NOTE - Carl wasn't actually there.
CABO SAN LUCAS - So here I am on the beach, sitting down and relaxing. I'm not really thinking about anything specific. Just allowing the sun to toast me up and watching the water.
I see a group of people about 30 feet away. There's some guy trying to get a view of them so he can take a picture of them for some reason. When he gets away, I'll go up to him and ask what's going on.
I finally get to see the photo guy and we struck up an interesting conversation:
Me: Hey, what's going on over there? Who are you trying to take a picture of?
Photo Guy: Dude, that's Tony Romo and Jason Witten! They've been here since Monday.
Me: Are you serious?
Photo Guy: Yeah man. They were here last year too before the playoffs.
Me: I remember that. That was just before they lost to the Giants. We'll, at least they can spend more than one week here. Hell, they could have spent last week here too. They didn't even show up for the Eagles game when they got their ass kicked.
Photo Guy: I'm sure they'll like the business. Besides, you should see the outfits Jessica has been wearing lately.
Such is life when you get a week off to relax and not have to worry about your own football team. That can be saved for next week when I can think about either the Falcons, Cardinals or the Eagles. For now, one can sit back, take in all four Wild Card playoff games this weekend and just watch as a casual observer and have some fun.
Meanwhile, I walked past Romo and Witten just a moment ago by the cabana wearing my Giants cap. They turned their heads the other way.
When you are playing every week, many times it is hard to look at the season in a holistic sense. You are so consumed with the next week's opponent and when you don’t have a bye week for 13 straight weeks, there is never any time to breathe. However, looking at the Giants 12-4 record has to be looked at as an incredible accomplishment.
Think about this, each Giants team that has been to and won the Super Bowl in their history has not made the playoffs the next season.
The 1987 team was ill prepared by Bill Parcells for that season. They started 0-3 before the strike took place and replacement players were used. When team found out those game with the scabs would count, the record ballooned to 0-6 and the season was lost.
Parcells left after the 1990 Super Bowl and because Bill Belichick took the job with the Cleveland Browns before he announced his resignation, Ray Handley was given the job and rather than go back to Phil Simms, he instilled Jeff Hostetler as the quarterback and he was exposed for the career backup that he was and with that, the season went up in smoke.
The 2001 team was not a good enough team in the first place for them to even contemplate a return trip. It was a mish-mashed unit of veterans and overachievers that had one shining moment before the Ravens smacked them with a hard dose of reality.
Complacency? Perhaps.
Excessive hubris? Maybe.
Whatever the reason, the following season has always provided that dreaded "Super Bowl Hangover". It was reasonable to ask if this year was going to be more of the past or if we were going to see a different team emerge and legitimately defend their title.
They have.
Now here they are, with one week to kick back and relax. By the end of Sunday afternoon’s action, their opponent will be determined and the real fun begins. All we can do now is count the days until January 11 at 1:00 EST at Giants Stadium when the Cardinals, Eagles or Falcons.
With one victory, the Giants will play for a return trip to the Super Bowl. Another victory put them in Tampa to officially defend their title. A third win makes them world champions again.
Years of frustration has been replaced by sudden anticipation at the possibility of this happening. Before the season started, I thought my years of pessimism had gone away forever. As this year played out, I noticed that I still linger some old scars from the past. It never fully goes away no matter how much I try. There still isn’t a game that goes by where I ask myself the question, “How are they going to screw this up?”
While I remain confident, the seed of doubt has increase about 20 percent in the last month since that loss at home to the Eagles. Maybe its nervousness knowing that the each game is now a one game season. Win and stay home or lose and go home. But next week I can worry about all that stuff.
I see a group of people about 30 feet away. There's some guy trying to get a view of them so he can take a picture of them for some reason. When he gets away, I'll go up to him and ask what's going on.
I finally get to see the photo guy and we struck up an interesting conversation:
Me: Hey, what's going on over there? Who are you trying to take a picture of?
Photo Guy: Dude, that's Tony Romo and Jason Witten! They've been here since Monday.
Me: Are you serious?
Photo Guy: Yeah man. They were here last year too before the playoffs.
Me: I remember that. That was just before they lost to the Giants. We'll, at least they can spend more than one week here. Hell, they could have spent last week here too. They didn't even show up for the Eagles game when they got their ass kicked.
Photo Guy: I'm sure they'll like the business. Besides, you should see the outfits Jessica has been wearing lately.
Such is life when you get a week off to relax and not have to worry about your own football team. That can be saved for next week when I can think about either the Falcons, Cardinals or the Eagles. For now, one can sit back, take in all four Wild Card playoff games this weekend and just watch as a casual observer and have some fun.
Meanwhile, I walked past Romo and Witten just a moment ago by the cabana wearing my Giants cap. They turned their heads the other way.
When you are playing every week, many times it is hard to look at the season in a holistic sense. You are so consumed with the next week's opponent and when you don’t have a bye week for 13 straight weeks, there is never any time to breathe. However, looking at the Giants 12-4 record has to be looked at as an incredible accomplishment.
Think about this, each Giants team that has been to and won the Super Bowl in their history has not made the playoffs the next season.
The 1987 team was ill prepared by Bill Parcells for that season. They started 0-3 before the strike took place and replacement players were used. When team found out those game with the scabs would count, the record ballooned to 0-6 and the season was lost.
Parcells left after the 1990 Super Bowl and because Bill Belichick took the job with the Cleveland Browns before he announced his resignation, Ray Handley was given the job and rather than go back to Phil Simms, he instilled Jeff Hostetler as the quarterback and he was exposed for the career backup that he was and with that, the season went up in smoke.
The 2001 team was not a good enough team in the first place for them to even contemplate a return trip. It was a mish-mashed unit of veterans and overachievers that had one shining moment before the Ravens smacked them with a hard dose of reality.
Complacency? Perhaps.
Excessive hubris? Maybe.
Whatever the reason, the following season has always provided that dreaded "Super Bowl Hangover". It was reasonable to ask if this year was going to be more of the past or if we were going to see a different team emerge and legitimately defend their title.
They have.
Now here they are, with one week to kick back and relax. By the end of Sunday afternoon’s action, their opponent will be determined and the real fun begins. All we can do now is count the days until January 11 at 1:00 EST at Giants Stadium when the Cardinals, Eagles or Falcons.
With one victory, the Giants will play for a return trip to the Super Bowl. Another victory put them in Tampa to officially defend their title. A third win makes them world champions again.
Years of frustration has been replaced by sudden anticipation at the possibility of this happening. Before the season started, I thought my years of pessimism had gone away forever. As this year played out, I noticed that I still linger some old scars from the past. It never fully goes away no matter how much I try. There still isn’t a game that goes by where I ask myself the question, “How are they going to screw this up?”
While I remain confident, the seed of doubt has increase about 20 percent in the last month since that loss at home to the Eagles. Maybe its nervousness knowing that the each game is now a one game season. Win and stay home or lose and go home. But next week I can worry about all that stuff.
Me: Hey, if you get close enough, tell those guys that enjoy the rest of the trip and pull up a chair so they can watch us next week. Tell them to get their popcorn ready.
Photo Guy: Sure thing.
For now, just kick back, relax and take in this week of fun and just count the days.
It can’t come soon enough.
For now, just kick back, relax and take in this week of fun and just count the days.
It can’t come soon enough.
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