It was disgusting to watch Peyton Manning under a pair of headphones Sunday instead of under his helmet as the Colts coasted into the playoffs. To pull tens of thousands of people into a stadium and not play to win is shameful.
Putting Peyton on the bench was an especially poignant move when compared to what happened the day before when two other teams that had already clinched a playoff spot -- the Patriots and Giants -- took to the field and left nothing on the sidelines, especially not their best players. (Link here.)
In the words of Pats QB Tom Brady, it was a game that meant nothing, yet meant something.
Playing it safe in football? It's an oxymoron, fer chrisake!
The decision by the Pats and the Giants to play their starters in a meaningless game was not moronic, as many critics pointed out. It reminded everyone that football is not about Vegas spreads or even trophies. It's about gutting it out on the field and leaving blood and broken bones behind. Not just when it counts in the standings, but even when it doesn't count. Especially when it doesn't count, I'd argue.
The Giants had arguably more to lose. The Patriots, after all, had a chance to even up with the 1972 Miami Dolphins by going undefeated in the regular season. The Giants risked getting beaten up and bruised against the best team in the league a week before the playoffs start.
And they didn't win. But what they did was scare Patriots Nation to death, come awful close a seemingly unbeatable team, and give their squad an experience that proves to themselves that they can compete with any team in the league.
That won't hurt them in the playoffs. Here's to hoping they go farther than the Colts. They deserve it.
(Pix: 2004 Pop Warner "Midget" Championship game.)
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