NFL Playoffs: The Thrill is Gone

January 15, 2019

There is nothing better in professional sports than the post-season playoffs. You don’t need a rooting interest to enjoy these games. In hockey, there is nothing more exhilarating than an overtime game. The tension mounts when every rush up the ice could result in the winning goal. This is real hockey. No three-on-three or shootouts.

Basketball has had its share of dynasties. The Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls. The current dynasty is the Golden State Warriors, by far the team of the decade. Although they did lose a championship series to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, they have won two in a row and three of the last four titles. Last year the Houston Rockets got close, extending their series to seven games. The Warriors are a lot of fun to watch.

  

In baseball, a great Boston Red Sox team was the major story of the past season, coasting to a World Series victory. However, the Milwaukee Brewers played a seven-game series before succumbing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games. In 2017, the Astros defeated the Dodgers in seven games. These games are my personal favorites.

Amidst all the excitement, the real reason for this post is I’m watching the NFL playoffs with a heavy heart.  There are no Chicago Bears to watch. Cody Parkey has ruined my season. I was watching what turned out to be a weekend of football mismatches. The Kansas City Chiefs scored early and often in crushing the Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs have probably the best offense in football and in this game the defense was particularly good, or maybe it was the Colt offense play calling. The L. A. Chargers hadn’t lost a road game all year. However, they got annihilated by the New England Patriots, who don’t lose on their home field.  I can’t predict a winner of what should be a close game.Another non-competitive and boring game was the L. A. Rams beating the Dallas Cowboys.  The game was not as close as the final score. The best game of the weekend saw the New Orleans Saints overcome a 14-point deficit to beat the Philadelphia Eagles.