I’m a bit preoccupied this morning reading the sweet, sweet anguish of the New York media over my Philadelphia Eagles stunning, come-from-behind, 38-31 victory over the hated New York Giants. Michael Vick’s fourth-quarter performance was so amazing, even my dog is becoming a reluctant fan.
Trailing 31-10, and having been manhandled by the Giant’s aggressive defense all day, Vick simply took over the game, throwing two touchdowns and running for ninety-some yards and another touchdown, all in a seven minute span, just before DeSean Jackson scored the final tally with a 65-yard punt return TD with no time remaining. And while I’m sure Seattle fans would have been thrilled by a similar Seahawks performance, I’m not sure if folks here can quite grok the sense of absolute joy that swept through Philadelphia as Jackson (eventually) crossed the goal line. Yeah sure, we’d just witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, but more importantly, we’d come back against the hated Giants, not just crushing the hearts of their fans, but grinding the bloody pulp into the sidewalk.
Is there a sports rivalry in Seattle that comes anywhere close to rivaling the palpable animosity between the teams and fans of the NFC East? I don’t think so.
Which means you underprivileged Seahawks fans just can’t possibly enjoy football as much as we Iggles fans do. Or… suffer from it.
Football is too tame. I want to see gladiators. And lions.
Of course, all the gladiators will be Tea Partiers. Liberals have too much sense to do this kind of work. We leave underground mining, asbestos removal, crab fishing, and gladiatoring to the rednecks. Man, watching this is gonna be fun fun fun!!! Almost as much fun as watching Palin trying (and failing) to keep a straight face in a TV interview while turkeys are getting their heads ground off in the background.
National sports. Yawn.
Local Rugby. Fun.
Sorry, Goldy, but when it comes to sports rivalries, Eagles fans are amateurs.
I recall a Packers-Cowboys game at Lambeau back in the early years of the Jimmy Johnson era. The Packers creamed the Cowboys.
The half-time entertainment was provided by the University of Wisconsin marching band–quite an entertaining group. They even treated us to one of their famous Fifth Quarters.
Between the third and fourth quarters, the Sousa phones were running around the inside of the stadium, behind the players’ benches. The bell covers spelled out, “The Bears Still Suck.”
There is no rivalry in sport quite like the one between Green Bay and Chicago.
Watch soccer next year. The Seattle/Portland thing is starting to get absurd. Hipster hate runs deep. Festers in scraggly beards like a bouillon cube.
Michael Vick is born again.
I’ve heard Michael speak several times.
What a transformation.
Hopefully you Atheist Progressives won’t hate Michael for his renewed Faith in Jesus Christ.
At least the Seahawks fans are an intelligent sort. They know how to bring up the noise level just when the opponant comes out of the huddle, making audibles difficult, if not impossible. Likewise, they keep the noise down when the Seahawk offense goes to the line.
When an opposing defensive back tries to taunt the crowd into making noise as the Seahawk offensive line comes to the ball, Seahawk fans know enough to just laugh at them.
We used to hate the shit out of the Broncos. I don’t think I’ll ever care about the Rams or Niners as much as I hated the Broncos and Raiders.
Tony Dungy mentored Michael Vick when others had kicked him to the curb. Tony Dungy is a great, great man.
Here’s an article about Michael Vick’s testimony to 1100 people last year that the MSM hates and buried.
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=32239
Ask Michael Vick if Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior!
I’ve often wondered what makes Mitt Romney’s rabbit hunting, or, Sarah Palin’s arial wolf hunting, legitimate sportsmanship that it to be admired and count towards their credit as presidential hopefuls, while Vicks dogfighting made him the most despicable, immoral, horrible person in the world that deserved prison time, or worse.
I saw a replay of the final DeSean Jackson run with no sound and thought he was taunting and grandstanding then I understood he was staying out of the endzone until he’d confirmed the clock had run out so the Giants couldn’t possibly come back – brilliant.
As far as local rivalries, I think the Portland Timbers putting up a trash-talking billboard on 4th Ave S within sight of Qwest is pretty impressive. Having said that, I get a little tired (particularly in the realm of baseball) of the east coasters saying Seattlites aren’t really sports fans becasue they don’t hate their opponents enough… You want sports rivalry – go to Croatia, pussies!
sarge–
Are you really comparing rabbit-hunting to dog fighting? The main difference is the 2 comparisons you cited are legal. Controlling Rabbit & Wolf populations are important.
Michael Vick will tell you how awful dog fighting is. Michael was living for himself.
