The media and Republicans are complaining that the president’s latest job creation plan will be paid in part by closing tax loopholes that benefit the rich; they call this a tax “increase,” when in fact it is not a tax increase at all, but given the fact that the rich pay on average half to two-thirds their theoretical federal tax, this plan only suggests they pay more of what they should owe. On the other hand, I read about a survey that suggested that small businesses are less unhappy about taxes than they are high insurance costs. Who knows what is going on in DC; all I can say is that a lot of fools voted for more than a few fools who don’t know the first thing about what it means to govern.
Thank god then, I say, that football season is back to remind me that there is real life going on outside that ongoing nightmare. It is true that Brett Favre is really, truly done, but as long as he has records to break, he will remain worthy of mention so long as they stand. Being a Favre fanatic (a bit ironic, because he’s a white man from Mississippi), I am naturally not a “fan” of Peyton Manning, who is the immediate threat. Favre’s records in this pass-happy age are certainly more vulnerable than Dan Marino’s once seemed. Marino’s records seemed indestructible when he retired; Manning had only been in the league two years, and Favre was already intimating imminent retirement. One thing that observers didn’t take into account, however, was Favre’s seeming indestructibility, and his consistency—18 consecutive seasons with 300 completions and 3,000 yards. But Favre—or anyone else, for that matter—never put-up the kind of numbers Manning has: 11 of 13 years with 4,000+ yards, and averaging more than 30 TD passes per season. Manning is a passing machine; he lives to pass. He’d pass on every play if he could. I remember watching a sideline clip of him literally screaming at an offensive lineman who had the audacity to suggest that he might call a running play once in awhile.
And like Favre, he seemed physically indestructible, and he had the good fortune to be seen as a franchise starter from day one; Favre got off the bench twice in his rookie season with Atlanta and didn’t complete a single pass (but he did throw the first two of his 336 regular season interceptions). If Don Majkowski hadn’t been completely baffled by the West Coast offensive and lost the support of fans, Favre’s career might not have taken off for another year or two. On the other hand, Manning was always The Man in Indianapolis. Star running backs came and went, even when still in their prime; it seemed to me that Manning didn't like the “competition,” but Marshall Faulk had the good fortune to wind-up with an apparently hapless St. Louis Rams team that would go on to win the Super Bowl. With Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame-caliber running backs like Faulk and Edgerinn James out of the way, Manning was free to do what he wanted.
But passing on every play does apparently take its physical toll after 200+ games. Manning’s nerve injury seems almost puny compared to the broken bones and blown-out knees that take out most players; it even seems hardly game-related. It is somewhat of a shock to learn now that Manning is not invincible, and what it means for Favre is that his consecutive start streak—along with his interceptions—will likely remain his longest surviving record. Still, at his present pace, Manning is four years away from breaking Favre’s other career marks, when he is 39. But will he? Manning’s most recent operation to repair neck damage causing nerve pain used bone fragments removed from his hip rather than from a cadaver, apparently to affect a faster recovery period. However, on a sports internet site discussing his future, a person who claimed to be a nurse and operating specialist said “I have seen this surgery numerous times. It works well and really helps people get on with their lives, pain free. However, one loses some of the ability to move their head fully. I don't know how well it holds up under the stress of hard hits as found in football. There is a metal plate that stabilizes the site after the bone is inserted to fuse the joint. The harvest site (hip) is usually more painful than the neck site post op… If another part of his neck fails, he could end up blowing through a straw to get around in his chair. Good luck big guy.” According to doctors, 20 percent of all patients who have a similar procedure will experience hip pain the rest of their lives. All of this no doubt comes as a shock to most football fans who had no inkling that Manning was suffering from a condition serious enough not only to delay his season, but to seriously hamper his functionality the remainder of his career; few people, however, know that Favre himself suffers from degenerative hip disease, although of an apparently less severe variety than the one that ended Bo Jackson’s career prematurely.
Having been raised in Wisconsin, I remain a Green Bay fan, regardless of how I feel about the way the Packers jettisoned Favre. I’ve stated in the past that I’m not as high on Aaron Rodgers as some other people are, and I find his arrogance less appealing than Favre’s “aw shucks” demeanor. It also should be pointed out that the Packers have hardly been invincible with Rodgers at quarterback; his record as a starter in the regular season is currently 28-20, which hardly justifies his “elite” status., and the Packers were fortunate to make the playoffs at all last year given his inconsistent play. It is worth noting that nobody was picking the Giants to go to the Super Bowl in 2007, let alone defeat the Patriots—and they have done nothing special since; the only explanation for the Packers run was that at least insofar as their NFC opponents were concerned, all were vulnerable or over-rated—the Eagles even lost to the Vikings at home against a rookie quarterback. The Atlanta Falcons surprisingly lopsided defeat opening day against Chicago suggests that their run last year was a fluke; New Orleans, despite their loss to Green Bay, will more likely than not reclaim their spot atop their division. One thing I observe about Rodgers is that he generally starts hot, then cools precipitately for inexplicable reasons. Last Thursday, Rodgers completed 14 of 15 for 188 yards and 3 TD passes in the first quarter, when the Packers seemed ready to blowout the Saints; the remainder of the game saw him complete 13 of 20 for 124 and no touchdowns, allowing the Saints to come-up a yard short of potentially sending the game into overtime. We saw this same scenario in last year’s NFC wild card game, the championship game, and the Super Bowl. I also cannot help but observe that Rodgers does not have a history of fourth quarter comebacks, which explains his modest won-loss record as a starter—and for a team that everyone says is stocked with outstanding talent.
But football, unlike other major sports, has an aura of unpredictability. The Patriots, the perennial favorite, was the “best” team last year with a 14-2 record, and lost its playoff opener at home; they have not won a Super Bowl since 2005. The Packers were nearly eliminated from the playoffs, and won the Super Bowl. That is what makes football such a fascinating game.
No comments:
Post a Comment