Prior to going into work today, I had a moment to talk to Erin, who had only been up for about 10 minutes.
"OK Erin. I have to head in to work... but I'll be home early today. Do you remember why I am coming home early today?"
"Ummm, no Dadoo."
"Here's a hint. I'm coming home to watch something with you and Mommy."
"Oh yeah. The Jets."
"That's right. Who's gonna win the game today?"
"Ummm, the Jets?"
"That's right! Are you excited?"
"Nope."
"Nope!?!?! But this is a big game. You know what happens if the Jets win today, don't you"
This is when Erin let out her usual disgusted and impatient sigh. The she replied in a disinterested monotone.
"They get to go to the Super Bowl."
"Hey! That's right! How'd you know that? Did you talk about it in school."
In that same monotone, "No Dadoo."
"Well, did Mommy talk to you about it?"
"No"
"OK... how about when you were at Grandma's and Grandpa's after school?"
Sigh... "No Dadoo."
"Well, then how'd you know about the Super Bowl?"
"UMM... DUH Dadoo... LONG GRAM and LONG GRAMP."
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thank You Rex
The New York Jets lost the AFC Championship game today, 30-17, to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. I should be morose. In the past, you would have found me sitting alone in a dark, silent room for several hours, fighting back the encroaching despair threatening to overwhelm me. If you are a fan of Gang Green, than you know exactly what I am talking about. We Jets fans have had so many of those moments, not all of them losses, but all of them cringe-inducing. In fact, if you are a fan, than you can recite the moments with me. Here's a primer for those of you not cursed to follow the "other" pro football team from New York:
The Brett Favre Experiment/Eric Mangini Season Ending Meltdown
The Chad Pennington/Jay Fiedler Injury Game
The Doug Brien Missed Field Goals Against Pittsburgh
The Bellichick Resignation
The Vinny Testaverde Ruptured Achilles
The Leon Johnson Interception
The Dan Marino Fake Spike
The Blair Thomas Draft
The Gastineau Roughing-the-Passer Penalty
The Kenny O'Brien/Dan Marino Draft
The Mud Bowl & AJ Duhe
And these are just from memory, in my life as a Jets fans. Older, longer-suffering fans can probably rattle off a much longer list of heart-wrenching disappointments and embarassments. So, as you can see, misery comes easy to we masochistic Jets fans, and you would think that after today's game, misery is the place where I would currently be dwelling. But here's the weird thing. I'm not.
Sure I'm sad my boys didn't win the game. I would have loved to see Darelle Revis defiantly knock down a final, desperate pass attempt from Peyton to Reggie Wayne as time ran out, preserving a Jets' victory. It would have been great to see Rex get that Gatorade shower that has become a sports cliche over the past 20 years or so. And I would love to be playing for revenge against the Saints in the Super Bowl in a few weeks. But, unlike past seasons of Jets football ending prematurely with unfulfilled promise, this year served more as a notice of good things to come. It was sort of Green & White coming-out party. An announcement to the league at large to watch out for Woody Johnson's Jets.
That is why I want to thank Coach Rex Ryan. I, and every die-hard Jets fan out there in Jets Land, owes a debt of gratitude to this boisterous, cocky, straightforward man for a critical change in the Jets culture. He turned "Play like a Jet" into a badge of honor, instead of the epithet it has traditionally represented. He plainly and confidently stated before the team had even been through training camp that these new Jets, his Jets, were going to lead the NFL in defense and rushing, and then went out and proved it. He also stated that his team would be meeting with President Obama as champions before his term was up. After watching the Jets playoff run this season, I believe him.
So fellow Jets fans, paraphrasing President Bill Clinton, I feel your pain. But put away the razor blades... shut off the car running in the closed garage... know that there is no need for despair. These are the New York Jets, but certainly not the Same Ol' Jets. We have dynamic youth, a dominant defense and running game, the greatest corner in the game, a superstar QB in the making, and a passionate, inspirational coach (who, by the way, happens to be pretty damn good
with X's and O's to boot). This year, we saw a glimpse into the future for the Jets, and believe me, the future is bright.
The Brett Favre Experiment/Eric Mangini Season Ending Meltdown
The Chad Pennington/Jay Fiedler Injury Game
The Doug Brien Missed Field Goals Against Pittsburgh
The Bellichick Resignation
The Vinny Testaverde Ruptured Achilles
The Leon Johnson Interception
The Dan Marino Fake Spike
The Blair Thomas Draft
The Gastineau Roughing-the-Passer Penalty
The Kenny O'Brien/Dan Marino Draft
The Mud Bowl & AJ Duhe
And these are just from memory, in my life as a Jets fans. Older, longer-suffering fans can probably rattle off a much longer list of heart-wrenching disappointments and embarassments. So, as you can see, misery comes easy to we masochistic Jets fans, and you would think that after today's game, misery is the place where I would currently be dwelling. But here's the weird thing. I'm not.
Sure I'm sad my boys didn't win the game. I would have loved to see Darelle Revis defiantly knock down a final, desperate pass attempt from Peyton to Reggie Wayne as time ran out, preserving a Jets' victory. It would have been great to see Rex get that Gatorade shower that has become a sports cliche over the past 20 years or so. And I would love to be playing for revenge against the Saints in the Super Bowl in a few weeks. But, unlike past seasons of Jets football ending prematurely with unfulfilled promise, this year served more as a notice of good things to come. It was sort of Green & White coming-out party. An announcement to the league at large to watch out for Woody Johnson's Jets.
