NFL action was awesome; goals aplenty

What a great day of football.

Sunday’s conference championship games
were awesome.

For the first time I can remember, each
of the four teams playing had the potential to win the Super
Bowl.

I properly predicted the winners of both
games, but I could just as easily have missed both.

One of the more interesting aspects of
Sunday’s games I thought was the fact that the goats were the
bigger stories than the heroes.

The goats in the Patriots/Ravens game
were Lee Evans, who dropped the game-winning touchdown pass, and
kicker Billy Cundiffe, who missed a chip-shot field goal, which
would have sent the game into overtime.

I’ve often wondered if a kicker who
loses a game like that rides home on the same plane as his
teammates. I think he’d have been safer hitchhiking.

The goat from the Giants/49ers game was
wide receiver/punt returner Kyle Williams, who was responsible
for 10 New York points, and cost his team the game.

Before I continue, I put forth this
query:

Why is someone who loses a game in some
ignoble fashion referred to as a “goat?”

Goats are not hateful, despicable
creatures. They don’t deserve to be scorned like this.

They smell bad and make annoying noises,
but so does my brother, Coach Bob.

Shouldn’t we refer to these sports
“goats” as some more universally reviled animal?

For example, rats, wasps, fire ants,
roaches, mosquitoes, bed bugs or vampire bats?

Or if you live down Coast Guard Road in
Emerald Isle, deer.

I think so.

Heretofore, in my columns sports “goats”
will be referred to as vampire bats.

But enough about Sunday’s goats, er,
vampire bats.

There were some heroic efforts, as
well.

I thought New England’s massive
defensive tackle Vince Wilfork was a monster and sparked a
resurgent Patriot defense.

For the Giants, Eli Manning, who in
addition to playing football also invented the cotton gin,
continues to impress.

Put Manning and the Giants on the big
stage, and they always seem to come through.

It’s shaping up to be a great Super
Bowl, but you have to wait a week for my prediction.

Remember, next week is the annual
Tideland News Super Bowl prediction column.

Stay tuned.

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