Games aren’t the only things that draw fans into the world of professional sports; it’s really the athletes. It’s fascinating that ordinary people who possess extreme athletic ability –and often times very little common sense— can instantly become millionaires, and household celebrity names because they can run fast, throw a ball or make a shot.

Because these people are just athletes thrown into a national spotlight, they act differently than what is typical of actors or musicians.

What makes athletes different is that they split their time between games, training, flights and other things involved with playing a professional sport, which leaves them very little time periods to spend all of their money, and get into as much trouble as they can in the most lavish and idiotic ways possible, otherwise known as the offseason.

For those who avidly follow sports, this leaves a full-time supply of either watching Yasiel Puig hit bombs to the bleachers, or waiting to see which way he’d land himself in jail before spring training. Spoiler alert: he was arrested for driving 110 mph in a 70. Well done, Puig. I hope your cousin enjoys chauffeuring you to Arizona in April.

However, there is another time where sports drama is ample and entertaining, and it so happens to be at a time where we find ourselves currently: the post-season –NFL to be exact.

Black Monday of in-house NFL coaching staff cleaning is a dreaded day if you coach a team that didn’t make the playoffs. It could even be black Sunday night if you really suck.

But what’s even more interesting about the NFL post season goes back to my original statement that athletes act differently in the limelight than any other type of celebrity.

Take Charger QB, Phillip Rivers for example. He’s just the male version of Tony Romo: whiney and obnoxious. Though, I may be jaded due to my Steeler background –though I don’t think I am— I believe watching him get his ass handed to him by Peyton Manning this past Sunday was what everyone really wanted to see. Come on, Phil, the man has an infused spine and he still outplayed you.

Speaking of my direct bitterness towards the Chargers, the play that the Chargers conducted in the last 8 seconds of the last game of the regular season against the Chiefs cost the Steelers the wild-card spot, thus denying them from making the post-season. The play? An illegal formation of too many men on the field uncalled by the referees, placed specifically so kicker, Ryan Succop would shank his 40-yard field goal attempt. The worst part is that the Charger organization admitted to planning the illegal formation knowing they wouldn’t get caught.

Anyways, what with those pesky Chargers, and Panthers now out of the Super Bowl title run, this upcoming weekend holds a lot for football fans with the Manning and the Broncos to play “that guy in New England” and the Patriots, as well as 49ers to play the Seahawks.

The most obvious question revolving around this weekend is how well Manning will hold up against Tom Brady who walked away with the win last time the two teams played during the regular season. And as ESPN quotes, Brady stated that winning against the Broncos “would be as satisfying a victory as we’ve ever had.” Well, we’ll see Tom, I wouldn’t speak too soon, just make sure Bill wears his lucky cardigan and that’s all you can ask.

With so much more to discuss, what really matters is that after this weekend there will be far more drama to emerge in the football sphere, as well as the teams to play in Super Bowl XLVIII. My hope is to see Pete Carroll crash and burn like he did at USC, and Brady swallow his egotism when he loses and shakes Manning’s hand after the game.

 

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