The Hilarity of my LAST post about football

It was in October, ah yes sweet sweet October. My Eagles were Flying as high as one might THINK they could for it to be the regular season, doom and gloom had not yet struck, and of course we never knew how awesome a "Philly Special" could be that didn't include: Fries, a Coke, fried onions, and cheese whiz or provolone. Most of you know I am a gamer, including SPORTS games, and yes including THAT Sports game, you know the salve for every hungry football fan who has yet to resign himself to "Maybe Next Year." Which as I think about my Madden Experiences, ESPECIALLY in the Carson Wentz era apparently it is prophetic. I will of course get into that after the jump, because as EVERYONE knows by now(Unless the are under a rock or in DEEEP DEEP sweet denial)

THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WON SUPERBOWL LII.

Yes at times that STILL seems surreal to me, I waited 43 years to be able to say 3 Chips and X bowls(now ONE and hopefully counting). I mean yes technically it is 4 chips, but even though for EVERY OTHER storied franchise NFL championships(Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Cleveland, yadda, yadda) count because we hadn't won in the SUPERBOWL ERA, all the sudden a chip wasn't a chip. But since they brought up Bart Star and Vince "I can't stand those damn birds" Lombardi umpteen times during the Superbowl to describe the GREATNESS of Brady and Belicheck I GUESS we can speak on those again. Ahem, but I digress back to my Madden experiences
While I had given up on playing madden for a few years like most people who grew up in the 80's and 90's first Joe Montana and THEN John Madden's football was how you settled your neighborhood differences on "Who's team is better" especially if they didn't play that season. Or if your teams coach was MILDLY inept (this is not a shot at CK or RK.... hmmm what is it with us and coaches with a K as their final initial) Monday Morning Quarterbacking how YOU could have called the game better. And like most people my BELOVED Birds were always undefeated and Virtual Superbowl champs. The confetti falling so sweetly, thing was in the two latest Madden's 2017 and 2018 Wentzelvania never made it to the Superbowl the FIRST season of that year.

We would be off to a great start, Passing numbers off the charts, Rushing numbers off the charts, Season Sack records, season Rushing TD record, Season Passing TD record, Season passing yards record, like we were moving the ball around. YET somehow always around like NOVEMBER or DECEMBER as I was attempting a deep pass or a quick slant CJWentz would always end up hurt. And our Back up QB at the time would end up finishing off the "Championship Run." So of course, as 2017 plays out and poor Carson goes down with a Season Ending Injury(because yes it is ALWAYS a season ending Injury, like 8 to 9 weeks with only like 3 weeks to go in the season which is ANNOYING but of course pffft I got this per Buddy Ryan: "just don't lose the game for us QB my Defense got this." And we would, RARELY would I get into shoot outs, EXCEPT when I would gamble in INT's but it was always a 20+ point blow out, but again Carson Wentz never made it til the end of the FIRST season. If I played two boom he's SB MVP but that first one he's hurt.

SO low and behold in DECEMBER, with a good 3 weeks left in the season what happens? Trying to run it in for a touchdown(with a BS holding call but I digress) Carson Wentz gets hurt, Nick Foles comes in and doesn't look great but looks serviceable(Because of course Carson was TEARING UP the league. It took Russel Wilson 3 games to pass his league passing TD lead), now with one leg he stills throws a 4th and goal TD to Alshon Jefferey but that was the last we were going to see of Carson on the field in 2017. So we beat Oakland(barely), we give a game away to Dallas(because we didn't need it, we were the ONE SEED and had Home Field Through out), have the bye week and then comes Atlanta.

We barely squeak that one out. Now granted we had a couple of fumbles, and a lot of miscues but THE DEFENSE stepped it up in the end. Come on Down Minnesota.

Nope, not gonna rub this one in. The Hungrier team won that is all I will say.