He now lives for Jesus Christ.
We all make mistakes.
Need to face the consequences, learn & grow.
Northwest liberal progressives have ruined sports for us. They tell us we should feel guilty for enjoying sports because:
– Time spent watching sports we could be volunteering to help the homeless.
– Driving to and from sporting events contributes to climate change.
– Liberal educators agree. The winner/loser model is damaging and outdated. Both teams should be declared the winner.
– Some commercial sponsors of sporting events exploit third-world workers.
– Glorified minstrel shows.
@8 has it. The NFL rivalries were strong when the Seahawks were in the AFC West. I haven’t watched football since those days but I remember hating the Raiders and the Broncos (and horse-faced John Elway in particular). For whatever reason, there wasn’t the same animosity towards Kansas City and San Diego.
Huskies-Cougars hate runs pretty deep in some quarters.
There are sports in Seattle? ‘Oh yeah, one down two to go!
*********************
Skip the football and baseball and head to a cycle-cross race, go sea kayaking, grouse hunting, cross country skiing…
@15:
Nailed it. We (lots of us anyway) actually do stuff here –as opposed to the bread and circus bullshit in the rest of the country.
@16
I just kinda thew grouse hunting out there for the heck of it, haven’t gone in years, don’t even own a shotgun anymore. But, now that I think about it I might have to pick up a 20 gauge and do a little tromping though the woods.
Seattle/Tacoma Bacon Bowl.
Don Joe–
I was born & raised 30 miles from Green Bay…during the Glory Days. Our neighbor was the Packers Personnel Director so he would occasionally have picnics & get togethers where players were invited. When you are 10 years old & meet Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Herb Adderley, Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston, Max McGee….the list goes on & on…they were bigger than life.
Especially THE MAN, Vince Lombardi. He was kid of a scary, tough guy…he’d bark at the kids.
That whole Green Bay area has the most loyal fans in football…bar none. Green & Gold Mailboxes, houses & cars painted green & gold…and loyal no matter how bad the Packers are. McGee & Hornung were experts at getting sh*tfaced in front of all the neighborhood kids.
Those were the Glory Days!
@14
Yeah, although I think that has to do with the fact that no team from that division has been consistently good. The Seahawks could win the division outright at 7-9. That’s insane.
Inmates invoking Jesus?
Most of them say they’re innocent too.
Then there’s this: Vick professing his piety to the rubes is a small price for a big payday. Deep down they know it’s all bullshit, but all that weepy, whiny, teeth gnashing about sin and repentance is like a hit of crack to them.
Don Joe–
Fuzzy Thurston owns “Fuzzy’s. He’s 77 and still alive. He said during the Ice Bowl with Dallas, he drank 10 vodka’s in order to stay warm.
Max McGee owned The Left End. He died 3 years ago after falling off his roof. I’ll never forget he was MVP of Super Bowl I…He didn’t think he’d be playing so went out the night before and got ripped. Then Dowler got hurt and he played the whole game…hungover.
McGee shouldn’t have owned a bar.
Zotz–
Michael Vick hit rock bottom….and was saved.
Look at what he has accomplished this year.
Seems almost supernatural…a miracle.
Nobody could sit through a Green Bay home game unless they were a dedicated fan. Wisconsin Winters give a whole new dimension to the word cold.”
Green Bay only has 100,000 people and is 100 miles from Milwaukee. It is remarkable that they can maintain an NFL team that far from a large City and says a lot about their fan base.
@18
I went to the Bacon Bowl once. While I was at the game, my apartment in Tacoma’s Stadium District was broken into.
Huskies/Cougars
Yeah, name one.
What WILL we say when Mike gets into trouble again? Jesus didn’t make him smarter.
Through the years I’ve lost most of the interest I ever had in big-money pro sports, although my dear Ms. Wingnut and I had season tickets to the Sonics up until they left.
Green Bay only has 100,000 people and is 100 miles from Milwaukee. It is remarkable that they can maintain an NFL team that far from a large City and says a lot about their fan base.
Isn’t Green Bay unique because it’s owned by the people of Green bay.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers
@30
Socialist!
@27
No guilt at the cycle-cross races, just cowbells and beer hand-ups!
re 6: “By their ACTS shall ye know them.” Jesus H. Christ
What Vick professes is what he professes. What he actually does is, as the Master tells us, how I should know who Michael Vick is.
Faith is the enemy of hope, Cynjical.
Michael, it’s Cyclocross.
