I’m not a huge football fan especially at the beginning of the season. When the weather outside is warm and sunny why would I want to be stuck inside watching any sports contest for three hours?
Heresy, my diehard football friends say, as I turn down another invitation to watch yet another Sunday game with them. But as the weather turns colder, and the days continue to grow shorter, I do look forward to turning on a game while fixing myself a good meal.
The problem this year is that both local teams, the New York Jets and New York Giants are tough to watch. Well, actually, they stink. So, do I torture myself and sit on the couch for three hours as the locals get hammered once again?
The Jets are the embodiment of ineptitude. As of this writing they haven’t won a game. That’s seven in a row. I’ve never been able to quite figure out how a team can pay their quarterback (in this case Justin Fields) $40 million over two years when he’s inept.
At several jobs over the years, I felt I was underpaid, and I had to plead and negotiate with my bosses for a raise. In most instances I was successful, if you consider one dollar or two dollars extra an hour successful. And that’s before taxes. My guess is that Fields won’t be asking for a raise this year.
It’s also interesting how players can improve once they LEAVE a bad team. Last year, veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who will be a future Hall of Fame inductee, went 5-12 with the Jets. In the offseason, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that now sits atop the divisional standings and Rodgers has already thrown 14 touchdowns in just six games. A quarterback tends to throw a much more accurate pass and have someone catch it when a 300-pound defensive lineman isn’t jumping on his back.
Despite the dismal season, for some reason Jets owner Woody Johnson says he still has a lot of confidence in the abilities of coach Aaron Glenn. Really? Wow. This might be a good time for Glenn to ask for a raise!
The Giants are a bit more successful than the Jets so far this year with a record of two wins and five losses, but not good enough for me to be indoors glued to the television. I usually can be found on Sundays pedaling along back roads. Raking leaves can wait.
After my bicycle ride last Sunday, I decided to watch the end of the Giants game against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter. Why not? The Giants were winning 19-0 and were still ahead 26-8 with six minutes left. But somehow, in one of the biggest collapses in NFL history, Big Blue ended up losing 33-32. To put things in perspective, the loss was simply historic, as NFL teams leading by 18 points with six minutes left have won the last 1,602 games. Denver scored all its 33 points in the fourth quarter, the second most in NFL history.
There’s little satisfaction this year watching the Jets and Giants but it’s not just this year. Both teams have been tough on fans for a long time. Overall, in the past decade, the Jets are 46-109. The Giants have fared a bit better since that time by going 53-101. As one can see, it’s time for me to find other things to do as Sunday and cold weather approach.
The incompetence of the two teams has forced me to consider a variety of options. Certainly, raking the leaves will have to be done, and my wife has been after me for a long time to paint the hallway. Not my favorite choices but there is some satisfaction in seeing a clean yard and a hallway with a fresh coat of paint. Those two jobs won’t take all winter, but I’ll find other things to do. It is, after all, far better than watching New York football.
Try watching the Patriots🤓