You know what’s crazy? I’ll tell you what’s crazy™
The tension of playoff football.
Dallas Vs. Green Bay.
It’s the Divisional Playoff game.
Win and move on. Lose and go home.
it doesn’t get more complicated like that.
Green Bay is a tough place to play in mid January.
It’s 29 degrees. It’s the frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field.
The crowd is cheese heads. They live and breathe Packer Football.
There are no humans on the streets during the game. It is desolate, gray.
Green Bay on game day in mid winter looks post apocalyptic.
Nobody cares about anything other than this game. It is everything to this part of the country.
Let’s pick up the action.
It’s the 4th quarter and the Cowboys are up 21 to 20.
The winner goes to Seattle. The loser goes home for a long season of American Idol lunacy.
a 17 week season season will come down to one-quarter. Whoever wins this 15 minutes will win the game.
“And the cowboys are going backward”
Those are the first words out of Joe Buck’s mouth.
I hate those words. I’m a fan of the Dallas Star and it’s been a few decades since I had a star to root for in the NFC championship game.
“The Cowboys will have to punt.”
Again, not the commentary a Cowboys fan wants to hear.
To the casual fan this is exciting football.
Win and you move on. Lose and go home.
But when your team is floundering, making mistakes, it’s excruciating.
I am not one of those fans who throws beer bottles at my plasma.
My friend once walked into the Pacific after an Oakland Raiders loss.
But I’m keeping my cool.
Well sort of.
Once all ready my teenage son has asked me “You gonna be ok dad?”
That’s a good question.
My blood is boiling. My muscles twerking like a J Lo back up dancer.
I just want to win and get out of this ice box.
The clock is ticking and the Pack has the ball. They are behind but you can feel something in this venerable football mecca.
I’m nervous as a gimpy Aaron Rodgers is sliding around, dinking and dunking and doing what makes him the best Quarterback in the game today.
Im nervous. I know the Cowboys defense is susceptible to the big play.
The Cowboys were picked by nobody to be in this game. Yet here they are. 8-0 on the road i the regular season.
Tick Tock.
But this is playoff football.
Lose and go home. It’s that simple.
10 minutes to go in the fourth and the Pack is driving.
The Cowboys have their hands on their hips and they look winded.
It feels like air escaping from a birthday balloon. It’s just a matter of time before the Star goes flat.
Bam. TD.
And there it is: A lazer to the back of the end zone by Rodgers.
And another Lambeau leap.
The 2 point conversion fails.
What’s that mean here in Ice Bowl II?
It means this game is coming down to the wire.
Who wants it more? Who makes the plays? Who makes the least mistakes?
Tension is thick as a collective steam cloud floats up from the crowd.
Dallas takes the ball back.
Demarco Murray with a big run of 31 yards.
It’s like two boxers, punching and counterpunching.
Is momentum shifting again?
I just screamed “Get rid of it”
as Tony Romo runs like a chicken getting plucked in a Perdue plant.
Suddenly it’s 3rd and 11 with 5:30 to go.
The crowd is crazy and the throw over the middle is short.
Now what?
It’s fourth and 2.
What will the Cowboys do?
This is crazy. The tension is thick like 60’s shag carpeting.
What they do next could be the ball game.
They could kick a 51 yard field goal.
But it’s freezing and the ball sails through the heavy air like a cue ball on water.
Cowboy’s head coach Jason Garret doesn’t blink.
He’s going for it.
4th and 2.
It’s the game. It’s a huge The crowd is crazy.
Romo under pressure. He throws it up for grabs.
Dez Bryant, #88 goes up, gets his hands on the ball and lands short of the end zone.
It’s a brilliant catch. The Cowboys would appear to have the ball at the 1 yard line, controlling their own destiny.
But hold on.
The Packer’s coach throws out a red challenge flag.
He says it’s not a catch.
And suddenly the fate of both teams comes down to officials.
They take their time. They look at several replays.
And then they alter time and space and history.
After further review….
The refs say Dez Bryant didn’t maintain control going to the ground with the ball so it is incomplete.
And instead of 1st and goal for the Cowboys at the one yard line, it’s Green Bay’s ball and the clock is ticking.
It’s not the ball game, but it feels like the ball game.
It feels like the officials just changed the course of the game.
Pay Back is a bitch.
The Cowboys got a fortuitous call last week against the Detroit Lions allowing them to advance to this game.
So I’m guessing most Lion fans are laughing their asses off.
The Cowboys could play defense and get the ball back. The game never swings on one play.
But it sure feels that way.
I felt Dez Bryant caught the ball and controlled it and extended his arm to the goal line and then when he planted the ball on the ground it came loose.
The officials didn’t see it that way and that’s sports.
You settle it on the field till it’s settled in the replay booth on a questionable call.
I’m calm and quiet on the outside.
But inside I’m baking. I’m heated like a furnace cooking muffins at the local Homeless Shelter.
“This game is far from over,” Joe Buck says.
That’s true, but it feels over. If momentum is a real thing in sports, it feels like the Pack has it and they are about to stamp their ticket to Seattle for the NFC championship game.
If that happens, I’m not sure who I will root for. I’m so mad at Green Bay, I don’t want them to win.
Maybe I’ll root for the Oregon Ducks Monday night in the NCAA championship game.
Then maybe I’ll tune out.
And there it is.
The Victory formation and the game is over.
The close ups of crying Dallas players.
The close up of excited Packer’s fans.
and the clock expires and Aaron Rodgers legend grows.
The Cowboys season is done.
You try so hard to make it to the post season.
And when you lose, well it feels like it was all for naught.
26-21 Final.
Green Bay goes to Seattle.
I’m pissed.
Go Ducks.
Life’s Crazy™