St. Louis Rams. Fuck’em.
The Cyniklown. Fuck him too.
“Faith is the enemy of hope”
And hope is just another four letter word.
I was just reading about how the Minnesota players were complaining about having to play at TCF stadium tonight, for their game against Chicago. The roof of their stadium collapsed under the snow last weekend, so their choices are limited. But you ought to hear the whining about how “unplayable” they consider the conditions on the field to be – because in some spots it’s frozen!
All I could think about is the 1967 Ice Bowl, Green Bay vs. Dallas. -17F at the start of the game, about -37F wind chill. The whistles froze to the ref’s lips, they had to call the game audibly. Frank Gifford said he was going to “take a bite of his coffee”. By the end of the game it was -20F.
The Packers were on the Dallas one yard line, third down and goal, with only seconds on the clock. Two previous runs had failed – the runners couldn’t get traction on the ice. A pass play was a dangerous gamble, a lot of the time the receivers never made it downfield as they slipped and fell on the ice. Vince Lombardi nixed the idea of a field goal which would put the game into overtime, he wanted the game to end before conditions got any worse. Dallas linemen tried to chip toe-holds in the ice to keep them from sliding backwards. But Star kept the ball and got it into the end zone.
Those were some pretty tough guys playing football, back then. And for a lot less money than they do now.
Suppose I hope for world peace? Suppose I hope that the NBA returns to Seattle? What the fuck good is that? Fuck hope.
@Cynical
I have autographed, first edition copies of Football and the Single Man and Run to Daylight. I also have vivid memories of Willie Davis trying to ride my bicycle. If you grew up 30 miles from Green Bay, you know what I’m talking about.
@Brenda
Four of the ten coldest games in NFL history were contested in Lambeau Field. I attended two of them. Football shouldn’t be played either on a rug or under a roof.
@Blue John and Michael
Yes.
@34
What are ya’ a wool wearing 650b rider or something? Just joking around, of course.
@ rhp
The play was the 31 Wedge. It was supposed to have been a hand-off to the fullback, Chuck Mercein. Starr didn’t even tell Mercein that he was going to keep it. He just kept it.
In films of the game, you see Mercein holding his hands up as if to signal a touchdown. According to Mercein, though, that’s not what his intent was. Expecting fully to get the ball, he ran for the hole that Starr decided to occupy. Under the rules of the time, if Mercein had assisted Starr by pushing on him, it would have been a penalty. So, Mercein stuck his hands up to show the refs that he wasn’t assisting Starr on the play.
“Those were some pretty tough guys playing football, back then.”
A guy I worked for played for the Chicago Bears back in the mid 1930’s. When he retired from engineering in 1985 the Bears gave us a football signed by all the Bears players from the 1985 superbowl team to present to him at his retirement party. Boy, was he moved by that. Classy.
@ 40
What are ya’ a wool wearing 650b rider or something?
The secret is layers. Lots’ of them.
@12 cynical: Yeah, in terms of animal cruelty, absolutely. Do you know how many dogs are euthanized every year for “population control”? Millions.
The wolf/rabbit populations are both overstated, and the need to kill them cruelly is b.s. There are humane ways.
Whether or not something is legal is irrelevant to the pain and suffering of the animal.
@5
Agreed. The Seattle-Portland MLS rivalry could become a very big deal here, but expect it to take a long time for the rest of the country to notice/care.
Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.
The only reason anyone cared about him getting nailed for dogfighting in the first place was that he was an extraordinarily talented athlete, and therefore a very valuable commodity.
Those that owned his talent/services were very worried that their investment was threatened. They breathed a big sigh of relief when it became clear that the shitstorm would pass and they’d be able to exploit him despite this.
He has accomplished a lot in a year because of the innate talent AND tremendous investment in coaching and training, and the fact that bad behavior for athletes is generally forgiven no matter what they do. Period.
Since the Seahawks are the only NFL football team north of I-80 and west of the Mississippi, they represent a very large region of the country. Too bad they are such a miserable lot. Is there a city worse than Seattle for rivalries? Well, LA hasn’t had an NFL team in nearly fifteen years, and the lack of inspired USC/UCLA sports continues to contribute to that region choosing Sundays as a day to go out and enjoy oneself. At least LA has two NBA and two MLB teams; how easy is it for folks in WA to root for the Blazers, and the folks in Portland to accept the Mariners?
Are you trying to make me vomit?
Who knows or cares if Vick is sincere or playing up the Salvation for the rubes – the latter I’d wager.
