It's Only A Game

The Patriots just beat the Colts in what is being called by some the game of the century. This is a perfect time to take that great advise I've heard probably a thousand times: it's only a game. Even though I think it is ridiculous to call this regular season game the game of the century, people will undoubtedly be talking about this game for the next several weeks. My team lost the game, but there are worse things in life.


Sports can bring out the best or worst in people. One of the positive characteristics sports often produces is competitiveness. In order to be successful in sports and in many of life's endeavors a competitive edge is necessary. I have been competitive since my little league days, and growing up with four brothers who like to play games doesn't hurt either. I still stay active in sports with a softball league that just ended and a basketball league at work that is nearly year round. When I'm not competing in sports or games, I'm competing in a different way. I call it competitve sports watching. That's right. I don't even have to be playing to be competitive, but I can simply be an observer. Fantasy sports and my now famous College Football Pick'em game are two ways that I keep competitve off the playing fields and courts. These are fun games, but I sometimes need to be reminded that they are just games. Shelly does a pretty good job of keeping me in line. It helps to have someone there for me to give me a voice of reason when for whatever reason it is eluding me.

I'm sure that I will hear people talk about how great Tom Brady and the Patriots are tomorrow morning and it will be the opposite of music to my ears. It will probably sound more like cats fighting, but I will survive. The Colts will survive. The Patriots may have won the game of football, but they do not win the game of life. I am not disappointed that the Colts lost to the Patriots. It does not bother me that people speak highly of Tom Brady's football talent. What bothers me is that people place guys like Brady as model citizens because of their sucess on the football field. For those of you who don't know, Brady recently had a kid out of wedlock. ESPN and a large section of the public saw this event as another moment to praise Brady.
So Brady wins the game and can go home happy with the victory, but Manning will go home to his loving wife and family as a winner in my book. Afterall, football is just a game.