The Boring Big Game

 

Remember the Super Bowls of the 80s and early 90s?

You know the ones. We thought we might have a good game on our hands between, say, the 49ers and Broncos. John Elway versus Joe Montana! How can this possibly be a bad game?

And then?

Forty Niners 55, Broncos 10.

Snore.

There were bunch of those "back in the day." In the early 90s (look away, Bills fans!) there was the carnage of three straight blowouts against Buffalo. Or San Diego getting beaten up by Greenwich's Steve Young (oh, and Jerry Rice).

Brutal.

We hoped for a good playoff game tonight between the Buccaneers and Cowboys in Tampa. I mean, let's face it, it's the Hater Bowl. Tom Brady versus Dallas and their fans. There's literally nothing to root for! Taylor Swift can perform the halftime show!

Figuring the game is in Florida and, well, I've got nothing else, I picked the Bucs to win this game. I came home from my radio shows in Poughkeepsie excited to watch it.

As I write, it's Dallas 24, Brady 6 entering the fourth quarter.

Yawn.

It just has that feeling of those painful old Super Bowls. I still remember my excitement, for instance, of watching Dan Marino play in trademarked big game number 19 against San Francisco. Marino had literally changed the quarterback position with a wide-open, pass-happy offense that rewrote the record book. 

Despite the way he and the Dolphins beat up on the Steelers in the AFC Championship, I was hopeful for Marino, the pride of the University of Pittsburgh.

Marino threw for 318 yards and a touchdown but was picked off twice. Miami even led 10-7 after the first quarter.

The Niners built a 28-16 halftime lead and cruised to a 38-16 win. Montana threw for 331 yards and three touchdowns and was named MVP.

Marino, of course, never saw the big game again.

We had a bunch of those stinkers. The close games (Pittsburgh/Dallas in Supers X and XIII were exceptions) were far outnumbered by the disasters. 

We've been more fortunate in recent years and have seen more competitive or even classic championship games.

That is, at least until someone decides to hand Brady the trophy (I mean, Seattle throwing the ball when they had Marshawn Lynch in prime "Beast Mode?"). 

Oh, and the Cowboys just scored again. It's 31-6 Dallas with 9:56 to play.

I'd say the game is basically over and we can move on to the Division Round this weekend.

And I can go to bed.