Now of course comes THE BIG ONE, after tripping Jacksonville up it's US vs THE GOAT. The Madden curse ain have NOTHING On Tom Terrific.... Or DID IT. Each time I hear people speak about the Superbowl and the LACK of defense, everyone IGNORES the first half. Save Alshon Jefferey damn near making an Awesome catch that MIRACULOUSLY falls into a Patriot Players arms for an interception we were almost up like 22 to 6. We were putting it on Bill and crew. Not "barely keeping up" No we were up 15 to 6 and DRIVING. Cool Hand Doug didn't care who was on the other sideline, he has had ICE WATER IN HIS VEINS all season long and the Superbowl was no different. so at the half it was 22 to 12. Looks like the DEFENSE showed up to me, but of course football is played in 2 Halves, 60 minutes not 30. So AFTER the Philly Special, as if taking it as a PERSONAL affront Tom Brady Finds Gronk to make it 22 to 19. Then Nick Foles finds Corey Clement for a tud. 29 to 19, Brady finds Gronk again, 29 to 26, miscue on the patriots side of the field 32 to 26, Brady to Hogan 33 to 32 PATRIOTS. Oh no, we pulled an ATLANTA FALCONS I would never hear the end of this. Nick Foles to Zach Ertz 38 to 32. Problem is, there is over 2 minutes left on the clock and TOM BRADY has the ball. Tom is under pressure but he finds Danny Play Offs for a first down, and then TIME SLOWS DOWN. While the Eagles hadn't sacked Brady all day they had been close. Fingers tugging at the jersey, QB knockdown(a knockdown is when you don't get the sack but get the the QB within a step or two AFTER the throw in quick succession. Gotta be quick though take too long and it's ROUGHING THE PASSER), QB hurry but not this time as TOM BRADY attempts to step forward through the sea of Green, white, silver, as well as Red, White, Blue and Silver a body in green lunges desperately forward arm outstretched and STRIPS THE BALL.

I want to tell ANY reporter who EVER wants to call Brandon Graham a BUST don't do it in Philly. That man is GOLDEN, that play EVERYTHING. Yes, yes Derrick Barnett had to scoop up the ball but without the strip there is no fumble. Philly has the ball back at the New England 31 or 32. 3 clock chewing runs later and Jake Elliot Breaks his FORMER Superbowl rookie record by making a 46 yard kick after hitting a 42 yard kick two series before. If you THOUGHT the crazy train had disembarked on the last series YOU AIN SEEN NOTHING YET.

A weird Hook and ladder attempt on the kick off, 58 seconds left. 3 straight passes, no yards really gained, 4 some seconds left, Brady to Amendola 1st down, Brady to Gronk, Gronk gets like 20 more yards. 14 second left. Brady ALMOST throws an INT on the Sideline but it is dropped 9 seconds left. An eternity, what legends are made of(Look up John Elway, don't say I am exaggerating), The snap, the hold, bodies streaking downfield, Brandon Graham has BRADY IN THE GRASP and NOOOOOO he escapes. Why Football Gods, Why have you forsaken me.... The pass is in the air, a scrum of bodies leap, the ball is batted around and... hits the ground. An Entire City remembers how to breathe. You can say I am being dramatic, anybody who says they were breathing while that ball was in the air THE TRUTH AIN IN THEM. I didn't faint but my first reaction BEFORE joy was disbelief did I really just see that, has it really just happened. Is this LIFE.

And yes, it was life but coincidentally it was also Madden. I had JUST played that season, I don't know if I let NICK QB us to the Superbowl of if I had hired some other slightly higher tiered QB but it was AMAZING. It was real life, I didn't just see digital confetti raining down I was seeing the real thing, Fly Eagles Fly. Sadly I couldn't make the parade back home. Part of me thought about it, but I guess it had been so many years and so many heart breaks I didn't want to jinx it. I am sure like every other long suffering fan, you can dream but come on it's NEVER gonna happen right.

How sweet it is to be OH SO WRONG...