Trav's Thoughts

We have a very light slushy snow falling this morning.

I have never played football in 18 degrees, like the Raiders and Packers will today. I think the coldest temperature I ever played in was maybe mid-50s. I have played in torrential rains and mucky mud. During my freshman year I watched our varsity play in tule fog. Well, I think they played...it was tough to tell because all we could see was a bunch of legs running around on the field.

I am going on record today. I am not among the "everyone", as in "Everyone loves Brett Favre". I don't love Brett Favre. I don't hate Brett Favre. I respect the man's determination. He's having a great year and I respect that. But I've never been on the Favre bandwagon. So to all the sports writers and talking heads, I ask that you amend your statements and stop telling us that we all love Brett Favre.

Well, my Raiders are off to a pretty good start. They've moved the ball some on offense. They've been able to get a bit of a running game started. But the best news is on defense. The defense has held on 4th down and intercepted a pass.

I'm waiting for the day when a football player makes one of these stupid leaps into the stands, falls, and breaks his ass. Maybe that will put a stop to the practice.

Tackling!! This is a fundamental part of football and the Raiders are not doing it well at all today.

I would like to ask all players in the NFL this question: Why oh why do you give up so much ground after you catch the ball??? You're not going to turn the play into a touchdown, so just put your head down and square your shoulders and get as many positive yards as you can. I detest watching these players run 10-15 yards in the wrong direction, thinking they are going to outrun the defense. They cost their teams valuable field position. Sometimes if you just get your shoulders turned up field and keep your legs moving, you can break tackles and end up with a big play instead of a big loss.

Green Bay is just a better football team. I can accept that. My Raiders have played pretty well. Of course just as I say that, it looks like Tim Dwight fumbled a punt and the Packers recovered in the end zone. The replay confirms the fumble and TD. Ah well. The good news is that Dwight managed to avoid a gruesome injury. He was bent backwards and was fortunate that his foot didn't get caught beneath the defender, otherwise that leg snaps.

We're only getting smatterings of very light snow. It's not sticking on the ground. I suppose that's a good thing. Neighboring counties don't need any more challenges as they begin to clean up and pull themselves together from last week's storms.

On that note, we're off to put together some lunch.

Later babies.

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