Tag: Sports Illustrated

Sweating To The Phillies

If I wasn’t here the sound would be off. She’d be watching the game, but not listening. She is that intense.

I’m a sports fan–much more now than when I was younger. This is totally the fault because of Helaine. She is “the” sports fan in our family. It was Helaine who brought the subscription to Sports Illustrated into our relationship. It was she who shared Phillies season ticket plans with her dad. I was an Eagles season ticket holder, but the short season makes that much less of a commitment.

We are spending the evening watching the Phillies/Brewers playoff game on TV. Right now the Phils are behind. However, Helaine’s persona during a game is not lead dependent. Each pitch, no matter the score, is pivotal and cause for anguish.

She will poo poo this, but I’ve never watched a game with anyone who had more insight. Helaine watches and comments… and often the TV voices comment behind her.

It’s the bottom of the 7th and the Phils are down 4-1. If I wasn’t here the sound would be off. She’d be watching the game, but not listening. She is that intense.

I brag to my friends about having a sports fan wife. They are often very jealous–as well they should be. Not many people are married to a woman whose perfect Sunday is spent in pajamas, on the sofa, watching the NFL.

Why She’s The Perfect Woman

Helaine is the ultimate sports fan. When we married, it was her subscription to Sports Illustrated that started coming to the house. Her ‘perfect Sunday’ is sitting home, in her pajamas, watching NFL football – especially the Eagles.

I’m still very much in love with my wife. It’s OK to say it in the blog. I say it to anyone who will listen.

Helaine is beautiful and smart and puts up with (most of) my crap, but there’s more.

She is the ultimate sports fan. When we married, it was her subscription to Sports Illustrated that started coming to the house. Her ‘perfect Sunday’ is sitting home, in her pajamas, watching NFL football – especially the Eagles.

This time of year she’s following the Phillies.

I got the call tonight around 10:45. I answered, but Helaine said nothing. All I could hear was crowd noise. Loud, happy, excited crowd noise.

“Un***kingbelievable,” she finally said.

And then, she asked me to say the phrase. I knew what she wanted.

“Put another one in the win column for the Phightin’ Phils.”

After blowing a lead, then going down by a run in the top of the tenth, Pat Burrell’s walk off homer won the game. Helaine will sleep happy tonight.

She’s a helluva find.

Blogger’s addendum: A regular blog reader somehow got a copy of the radio aircheck from Burrell’s homer. Enjoy!

Am I Ready For Some Football?

I was out of bed at 11:00 this morning. That’s especially early for a Sunday start.

Helaine had long since left the bedroom. She was downstairs, doing everything she could to be ready for today’s important business – football!

Though New Orleans got clocked by Baltimore (I know – live with it) Thursday night, the season really starts today. The Eagles will be playing at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. And, of course, we live and die by the Eagles.

Two hours before game time, as she sat and intently listened to the ESPN coverage, Helaine turned to me and jokingly said, “I am every man’s fantasy. A woman who loves football.”

She is.

When we were married, it was her subscription to Sports Illustrated that came to our Buffalo apartment. She’s enough of a fan to root against teams, because my enemies enemy is my friend.

Oh, speaking of ESPN, five commentators on the set makes for one of the most unwieldy camera shots ever. Five guys in a row is just too wide. Maybe it’s better on HDTV with its stretched screen.

The real deal begins in about a half hour. A competitive team will make for a fun fall. Wish us luck.

Is It The Kiss Of Death?

Have you seen the cover of Sports Illustrated? Of course you have. There it is over to the left.

That’s Jeff Garcia, Philadelphia Eagles fill-in quarterback. He is here because Donovan McNabb is not. Jeff Garcia, a discarded quarterback well past his peak, is our savior. He’s amazing every second he’s on the field. If this is my football dream, I don’t want to wake up.

But now he’s on the cover of S.I. Oh no!

You see, being on the cover of Sports Illustrated is an honor, but it comes with the world famous SI cover jinx. No, I’m serious. Even lesser sports fans, like me, have heard about it. Sports Illustrated itself, in a true exercise in navel gazing, has written about it.

Whether it’s true or false… it had better be false this time. From here on out, as the Eagles start the first round of the playoffs, it’s win or walk.

I wish they would have put someone else on the cover. How about Tiki or anyone named Manning? Don’t the Giants deserve a little additional attention?