I certainly don’t hate Vick, whatever his religiosity, but I certainly don’t commend him for it.
Educate me here – is he doing anything in a public service. I found this at ESPN that doesn’t look good, but it was a while ago. It includes these gems:
and
31. Michael spews:
Actually they have stockholders.
Years ago, we bought our kids shares of stock in the Packers. Nice stock certificates and nice frames for hanging. I think we paid something like $200/share.
Don Joe–
I do remember the first time I saw Willie Davis.
He seemed like a giant. He was nice to the kids.
Very playful. Very successful businessman when out of football.
My mom has 1st edition copies of both those books.
I haven’t read them in years.
Do you also have “Instant Replay”?
How about “Distant Replay”?
Kramer was an interesting character…born in Eastern Montana.
It’s funny how an athlete’s physical size seems to vary as far as the impression it makes on me. I’ve noticed that when standing next to Sonics players. If I was in a pickup basketball game with a few Sonics, I’d be like, “I’ll guard Rashard Lewis!”. He’s probably 8″ taller than me, has 50 lbs on me, but doesn’t impress me as being much bigger. On the other hand, if the shorter-than-Rashard Danny Fortson was in the gym, I’d hide under the bleachers.
Re: the Seahawk/Broncos days. Some writer for one of the Seattle papers commented once on the agony of having to watch Elway run around in the backfield for fifteen minutes, then throw the ball 95 yards back across the field, where it would land on the chest of a Broncos receiver who had passed out from exhaustion in the endzone.
And it will certainly be.. interesting.. if the NBA makes another stab at running a franchise in this area.
I was living in the Dallas area in 1967 when The Ice Bowl was played, and you never have heard so much whining, crying and pussy-assed griping as that from America’s Team’s fans. I was a fan of the old AFL Dallas Texans (moved to KC) and hated The Cowboys. To this day a Dallas defeat will cheer me up in a way that no Seahawks victory ever could. Team loyalty comes and goes, hate is forever.
Before the Seahawks ever showed up I was living in Boulder and became a bit of a Broncos fan. Floyd Little in the backfield. The late Lyle Alzado was still with the team. It was made easier for me to become a fan with their having former Husky Calvin Jones on the team. I loved the way little Calvin Jones played the game. I’m sure some Ducks still haven’t forgiven him for swatting down four straight Dan Fouts passes in a end-of-game goal line stand for a Sonny Sixkiller led Huskies win.
Living in Palo Alto in the late 1980’s, I couldn’t help but become a 49ers and Joe Montana fan. They played some of the best football I’ve ever seen. I’ll be very interested in seeing how Nick Montana does with the Huskies over the next few years.
Green Bay Draws on the entire state of WI for
its fan base. Everywhere from Kenosha, Beloit, La Crosse, Osceola, to Superior; The Packers are the “local” team. Cheeseheads are rabid fans, even right across the River from Viking country or just over the state line from Bear country.
I love to hate…
Dean C. Logan
Enron Berg
Maurice Clemmons
BCNDP Socialists
Hell’s Angels Home Invasion Unit
Neo Nazis, KKK, Black Foot Soldiers and the like
Notice I didn’t say you, Gregoire or Patty Murray. It’s hard to get a hard-on of hate for the opposition.
@49
You do realize I was joking, right?
If we’re going to have pro-sports teams, I think the Gren Bay model is the way to go.
@15,16, etc. Not much hate, but if you want to see some crazy-looking fans head to a championship psycho-cross race!
I probably mentioned before, my kid’s rowing club did fundraisers working the U.W. football teams. That meant the kids handed out programs before the games and then got to watch the game from the student section. The parents worked as ushers in the bleachers in the east end zone. We did that for several years.
I learned pretty quickly that the UW/WWU games were actually pretty tame. Sure, there was a rivalry, but it was a pretty good-natured one.
But the Oregon State fans would tear up the bleachers and throw the boards out on the field anytime the UW scored. Now THAT was hate.
Gee,did I really say UW/WWU? I meant UW/WSU, of course.
@6
I don’t hate Mike for his faith though I find it misguided. Much like the AA folks in my circle, if trading alcohol for a 10 cups and two packs a day is what makes you stop being a scumbag…
Stolen headline of the day…
“Priest goes on Fox and friends and says ‘Having an imaginary friend is unhealthy.’. All in room fail to recognize the irony.”
