It's just a game.
And you're right. It is just a game.
Why do I care?
I love to watch NFL football. It's fun. I don't even play Fantasy Football. I love the drama of the chess match on the field. I love to see amazing plays, and even tenacious defense in a low-scoring affair. I don't watch any other sport like I watch football.
I actually happened to have season tickets in 1998. Every Vikings fan remembers 1998. We went 15-1 with Carter and Moss having a spectacular game every week. Man, that was a fun year... Until the NFC Championship game. Remember? Gary Anderson? (I am being facetious)
35/35 in the regular season. Perfect, until the game-winner in overtime of that game which would have sent us to face the Broncos in the Super Bowl. He kicked it toward the uprights where I sat. I saw the miss perfectly. It's one of the last times I cried, and the quietest I have ever heard people shuffle out of a stadium after a game.
The last time the Minnesota Vikings played in the Super Bowl was January 9th, 1977. I was born on October 1st, 1977. I have been disappointed by the team my entire life.
But, so what? It's just a game.
The Vikings are "my thing." It's the common small-talk I can make with almost anyone. I can go through the roller coaster of emotions with friends and co-workers. I can cheer with a bar/restaurant full of fans.
I make sure to take care of all of my chores on Saturdays during the NFL season so I can watch football, guilt-free, all day on Sunday.
I want to talk about our team this year. Do you realize the talent we have on the field? Just the talent, on paper, should be enough to take us to The Dance. I have a real problem with the way the team has been coached; and that's from the head coach all the way down.
Our clock management has been embarrassing. Play-calling, on offense and defense, has been abysmal. The (7) games we've lost have been lost by an average of four points. The players are playing well enough to win every game. All of our losses can, and should, be blamed on the coaches; directing games and calling the plays.
I doubt any coach will lose their job mid-season. But us fans deserve a better product. We buy the hats, and clothes. We pay the exorbitant ticket fees to watch games at (the beautiful) US Bank Stadium.
It's just a game. But we bleed purple. We invest in the team. We invest our time, our emotions, and money. We deserve more for our investment.
