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Bob Parasiliti (Joe Crocetta / April 15, 2012) |
It seems like we can run, but we can’t hide.
I don’t know about you, but I was spending this week getting ready for the Super Bowl.
You know, the Big Game (since we aren’t authorized to call it the other title). This one has a tinge of interest, especially since the Baltimore Ravens were going to be playing.
But on Wednesday, I was notified that the buildup to Sunday’s kickoff wasn’t what it seemed.
It was like when you were watching your favorite show and you hear “We are interrupting this program for a special announcement.”
The announcement came courtesy of ESPN football analyst Tom Jackson. He was commenting on one of the issues of the day that came up during the Ravens’ and San Francisco 49ers’ media sessions.
“The NFL is a microcosm of life,” Jackson said. “Things that happen in the league are also things that happen in everyday life.”
“Wow,” I said. That’s pretty profound coming from a former linebacker.
Suddenly, football was in another arena. The game was all about social consciousness.
I guess that’s the true meaning of political football. But, Jackson was right. So much of football is present in everyday life.
First, there is fate.
Just think where the Ravens might be right now if it weren’t for a fourth-and-29 screen pass from Joe Flacco to Ray Rice in Week 12 in San Diego.
It was an improbable play that had more implications than just pulling out a victory over the Chargers. It prevented what could have been a four-game losing streak, which would have made the Ravens a wild card who had to play all their postseason games on the road, or even worse, knocked them out of the playoffs.
Then, there is revenge.
The Ravens did this old Cleveland Browns fan a favor when they defeated Denver in overtime during the AFC semifinals. When I was younger, the Ravens were the Browns, who lost two consecutive years to John Elway and the Broncos by extraordinary ways.
Checkmate. The Drive and The Fumble were blown away by The Bomb.
But Jackson’s statement was kind of a wakeup call.
As much as Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial national holiday, the week leading up to it is more business than pleasure.
Somewhere along the line, the work week leading up to the game is anything but the game. It has become this quagmire of issues that have nothing to do with Xs and Os. The game is the backdrop for the media trying to make a name for it.
I don’t know about you, but I was spending this week getting ready for the Super Bowl.
You know, the Big Game (since we aren’t authorized to call it the other title). This one has a tinge of interest, especially since the Baltimore Ravens were going to be playing.
But on Wednesday, I was notified that the buildup to Sunday’s kickoff wasn’t what it seemed.
It was like when you were watching your favorite show and you hear “We are interrupting this program for a special announcement.”
The announcement came courtesy of ESPN football analyst Tom Jackson. He was commenting on one of the issues of the day that came up during the Ravens’ and San Francisco 49ers’ media sessions.
“The NFL is a microcosm of life,” Jackson said. “Things that happen in the league are also things that happen in everyday life.”
“Wow,” I said. That’s pretty profound coming from a former linebacker.
Suddenly, football was in another arena. The game was all about social consciousness.
I guess that’s the true meaning of political football. But, Jackson was right. So much of football is present in everyday life.
First, there is fate.
Just think where the Ravens might be right now if it weren’t for a fourth-and-29 screen pass from Joe Flacco to Ray Rice in Week 12 in San Diego.
It was an improbable play that had more implications than just pulling out a victory over the Chargers. It prevented what could have been a four-game losing streak, which would have made the Ravens a wild card who had to play all their postseason games on the road, or even worse, knocked them out of the playoffs.
Then, there is revenge.
The Ravens did this old Cleveland Browns fan a favor when they defeated Denver in overtime during the AFC semifinals. When I was younger, the Ravens were the Browns, who lost two consecutive years to John Elway and the Broncos by extraordinary ways.
Checkmate. The Drive and The Fumble were blown away by The Bomb.
But Jackson’s statement was kind of a wakeup call.
As much as Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial national holiday, the week leading up to it is more business than pleasure.
Somewhere along the line, the work week leading up to the game is anything but the game. It has become this quagmire of issues that have nothing to do with Xs and Os. The game is the backdrop for the media trying to make a name for it.
