With apologies to the World Series, NBA Championships and Stanley Cup Finals, the greatest 11 games of the year and coming up in the next 4 weeks. Correct, that represents the 11 games that encompass the NFL playoffs and the glory starts this weekend.
Sure, I am biased towards my teams and the games they play in. This weekend, I hope to enjoy my Pittsburgh Steelers whollup the Miami Dolphins this Saturday night and hopefully make a run into the latter parts of the playoffs. This weekend and the following one are tremendous TV weekends. There are 4 games each weekend starting with wildcard weekend and following up with the divisional round next weekend. Eight games and a wonderful display of smash mouth football.
Each game is an event to itself. The media attention from the national media is intense and you could watch this content all day long. The games are staggered between Saturday and Sunday making the attention on each game so much greater. The fans are completely immersed in the event and the tailgating before and after the events is off the charts. Go to any bar in this city and they will have the games on AND the sound will be turned on in the establishment. It’s a big deal.
This is no guarantee that the games will be entertaining though. Often the games that look the best on paper (Giants vs Packers) turned out to be duds. The games that no one cares about (Raiders vs Texans) can become instant classics. This is not the CFL. This version of football is as brutal as it is graceful. They literally punch each other in the mouth and wow you on the same play with the speed and skill of the finest athlete you will find. This is football, American style, and I can’t get enough of it.
Of course, it will end up with the Superbowl on February 5th which to many is a national holiday and to others it represents a party to hang with friends and watch the TV commercials. The reason it crosses those borders and appeals to everyone is because it is the greatest sport spectacle there is with the media attention of the paparazzi. The 10 games that determine the combatants for that game are for the true NFL fan. Make some time to watch a bit this weekend and see whether you agree.
Go Steelers!
Marco