Seattle, Washington

01/19/2014

Cleve Sylcox

Football…A grid iron where anything is possible and injuries occur frequently. High paid gladiators push, shove, smack, claw, hit, tackle, snort, drip saliva, and run around with a pig skin tucked in their arms trying to cross a goal line while an opposing force of eleven men try to stop them. Sounds like fun to me. Although at my age it would kill me…

My horse in this race was eliminated long before the regular season ended. The hapless Browns, the dawgs – my name sake, found peace at Happy Havens Kennels around mid season. But even with that, I love football. Not as much as Baseball…I LOVE Baseball. Sorry I had to throw that in to help you understand my disgust of last nights Seattle and San Fran game.

First off I really have no love for either team. I think San Fran is a bunch of ego maniacs, which sums up most of the NFL players anyway, however with the Niner’s it is problematic. Case in point, last week, their quarterback scores a touchdown and pretends to rip his shirt off and then kisses his biceps…is this pro-wrestling or football.

Seattle, the latest Cinderella of the NFL, is not much better. At the end of last night’s game their corner, Richard Sherman, was interviewed by a FOX sports reporter and he yelled about being the best corner ever, and so on and so fourth…please. Again Pro- Wrestling rant talk.

Over all it was a very good game, close, competitive…just the kind of game to shoot ratings through the roof. Seattle, down early came back to win in the fourth 23 – 17. Great game if you are a Seattle fan. Then there was the “play.” There is always the play, the one pivotal moment where fans and commentators alike point too and say, that’s where the game changed. I’m sure many will point to what I refer to as, “The Broken Leg Play.”

Wilson drops back to pass and tosses the skin down field. His receiver catches it near the goal line but is stopped. Bowman stripes the ball from him and the receiver’s momentum propels him across Bowman’s leg bending it like a straw. Despite this, Bowman clearly hangs onto the ball but looses it after hitting the turf, (If a player is tackled and loses control of the ball at or after the time he makes contact with the ground, the player is treated as down and the ball is not in play). The ball bounces free and Lynch recovers for Seattle. The play by rules is un-reviewable.

Bowman should have been ruled down and San Fran with the ball. But, I am not a Ref. Hell, I’m not even fan of either team as mentioned before. It just seems to me that if the NFL wanted fair play and to give each team fair advantage, the play should have been reviewed. But, the NFL wants their Cinderella in the dance…so, after a couple of exchanges Seattle scores.  A lot has been said about Seattle fumbling the ball on the very next play after Bowman’s Leg injury. Sure San Fran had their chances and could not capitalize. But what people are failing to remember that all it takes is a few arrant calls to throw a game. Seattle wins.  The stadium erupts, the people at home rooting for the Hawks shout, “We’re number one,” and the Niner crowd groins and moans. The NFL though smiles… counting their money.