If our road trip down to Philadelphia can be characterized by unfettered indulgence in radio Christmas music (see yesterday), then our return trip to Boston can be summed up in one word: Football.
We left Pennsylvania on Sunday morning and stopped in Brooklyn to visit friends. Our delight at seeing them and their perfect infant son was so great that we managed to forget we were missing the New England Patriots play the Buffalo Bills, a must-win game for the Pats to gain entry into the playoffs. Before we hit the highway, we tapped into an errant wireless connection to confirm that the Pats shut out the Bills, 13-0.
But the New England would not make the playoffs simply by beating Buffalo. In addition, either Baltimore had to lose to Jacksonville (not likely) or the NY Jets had to prevail over Miami (more likely). So in a demonic twist of fate, New England fans were forced to cheer for their arch-nemesis rivals, the despised NY Jets.
As we barreled past the Bronx, I found a broadcast of the Jets-Miami game in the abyss that is the AM frequency. At first I was confounded at how to react to the game. How exactly does one switch allegiance and sincerely support Eric Mangini and the NY Jets? “Go Jets!” I tried, nearly gagging from my throat’s stalwart refusal to allow the words to emerge from my mouth. It just felt so wrong.
When Brett Favre managed to throw a touchdown pass in the second quarter, I celebrated like a lifelong Jets fans. But my euphoric love for the Jets faded after Favre was intercepted repeatedly and the Jets defense proved impotent against Chad freakin’ Pennington. By the middle of the 3rd quarter, I had already foresaw the Jets defeat against the Dolphins, 24-17, and the end of Patriot’s season. The disappointment was tempered somewhat by relief that I would no longer have to root for the Jets. Instead, I snarled and berated them for the remainder of the game.
Like most people in New England, I am semi-convinced that the Jets threw the game after they realized that the Ravens would clinch the playoff spot that a win would ensure them. Why would they do that? To SCREW New England, of course. But I also think it’s just as likely that the Jets were just proving how deeply and totally they suck.
