Sunday Morning Church Disservice: It's Third and Long With Time Running Out

Another cold Sabbath in Bagwine, Ohio and I’ll be working 11-7. Lord, shelter my balls from the frost.

In your name we pray, Amen…

I was watching Dallas play Philadelphia in the NFL playoffs Saturday night after work. I discovered something about myself while watching…

I really don’t give a shit about the playoffs or even the Super Bowl. I was pondering this epiphany, mainly asking myself, “Why do I feel this way?”

I still like watching football in general, but it just doesn’t get me excited like it used to. Hell for the most part, I had the Cowboys/Eagles game on just for background noise while I fiddled on the computer.

Is my ambivalence toward football because players today make obscene amounts of money? No. If a team owner is going to pay a guy who can catch a football more money than God to do so, I say get all you can while you can.

Do I think the NFL is full of thugs, prima donnas and assholes?

Sure, but no more than any other profession or walk of life. We just hear more about the assholes in the NFL because they’re famous and it makes for good TV.

So, I don’t think that’s it.

Perhaps it’s because my favorite team isn’t in the playoffs and has no chance of going to Super Bowl XLIV. That can’t be it, because I don’t really have a favorite team.

Hey, maybe that’s why I have become so blah about football.

Maybe it’s because I don’t have a favorite team. Not having a favorite team offers me nothing to root for…to hope for…and with which to experience the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.

Nahhhhh. I know too many fanatic followers of sports teams in general, and I know I don’t want to be like them.

You know the type…

Cries over a loss. Yells for the coach’s head. Lives vicariously through and believes him or herself to be part of the team by saying things like, “We won big today.” or “Our defense didn’t bring the A-game today.”

Nope…I don’t want to be like that, so not having a favorite team is not the reason for the lost luster between football and I.

Maybe it’s just simply that what gets me excited these days has changed. It probably is that simple.

Come February 7th, I’ll probably watch a good deal of Super Bowl XLIV no matter who plays, and may even celebrate a little bit.

Of course, most of the celebrating won’t be Super Bowl related, it will be due to the fact that I turn 45 on February 7th as well.

And perhaps, just perhaps…as I turn 45, watching others take the field and score touchdowns no longer does it for me.

At 45, I feel the need to suit up, take the field, and score a few touchdowns myself.

While I still can.

Cheers!!