About Me

Pearl City, HI, United States
Husband, father, grandfather, friend...a few of the roles acquired in 69 years of living. I keep an upbeat attitude, loving humor and the singular freedom of a perfect laugh. I don't let curmudgeons ruin my day; that only gives them power over me. Having experienced death once, I no longer fear it, although I am still frightened by the process of dying. I love to write because it allows me the freedom to vent those complex feelings that bounce restlessly off the walls of my mind; and express the beauty that can only be found within the human heart.

Saturday, February 13, 2021

Aftermath of the Aftermath: A Cold Assessment

 

Copyright © 2021 ESPN



Copyright © 2021
by Ralph F. Couey
Written Content Only

It's been almost a week, and the exquisite pain of Super Bowl LV is starting to become almost bearable.  My last post was, shall we say, succinct, reflecting my stark emotional response to what could charitably be described as a total humiliation.

As in every battle, someone has to lose.  And the loser has to be able to answer the inevitable questions of "why?" in response.  In the Chiefs' case, it can now be said, with a fair amount of honesty that the loss to Tampa Bay involved two major failures.  

First, the offensive line, a patchwork of out-of-position players, none of whom were opening day starters had been adequate during the 14-2 regular season, and for the first two games of the playoffs.  But up against a ferocious defensive line, this gallant group had no chance for success.  From the opening possession, Patrick Mahomes was running for his life.  In past games, these sprints invariably resulted in unbelievably dynamic plays downfield.  But the Buccaneers had a great scheme, which prevented the Chiefs receivers from getting open underneath, and getting behind the defenders downfield.  Mahomes was heroic in his efforts to make something happen, only to see his receivers blanketed, and when he on several occasions threw perfect bullet passes saw the ball slip past their hands to doink off their facemasks.  Even the Bucs, mic'd up on the sidelines were blankly astonished at the throws Mahomes made.  But in the end, even Patrick was not enough to change the result.

Oh, yes; the receivers.  Several analysts, most of them former NFL players, have been unanimous in their verdict that the Chiefs usually formidable group of receivers substantially let their quarterback down.  It's still too painful to re-watch the game, or even to view the..<ahem>...lowlights.  But still etched HD-sharp in my memory are the many times Hill, Kelce, Robinson, Watkins and the rest utterly failed in contested situations.  Mahomes made vague references in his post-game interviews about people not being where he thought they would be, which has to be interpreted as poor or error-filled route running.  One of the concerning incongruities at play has to be that even when the deep routes were covered, the intermediate or check-down routes were also unavailable.  Up to Sunday, Mahomes and his receivers, particularly Travis Kelce, seemed almost to be able to communicate via brain waves.  Not in this case.

Penalties.  No team can win championship games while committing them.  And there were some real doozies.  But in the endless analysis since, even those who were vehemently pro-Brady spoke repeatedly of the questionable nature of several of those calls.  Defensive Pass Interference called when the throw was clearly uncatchable.  And the one called on Tyran Mathieu that sent him into dancing histrionics.  Brady chased Mathieu across the field to deliver an angry message, but was not flagged.  Mathieu, however, was.  The analysts pointed out numerous times during that game when similar infractions were NOT called on the Buccaneers.  Did the penalties make a difference in the final score?  Possibly.  The timing of many of those calls killed promising drives by the Chiefs.  Since Sunday, a narrative has emerged that the history-making female, first one on a Super Bowl officiating crew, is a rabid Brady fan, even naming her dog after the Bucs QB.  This could be apocryphal, but noteworthy are the very loud calls for an overhaul of the standards for NFL penalties rising around the media.

Sunday, February 07, 2021

Aftermath



Copyright © 2021
by Ralph F. Couey

They played ugly.

They lost ugly.

'Nuff said.

Saturday, February 06, 2021

The Night Before


 

Copyright © 2021
by Ralph F. Couey

Tomorrow's a big day.  It's a day upon which most of America rallies around a common theme.  It is the day of the biggest event of the most popular sport in this country.  The final game of a tournament that played out over 20 weeks during which time some 30 teams were eliminated; left by the side of the proverbial road.  Tomorrow, the last two left standing will take the field to determine who will wear the crown of Champions of the National Football League.

For two cities, Kansas City and Tampa, it'll be a day of great pride.  Sure, the players will be on the field, taking and giving hits, grinding through any injuries.  But fans also share the ride.  All who tomorrow will wear the jerseys, hats, shirts, fly the banners and cheer - and suffer - through every moment, it will be a day like no other.

I am a Chiefs fan.  Have been since they moved to KC from Dallas in 1963.  I reveled in the wins, groaned through the losses, and suffered every one of the 50 years between Super Bowl IV and last year.  This year, our team is playing for a second straight championship, a feat only accomplished by a team, whose former quarterback now plays for another team, a championship team.  Nobody has been to more, or won more Super Bowls than Tom Brady.  He has rightfully earned every single superlative sent his way.  There is also the added spice that the games between that old codger and the shiny new superhero, Patrick Mahomes have been classic contests.  There is an enormous mutual respect the exists between the two, which only adds to their individual desire to win.

It's hard to describe my feelings on the eve of this historic contest.  Part of me, after assessing the massive weight of offensive weaponry at the Chiefs' disposal, and the growing toughness of their defense believes that they will win.  Decisively.  But there's another part that eyes with concern the patchwork offensive line that is tasked with keeping young Mahomes upright.  Across the line will be what is reputed to be the most dangerous front seven in the NFL.  This part of me acknowledges that there's no way to predict what might happen in the trenches tomorrow.

I'm not all bound up in worry like last year, because as I wrote the other day, the Chiefs were expected to be here, and a lot of people firmly believe that it will be they who hoist the coveted Lombardi Trophy by this time tomorrow night.  But, as they say, any team can beat any other team on any given Sunday.

We will be in church in the morning, but home in time for the start of the game at 1:40 pm, Hawai'i time.  I have to work tomorrow evening, which means timing my commute carefully so as to miss as little of the game as possible.  Since the game is also being carried on the radio, this will not present too much of a problem.  There is anticipation, to be sure.  But another part of me realizes that time for old people passes all to quickly, and before I am aware, the three to four hours will have passed, and I will be face-to-face with the result, for good or ill.

And the next day, Monday, will be just another day.

Super Bowl Sunday has morphed into an unofficial holiday.  It has been a day of gathering, celebrating, eating, like Thanksgiving without the turkey, or Christmas without the presents.  A lot of folks feel that the day after Super Bowl Sunday should be a holiday, if for no other reason, time off to heal the inevitable hangovers.