Sports and sports and sports...

ACQUIRE as NEEDED (daily) January 10

Happy Lord's Day!

Although it was not chronologically the first NFL Wild Card game today, the Saints vs Bears game's alternative broadcast gets first billing. Don't know if you were aware, but history was made today when Nickelodeon shared/borrowed the CBS video feed of their NFL game. The children's network supplied their own team of commentators, including a young lady, who, by her admission, was born after the turn of the century. There was another couple of youths, along with a guy slightly older, who may have played in the League, but was definitely playing the knowledgeable member of the team and explained all the rules and strategy.

They added a few things to the show, like calling the end zone the Slime Zone and endeavoring to tie everything to some Nick show or another. The Slime Zone was set up to highlight Nickelodeon's notable trade mark and to virtually slime those players who scored. This was particularly amusing to me since it was the lowest scoring game of the weekend and the Bears went sixty minutes without getting into the Slime Zone. Their only touchdown came after the clock had hit zero in the fourth quarter, when Jimmy Graham came down with a one-handed touchdown grab. It was a glorious play in their expected loss and there was no time left for the PAT. Final: Saints 21 - 9 Bears.

Scoring only a few points more than the Saints and Bears, the Ravens and Titans opened the games today at 10 AM this morning (PST). Division winner Tennessee hosted Baltimore and there was some hullabaloo regarding dancing on the midfield logo. Apparently some of the Ravens players were upset about Titans' running back, Derrick Henry, celebrating on their logo upon winning last year's game. In an effort to prevent more Titans dancing, QB Jackson and WR Brown played great today. I think both had touchdowns and their symbiosis was impressive. Giddy to return the favor, some kuffuffaw arose when Baltimore beat the Titans today, dancing midfield like petulant schoolgirls. Ravens 20 - 13 Titans.

The Sunday night game was the highly anticipated matchup between the Steelers and Browns. The best way to describe it is to say Cleveland ran out and punched Pittsburgh in the mouth, scoring four consecutive touchdowns in the first quarter. The Steelers finally got on the board with a minute and ¾ before halftime. They nearly made it a game in the second half and there were points a'plenty at the end. Browns 48 - 37 Steelers. I think I heard someone say that's the first playoff game in NFL history to end in that score… maybe the first game ever. I know it was a fun game to watch.

While the NBA had an eight game slate today, only seven games played. The Miami Heat didn't have enough players to field a team with covid protocol restrictions, so their matchup against Boston was postponed. Due to NFL Super Wild Card Weekend, I wasn't able to field enough interest to watch basketball this weekend.

I ended my night watching a commercial televised viewing of the movie Speed and took part in a late night fantasy hockey draft. I got the Bread Man and J.T. Miller, two of my favorite wingers in the game. As we approach the next iteration of sports with covid, I'm anticipating great things. My fandom of sports is tantamount to the other significant relationships in my life. I spend a lot of time and attention playing fantasy sports, watching sports and writing about sports. The integrity of my game is certainly in the sights of this pandemic, yet I've been proud of the fight the leagues have put up. While the tension mounts, we march toward the Super Bowl and are reminded that money moves mountains. I was also reminded tonight by Jack, the larger than life detective played by Keanu Reeves, "I have to warn you," he says to his girl-next-door co-star, Sandra Bullock, "I've heard relationships based on tense experiences never work." Let's all keep that in mind. This is bakesHere.