pat Nap, which waxed nostalgic of the 69 Super Bowl...
In which a massive underdog was motivated to prove a point, while the -17 point favorite showed up with a sense of entitlement, and barely went through the motions.
In a game which aside from potential injuries, was inconsequential to the Patriots future, Belichick played it close to the vest in utilizing a plain vanilla game plan, which divulged less than nothing in regard to said future.
Belichick's strategy rendered useless game film for the Pats upcoming opponent Pittsburgh in the following weeks battle for the #1 AFC seed, and resulted in a loss against a highly motivated Dolphins team, for whom this game was their Super Bowl.
If your saving it for the important game next week, why go through the motions using starters and risk injury? Along those lines... more annoying? Pro Football flash mobs?
A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression. - Wikipedia
At a minimum the flash mob in question, committed blatantly offensive acts of public indecency during the Eagle - Ram's game. On the open expanse of the LA Coliseum, in front of the home crowd and millions watching on TV, the Zebras screwed the Rams.
How so? In the form of spreading their dirty laundry or two bogus flags. One for unsportsmanlike conduct, the other unnecessary roughness, yielding 20 bonus yards with no evident penalty in either case.
Worse, this tainted laundry was found on two consecutive Eagle third down failures in Ram territory, which conveniently perpetuated an otherwise dead dive with two first downs. This resulted in what turned out to be the Eagles winning TD. More annoying?
As if the Zebras shenanigans affecting a change in the end result wasn't bad enough, with 0:01 on the clock and the score Eagles 37-35, all wagers being +3 or greater on the Rams were safe, or so it seemed?
Dead wrong as somebody made sure all teaser bets or otherwise at LAR +6 or +7 were wiped clean off the books table on the final play with 0:01 remaining. Rather than throw the traditional Hail Mary, the Rams comically lateraled the ball to an Eagle defender at the Ram 16 for an uncontested walk in touchdown, final score 43-35. More annoying?
Dead wrong as somebody made sure all teaser bets or otherwise at LAR +6 or +7 were wiped clean off the books table on the final play with 0:01 remaining. Rather than throw the traditional Hail Mary, the Rams comically lateraled the ball to an Eagle defender at the Ram 16 for an uncontested walk in touchdown, final score 43-35. More annoying?
Sans the Zebra's first intervention, after failing 3rd and 9 at the Ram 33, the Cheese Steaks either punt or kick a 50yd FG. Four or possibly ten less final points and more important, drive over. Who knows whether the Eagles attempt their two ensuing FG's or go for it on 4th? Get to the point Jim...
After the 2nd Zebra intervention, four plays prior to the end of the artificially extended winning TD drive, Carson Wentz and the Eagles paid a heavy price for the Zebras artificial additives. In the form of a season ending injury, on a play that never should or would have occurred under normal circumstances.
In going through the motions, or being put unnecessarily into harms way, highly paid professional athletes regularly risk serious injury, and yet are subject to the incompetence, shenanigans and skulduggery listed above.
If one wishes, they can call the collateral damage, circumstantial, or coincidental, and I would refer them to Leroy Jethro Gibbs, rules 39 and 39A. Or perhaps refer them to a copy of North Dallas Forty, The Franchise, They Call It A Game, I Never Played The Game, and Kill, Bubba, Kill, just for starters.
One request to those who plan and choreograph these "spontaneous" flash mob "entertainment" events, in the future, please be less obvious than a WWF headliner, replete with turn buckle and chair head slamming? Putting the soapbox away now.
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