Gridiron Congregations

Yesterday, I awoke with an unexplainable desire to feel a connection with humanity. I felt an overwhelming need to be part of something bigger than myself. I felt a hunger for something filled with meaning, passion, and tradition.

I wracked my brain, but couldn't think of what could possibly fulfill those needs. I looked out the window at the clouds that blocked the sun. I prayed for a sign, some clue, to reveal itself.

Then, just as I was beginning to lose all hope, I remembered what day of the week it was. It was Sunday. And like a miracle, the answer to my prayers came to me as the clouds parted to reveal a stream of golden light on the shaded land.

It was obvious. I needed some football.

A little voice in my head (possibly my conscience) kept whispering that I had intercepted the wrong answer, but I was already off and running with the answer I had and wasn't about to turn back.

Of course, it was my luck that by the time the first conference title game began (between New Orleans and Chicago), I was nowhere near a television or a radio. I was near a computer with internet access, though, so I followed the game using Yahoo! GameChannel.

If you've never experienced Yahoo! GameChannel for football, I'll try to describe it to you. It's like being right there at the game, except you can't see the players or hear the crowd, but you have a front row seat with a great view of the scoreboard and nothing else.

On the bright side, the scoreboard is pretty spiffy. It displays the overall score, the points scored by quarters, possession (always important), downs, yards-to-go, time remaining, individual stats, team stats, scoring log, and league leaders (just in case you got bored of looking at the other numbers). It also has a bird's eye view of the field (grass, striping, and all), with a yellow stripe indicating the first down line and a blue stripe indicating the line of scrimmage, with an animated blue arrow appearing on the field after each play to show the distance gained or lost by the offense.

It was in this way that I was able to share the experience of the game with fans watching from the stands, from the comfort of home or from the comfort of the local sports bar.

Since I haven't really been following the NFL season, I wasn't rooting for either team. I understood the Saints were having a miraculous season and they were the Cinderella team, so it was somewhat disappointing to see them lose to the Bears. More accurately, it was somewhat disappointing to see the number under New Orleans finish smaller than the number under Chicago.

It was also my luck that by the time the second conference title game was underway (between New England and Indianapolis), I was nowhere near a television with proper reception and had already stared too long at the computer screen. I ended up following the game on the radio, which still provides a more intimate game experience than the web.

I must admit I was rooting for the Patriots, partly because of their recent success (3 Super Bowls in the last 6 years) and partly because Tom Brady, the quarterback, is a local guy (San Mateo is relatively local). So it was disheartening to hear the Patriots crumble in the second half after they had marched all over the Colts in the first half. It was especially agonizing when New England's last drive down the field came to an abrupt halt with an interception and only sixteen seconds remaining in the game.

You can probably imagine the amount of praying going on across the country and especially in the stadium during those last intense minutes of the game. For a few brief seconds, Indianapolis must have been the most religious city in the world. In the end, the football gods answered the prayers of the Colts and their fans.

So, now it's the Colts and the Bears competing in the Super Bowl in two weeks, which is probably right around the time when I will awaken with another desire to feel a deep connection with the rest of humanity. Only the next time it happens, I'm making sure I'm sitting in front of a television carrying the game.