Let's start with the bad. There were two low moments this past week that stood above the rest. The first has been covered on every television station, website, and newspaper around the country. The infamous infield fly call. For those of you who have been completely off the grid this past week, I will briefly recap the situation. So the Atlanta Braves squared off against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first ever win-or-go-home NL Wild Card Game. The Cardinals were up six to three when the Braves popped one out towards left field. A miscommunication between the short stop and the left fielder led to the ball dropping to the ground, loading the bases up with only one out in the 8th. However, stunning players and fans alike, the left field umpire ruled the play an infield fly. First of all, let me be clear when I say that this was not an infield fly. By no means was this a play that required 'ordinary effort'. Also, the umpire didn't make the call until a split second before the ball hit the ground. The rule states that an empire must make the decision at the peak of the arch to give the base runners time to adjust accordingly. This is simply indisputable. Needless to say, Atlanta fans were less then pleased. They demonstrated their discontent by littering the field with bottles and cans, effectively delaying the game for 19 minutes. This was a bad moment in sports.
This second story has been a bit overshadowed by other news stories around the sports world, but is important to touch on, nonetheless. Matt Cassel certainly hasn't had the best stint in Kansas City. Fans have been begging for Brady Quinn all year. In fact, a plane was even rented for the game carrying a sign that demanded Cassel be benched. But good spirited jeering turned into one of the most disgusting moments in all of sports. In the 4th quarter, Cassel was hit by a Baltimore defender and knocked unconscious. As he laid there on the ground, home fans proceeded to cascade the fallen quarterback with cheers. Now I would like to think that the cheers were for Brady Quinn finally getting his chance to shine rather than expressions of joy for the injury itself. However even if this is true, fans should know that cheering while someone is down is beyond disrespectful. I mean hell, we all learned in peewee sports that when somebody is injured, you take a knee and be quiet. It is important to remember that when it comes down to it, this is just a game. To cheer an injured player in general is pretty sick nevermind when the player is on the home team! Fans should be ashamed of themselves. At a certain point, the parallel needs to be drawn between athletes and fellow human beings. Teammate Eric Winston defended Matt as well as condemned the fans for their actions in a rant to the media.
So now for the good. There are few things in this world that can create the same level of inspiration as a great sports moment. Last night, as Drew Brees launched a 40 yard bomb to a wide open Devery Henderson, he passed Johnny Unitas' record of 47 consecutive games with a TD pass; a record that had gone untouched for 52 years. Records get broken all the time but this was a big one and it couldn't have happened to a better guy. Brees is one of the most likable players in the National Football League. He is the complete package as a quarterback; a natural leader, great arm, always consistent (obviously). A lot of times athletes will downplay the significance of a record. They will hold back their emotions and just shrug it off. After all, they are professionals and are in fact just doing their jobs. And there is a certain dignity that comes along with that. But last night, watching Drew Brees celebrate his 48 game streak, it was hard not to smile along with him.
The interesting aspect of a record like this, as opposed to a total yardage record or something of the sort, is that everybody knew the exact night that it would be broken. The NFL used this fact to their advantage. As if scheduling this game for Sunday night at home wasn't enough, the game was scheduled against the San Diego Chargers; a team that cut Drew Brees after drafting him in 2001. This represented more than the ultimate revenge on a team that didn't believe in him. It is also a common link that he shares with Unitas as he, too, was cut from the team that originally drafted him. Johnny's son Joe was in the crowd as well, which made the night extra special. Drew received a letter from the Unitas family wishing Brees the best of luck and complimenting his accomplishment. It was evident how much the honor meant to drew as he began tearing up during the post game interview with sideline reporter, Michelle Tafoya.
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