That is why I want to thank Coach Rex Ryan. I, and every die-hard Jets fan out there in Jets Land, owes a debt of gratitude to this boisterous, cocky, straightforward man for a critical change in the Jets culture. He turned "Play like a Jet" into a badge of honor, instead of the epithet it has traditionally represented. He plainly and confidently stated before the team had even been through training camp that these new Jets, his Jets, were going to lead the NFL in defense and rushing, and then went out and proved it. He also stated that his team would be meeting with President Obama as champions before his term was up. After watching the Jets playoff run this season, I believe him.
So fellow Jets fans, paraphrasing President Bill Clinton, I feel your pain. But put away the razor blades... shut off the car running in the closed garage... know that there is no need for despair. These are the New York Jets, but certainly not the Same Ol' Jets. We have dynamic youth, a dominant defense and running game, the greatest corner in the game, a superstar QB in the making, and a passionate, inspirational coach (who, by the way, happens to be pretty damn good
with X's and O's to boot). This year, we saw a glimpse into the future for the Jets, and believe me, the future is bright.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The First Erinism of the New Year
I was lying on my bed last night reading a book, when Erin entered the room and climbed up onto the bed beside me. Glancing over at her, I greeted her with a, "Hey."
"Hi," she replied. And nothing else. She just sat there, looking at me.
"What are you up to?"
"Nothing, Dadoo." And right back to staring at me. I stared back for a minute or so, and when it was clear that she had nothing more to say, I shrugged my shoulders and went back to reading my book. Just as I began to get re-absorbed in the text, I felt her suddenly climb onto my back, at which point she stood up and began to grind her heels into my flesh.
"Ow... Ow... OWW!!!!!!" I exclaimed. "Erin, that hurts! What are you doing?"
Her response, in a robotic monotone, "I - AM - NOT - ER - IN."
"Well, whoever you are, stop it! That hurts."
This caused the thing on my back that was not Erin to fall to its knees next to me.
"YOU - HAVE - TO - ASK - ME - MY - NAME."
"OK, what is your name?"
"I - AM - NOT - ER - IN."
Yes... we established that. What is your name?"
"I - AM - ER - POOP."
"Erpoop?!?!"
"THAT - IS - MY - NAME."
"Well, Erpoop, what happened to my sweet little girl Erin?"
"I - ATE - HER."
"You ATE her?!?!"
"YES."
"Well, that's not good. I'm gonna miss her, and her Mommy's going to be very upset. You shouldn't have eaten her... that's not a very nice thing to do."
"IT'S - OK - DADOO. SHE - IS - JUST - ON - VAY - CAY - TION. SHE'LL - BE - BACK - SOON."
"Vacation? You ate my little girl so she could go on vacation?"
"YES - DADOO."
"Well, where did she go?"
"FLORIDA. SHE - IS - IN - FLORIDA."
"I see. Did she go to Disney World?"
"NO - DADOO. I - SAID - SHE - WENT - TO - FLORIDA. DISNEY - WORLD - IS - IN - NEW - YORK. I - THOUGHT - YOU - KNEW - THAT."
"Well, Erpoop, I hope she gets back soon, or Mommy and I will really miss her, and we'll be pretty mad at you for eating her."
Erin began to giggle.
"Dadoo, it's me!! I tricked you!! There's no Erpoop!! I'm not really in Florida!! I was just pretending!!"
"Boy, what a relief! I'm so happy you're home"
"Hi," she replied. And nothing else. She just sat there, looking at me.
"What are you up to?"
"Nothing, Dadoo." And right back to staring at me. I stared back for a minute or so, and when it was clear that she had nothing more to say, I shrugged my shoulders and went back to reading my book. Just as I began to get re-absorbed in the text, I felt her suddenly climb onto my back, at which point she stood up and began to grind her heels into my flesh.
"Ow... Ow... OWW!!!!!!" I exclaimed. "Erin, that hurts! What are you doing?"
Her response, in a robotic monotone, "I - AM - NOT - ER - IN."
"Well, whoever you are, stop it! That hurts."
This caused the thing on my back that was not Erin to fall to its knees next to me.
"YOU - HAVE - TO - ASK - ME - MY - NAME."
"OK, what is your name?"
"I - AM - NOT - ER - IN."
Yes... we established that. What is your name?"
"I - AM - ER - POOP."
"Erpoop?!?!"
"THAT - IS - MY - NAME."
"Well, Erpoop, what happened to my sweet little girl Erin?"
"I - ATE - HER."
"You ATE her?!?!"
"YES."
"Well, that's not good. I'm gonna miss her, and her Mommy's going to be very upset. You shouldn't have eaten her... that's not a very nice thing to do."
"IT'S - OK - DADOO. SHE - IS - JUST - ON - VAY - CAY - TION. SHE'LL - BE - BACK - SOON."
"Vacation? You ate my little girl so she could go on vacation?"
"YES - DADOO."
"Well, where did she go?"
"FLORIDA. SHE - IS - IN - FLORIDA."
"I see. Did she go to Disney World?"
"NO - DADOO. I - SAID - SHE - WENT - TO - FLORIDA. DISNEY - WORLD - IS - IN - NEW - YORK. I - THOUGHT - YOU - KNEW - THAT."
"Well, Erpoop, I hope she gets back soon, or Mommy and I will really miss her, and we'll be pretty mad at you for eating her."
Erin began to giggle.
"Dadoo, it's me!! I tricked you!! There's no Erpoop!! I'm not really in Florida!! I was just pretending!!"
"Boy, what a relief! I'm so happy you're home"
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