Looking foreword to the return of the Seattle Supersonics vs Portland Trailblazers (typing that makes me hate Bill Walton all over again, hippy, get fucking haircut).
Goldie, this cartoon is for you Philly pholk, you should get a kick out of it- http://comics.com/signe_wilkinson/2010-12-20/
The MLS Cascadia rivalry could be further spurred with a pair of faltering NHL teams moved to Seattle and Portland, or Victoria if Portland can’t support two winter leagues. The problem is there’s not enough cultural conflict going on between the cities to really get the hate up. But maybe that good will can be overcome by natural human behavior.
Re: footballers and god, remember Reggie White before Super Bowl 32? “I told you that god told me to sign with the Packers, but you didn’t believe me.”* The Packers lost. And Kurt Warner before Super Bowl 36? “I believe god wants me to be the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls.”* Rams lost, and Warner never won any more Super Bowls.
I’m sure god’s going to look after Michael Vick, just like he did Kurt Warner and Reggie White.
*Not exact quotes, but close enough.
#3:
Local rugby? What club do you support? (Budd Bay RFC old boy here)
Lee, from what I’ve gathered, the Cascadia rivalry will instantly become MLS’ hottest (and already the most anticipated), and I think it’s going to get a lot of attention really fast.
Such faith in a person turning his life around Curtis Diddled and Unloved! Always thinking negative of others.
Nothing new move along!
re 66: Nothing new move along!
You take orders with more conviction than you give them.
Move along now.
From you headless?
You’re still nuts!
Doesn’t seem to be found anywhere close as a Reggie White quote Rob!
Doesn’t seem to be found anywhere close as a Kurt Warner quote Rob!
Where’s the link(s) Rob or is another attack on Christian athletes from a HA moronic fool?
Here’s a “good Christian athlete” showing his colors.
Drops a perfectly good pass and allows his team to lose in OT. Then tweets this:
“I praise you 24/7!!! And this how you do me!!!, You expect me to learn from this???How??? I’ll never forget this!! Ever!! Thx Tho.”
So, there you have it. And I thought conservative Christians were all about personal responsibility.
Puddy–
Rob made those quotes up to try & prove that God does not always give us what we want….but we already knew that didn’t we.
Did you see the Greta interview with Billy Graham last night?
http://video.foxnews.com/v/446.....ecord-pt-1
What an amazing man.
LibSci–
I don’t get your point?
God does not guarantee believers success in all endeavors…but things happen to strengthen us and draw us closer to him.
You have spent more time trying to discredit Christians and Christianity…why?
Why not do something positive?
You want the annual Grinch award?
You got it!!
Did you go by the screen name Coz?
And I thought liberals for gay equality.
Obama is against gay marriage because of his religious beliefs.
Does the views of Obama mean you aren’t for gay equality?
Of course not, the religious beliefs of Obama have nothing to do with your beliefs.
The beliefs of one football player have nothing to do with the beliefs of others. Adults understand how that works.
Mr Cynical @ 72
Not quite. You’re doing a fine job all by yourself.
Scientist is just noting your hypocrisy.
I’m amused that me, a nonbeliever, embraces the Beatitudes. Whereas you do not.
Were Jesus to come back today, I’m sure he’d be very proud of you.
skipper @ 74
In your taxonomy, Obama is a liberal because he’s to the left of Huttila the Hun?
Nixon was the last liberal President of the USA. Everyone since has been to his right.
scientist @ 70
Well. I was taught that God helps those who help themselves.
Maybe that wide receiver’s pastor was using a different Bible for his instruction.
Mr Cynical @ 19
Damned socialists!
@73 “Did you go by the screen name Coz?”
No. Hmm, I suspect there’s a pun in that one I’m not getting.
@62 “hippy, get fucking haircut”
During the 1977 finals I was most definitely a Walton fan, as well as during his UCLA years. The 1978 series with the Sonics? Not so much. The Sonics may have won the championship in ’79, but the 77-78 season was a thrill ride, a season I’ll never, ever forget.
Hi Goldy.
Every time the NY Yankees win is a loss for humanity. But that’s not really a sport rivalry.
There was a big Sonics fan named Coz that trolled the internet.
Nope, not me. I only post here and occasionally on a couple of recording studio sites. On those I mostly just lurk, not being opinionated or particularly knowledgeable, and content to learn from the answers to questions other people post.
#3:
Local rugby? Which club do you support? (Budd Bay RFC old boy here)
Hmmm, that was weird. Thought that my first post got deleted. Oh well, my laptop is dying anyway…..