Hypothermia, Grilled Meats and Touchdowns

(Pic from Beth)

The thing is, I really need to invest in some boots. I'm currently fighting a cold which I'm sure is a result of the fact that, despite the fifteen layers of clothes and socks, I still found it appropriate to wear sneakers to the Pats' game on Sunday. Yeah, I've lived in New England my entire life. I am aware of the whole snow, winter thing. But hell, no one ever said I was smart.

Anyway, frozen feet aside, lemme just say that being at a Pats game? Is. Awesome. The game itself (a handy beating of the Jets to the tune of 16-3) wasn't particularly thrill-inducing but it was actually more about the experience anyway.

I now know what it's like to a) sit in a car that smells like a meat locker, b) have no range of motion a la the small child in A Christmas Story, c) attempt to make noise while swaddled in mittens and blankets so that Richard Seymour won't think I suck, and d) look at Tom Brady through binoculars and decide that no, no there is no one he won't hug.

Seriously. The man will hug anyone. Ty Law I understand. They used to be teammates, I'm sure they're still friends, etc. And I can understand hugging Herm Edwards because, I don't know, it's a respect thing or something. But then Brady starts hugging members of his own team. David Givens, which, okay, because David Givens is pretty, but then he's hugging Doug Flutie and Christian Fauria and Russ Hochstein and I'm thinking, "Dude, did you not just see these people in the locker room seven minutes ago?" I wonder if Brady has some serious separation anxiety.

Anyway...

Further observations from a day in the snow:

There was a guy behind us, your typical blue collar, Massachusetts football fan type guy who took great delight in torturing the Jets' punter. "Nice punt, douchebag!" was his favorite. It was just like having Butchie behind us.

"That guy can be my friend," I said to Beth. "Right along with trinkets man and the high school hockey fans that always seem to be sitting behind me at the Bruins' games."

Upon hearing another gentleman cheer wildly every time Ben Watson did anything resembling movement:

Beth: "That guy must have Ben Watson on his fantasy team."
Me: "I have, uh, Tommy and David Givens on my fantasy team."
Beth: "Not that kind of fantasy team."
Me: "Heh, okay, both of my fantasy teams."

During the lovely halftime presentation wherein the team honored retired linebacker Ted Johnson, Johnson commented that his rookie year, the team lost the first four games when he was injured and won the first game he was back. "And then," he said, "we lost the next four."

The guy behind us piped up again, "That was Drew's fault!" Heh.

So, despite what Richard Seymour said, it was fun and good times. I hadn't realized how many players had previously been injured until Beth and I watched warm ups and I saw David Givens, Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk and Bethel Johnson running around. And it's a good thing we had Dillon back as the Pats resorted to the running game in the conditions. Also, Dillon's teeny, tiny daughter Cameron was honorary captain for the coin toss and well, that was pretty damn cute.

It was also excellent to be there for Adam Vinatieri's breaking of Gino Cappeletti's Patriots franchise points record. And it was especially cool to hear Vinatieri's postgame press conference on the matter. His cornfed, farm boy, South Dakota accent never stops being endearing and I hope he realizes how much we appreciate him around here, Richard Seymour. I mean really, where else do people buy a kicker's jersey? Exactly.

For a better recap of the game and the day, read Beth's outstanding post. But from my end, lemme just say that this NFL thing, I can get behind it.