I am back from 10 days in Ireland visiting #1 son, his wife and The FOG. That part of our family has lived in Dublin for the last 10 years and we have visited them about 25 times; however, this visit was the first time we were there proximal to the Winter Solstice. Dublin is at the same latitude as the southern end of Hudson Bay in North America or about the middle of Labrador; at this time of year, the sun is above the horizon about 7.5 hours per day which might lead one to alter the lyrics of a wonderful song by Simon and Garfunkel:
“Hello darkness, my old friend.
Here you are at 5 PM …”
Notwithstanding the potential for suffering from Seasonal Affect Disorder there, Dublin is a wonderful city; my long-suffering wife and I had a wonderful visit there once again. So, let me do a bit of “catch-up” here on things that happened since I left on Christmas Day.
Obviously, the situation involving the collapse on the field of Damar Hamlin is in the forefront of my mind. I did not see it happen because that game went on the air at 1:15 AM in Ireland but I have seen the aftermath reported in detail. It goes without saying that I hope for a full recovery for Damar Hamlin.
At the same time, I have more than a bit of contempt for people who have used that event as a way to try to draw attention to themselves or to causes they represent which are not germane to Damar Hamiln and his situation.
- If you are an anti-vaxxer that is your opinion. I think you are wrong but do not care if you hold that view. However, if you try to assert that Damar Hamlin’s condition today is a direct result of his being forced to be vaccinated by the NFL, I think you need to present a whole lot of medical data – – not Internet references to other anti-vaxxers – – or you need to stop being an opportunist.
- If you want to be critical of the NFL and say they took to long to decide to call the game on the field, you have an argument to make. From reading about the events and constructing a timeline, I too think the NFL reacted slowly to a situation where continuing the game on the field was never going to happen.
- However, if you are going to criticize the NFL for tardiness there, you ALSO must give the NFL a larger measure of credit for having available the EMT resources to manage a situation that “never happens” in NFL games. The rapid response of the EMTs – – made possible by their proximity to the event – – saved the life of Damar Hamlin. And they were there because that is what NFL teams do “just in case” … and on Monday night, that availability saved a life.
I was able to watch the two CFP semi-final games. Here is my assessment of the most NFL-ready player on the four teams I saw:
- TCU: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson CB
- Michigan: Jake Moody K
- Ohio State: Marvin Harrison, Jr. WR
- Georgia: Kenny McIntosh RB
I have no internal rooting interest in either TCU or Georgia, but I will be pulling for TCU in the Championship game simply because it would be an improbable run for them to win the national championship. I have now seen TCU in two full games this year – – and parts of a couple other games – – and I think they have a couple dozen very good players on that team. The difference that I see is that Georgia has about 40 very good players on their team. The NFL likes to say that “on any given Sunday …”; well, I will be hoping for “… on a specific Monday” this year at the CFP level.
Because I live in the DC suburbs, the events that happen surrounding the Washington Commanders wash over me on a daily basis. This is a team/organization that simply cannot get out of its own way. Last week the Commanders needed a win to remain playoff eligible and they were playing a miserable Browns’ team that had been mired in malaise and dysfunction itself for most if not all of the season. The Commanders lost that game and were eliminated from the playoffs but that was not bad enough. They chose that day – – at home – – to introduce to whatever fans they have left who come to the stadium to see the team play with a new mascot.
- It is a guy dressed up in a “pig suit” with an infantry helmet that bears the Washington Commanders logo.
- It is supposed to pay homage to “The Hogs” from the glory days of the Washington franchise in the 1980s.
- It is supposed to link to the military aura of the new team name “Commanders”.
- The new mascot has a name; the name is – – Major Tuddy.
“Major” is part of that military tie-in; “Tuddy” is – according to the team PR mavens – – common slang for a touchdown. [Aside: I am almost 80 years old and have been interested in and following football for more than 70 of those years. Never once had I heard the word “tuddy” used as an argot for “touchdown” nor have I ever used that word. Just saying…]
When the team rebranded itself and took 2 years to come up with the name “Commanders”, more than a few folks wondered why they focused on a military theme when the ultimate rank for a military person would be a General but that team name in Washington is precluded by the fact that the Washington Generals are the perennial losers to the Harlem Globetrotters. So, by sticking with that “military theme” the Commanders consigned themselves to a team name that is a mid-grade officer in the US Navy; commanders rank below captains there. So, now the ascot is also a mid-grade officer; a major which is not even a colonel let alone a general. To say I am uninspired and unimpressed would be a huge compliment aimed at the PR/marketing geniuses who came up with this.
And in light of the team performance on the day that Major Tuddy burst onto the scene, it is much too easy to say that the Commanders dropped a Major Turdy right there in FedEx Field. But I’ll say it anyway.
This week the Commanders will play a meaningless game – to them – against the Cowboys. The team has decided to honor Sonny Jurgensen who was the QB for the team in the 1960ds and 70s and who was the radio color commentator during the years when the Commanders – – under an earlier name – – were a top-shelf NFL team. Jurgensen is 88 years old; he was inducted into the Hall of Fame 50 years ago and the team is just now getting around to having a special day for him. I wonder if Major Tuddy will be a big part of the ceremonial happenings…
Finally, since Sonny Jurgensen was originally drafted in the NFL by the Philadelphia Eagles, let me close with this description of Philadelphia by humorist S. J. Perelman:
“Philadelphia: a metropolis sometimes known as the City of Brotherly Love, but more accurately as the City of Bleak November Afternoons.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………