We watched the Bolts beat the Colts. I rooted for the Bolts, but I like Peyton Manning, too. But I LOVE Darren Sproles. Fourth quarter last night, I confessed this to Brian. I said “I love him”. Brian just laughed.
I’ve followed the Chargers this year, but not actively. Which means I don’t put on the game and sit in front of the set and watch it for the duration. No, I’ll have something else on, then click over to the game and see how things are going. It’s been less frustrating that way. After we lost the game due to bad officiating, and then lost games by one point at the very end, I just figured it’s not worth the energy.
So, I cut back on watching.
And I don’t care to watch with Brian, because he yells at the television. I mean, he’s less into the Chargers than I am, yet he yells at the screen, calling out “morons” or “idiots” and I want to throw the remote at him to get him to stop. It really affects my enjoyment of the game.
He came home from looking for stuff for his tractor around 3:30 and asked if there was anything on television. I said “the Charger game is on at five.” A little before five, I went into the family room, got the cable set to the right channel and got my lap blanket, my Stephen King book and got ready. Brian actually shut down his work station for the night and came in and kicked back on the loveseat.
I set down the ground rules. None of this calling them idiots and morons. If he started doing this (Naf, you’re gonna love this) I told him I would change the channel and we would watch a movie. He said “really?” I said “yes, we will watch “Mama Mia”. (The musical was in a box full of Christmas gifts we received, the only presents we had to open, since my mom is gone.) I only had to threaten him once during the game.
I finished my Stephen King book late in the third quarter, then put my full attention on the game.
When the game was tied at the end of the fourth quarter and they had the coin toss Brian said “the Chargers are going to win”. I asked how he knew this. He said “look at the Chargers, they’re all happy and smiling, the Colts are not”. The Chargers won the coin toss. The Colts had some monumental penalties called against them right at the time we were going to have to turn over the ball and give them possession.
And Brian reminded me of something I’d said years ago, half serious. That it’s all pre-determined before the season even begins. And you know, looking back at this season, when the Chargers were 4 - 8, and they beat Denver, I laughed. I said “okay, now just wait, the newspapers and uber fans will be all ‘WE’VE GOT A CHANCE AT THE SUPERBOWL!!!!’”. And sure enough, that’s what happened. Denver kept losing. We kept winning.
I mean, come on!
I sit here smiling, shaking my head in amazement.
And I’m in love with Darren Sproles.