Reason #22: Redskins Rule

Week 9 of the NFL season featured a number of marquee matchups: Falcons vs. Cowboys, Steelers vs. Giants, and to a lesser extent, Eagles vs. Saints. The game that I was interested in was the Panthers vs. Redskins game. Sure, they're both sub .500 squads that are destined for another playoff-less January.  However, were you aware of the Redskins Rule?

Every U.S. Presidential Election outcome can be tied directly to the outcome of the Redskins game the weekend before. If the Redskins win, then the incumbent party gets re-elected. When they lose, then Hello New President!  The rule has NEVER failed in ANY election year. Seeing how the current race is razor-thin close - I have the similar belief as everyone outside of 50% of Americans and rooting for Barry Obama to win - I was really interested to see how the NFL gods would vote. They voted Romney! Wow!

I'm all for superstitions/facts - as unrelated as they may seem - especially if they can be tied into sports. In fact, the Redskins Rule even sucked my wife (not a sports fan) into the outcome of the game! So, while the world watches Wednesday's  poll results, I'll be hoping that a certain fact gets proven wrong, all while being reminded of why we love sports!

Reason #21: World Series - Game 1

October is arguably the best month on the sports calendar. It's the only month where all 4 major sports run at the same time (lockouts aside!). That being said, baseball takes over the reins tonight with game 1 of the World Series. The contenders change every year, as do the story lines, but the buzz surrounding the Fall Classic stays the same. Similar to kickoff at the Super Bowl, the stadium will light up to thousands of cameras as Barry Zito throws out the first pitch tonight.

Yes, that Barry Zito. The same Barry Zito who signed one of the worst contracts in professional sports history (7 years, $126 million). He may never live up to the lofty amounts the Giants are paying him, but helping San Francisco win their second World Series in three years wouldn't hurt!  That's the joy of the World Series. There's a plethora of stories to keep fans intrigued:

Does Justin Verlander take the title of best pitcher on the planet with a World Series championship? Does he already own that distinction?

Can Prince Fielder mimic the efforts of his father, Cecil, and win a World Series title?

What would the World Series look like today if the White Sox didn't collapse? What about if the Reds or Cardinals won any of their 6 chances to eliminate the Giants?

Can Miguel Cabrera become the third player in history to achieve the triple crown AND win the World Series in the same season? (Mickey Mantle, 1956, and Frank Robinson, 1965)

If the Giants lose, will they regret leaving Melky Cabrera off their playoff roster? (Personally, I wish Melky was playing, just so we could have the Melky vs. Miguel discussion - one Cabrera to rule them all!)

So, sit back and relax.  There are so many more plotlines to follow over the next few days, and constant reminders of why we love sports!

Reason #20: Gambling!!

No, I'm not referring to Pro-Line or off-track betting, but wagers between friends. I find it makes games that much more interesting to watch! I should probably mention that the reason for today's article is that I also won a bet last night!

Every year, I host a small Super Bowl party. To keep the people don't follow football interested, I create a questionnaire of mostly non-football-related questions. For example, over/under on length of national anthem. Or will the halftime entertainment sing a specific song. Or what colour will the Gatorade be that's poured over the winning coach. So far, it's worked out very well. A person who doesn't follow football normally wins, while the football fans get to enjoy the game: win-win!

Last night was a simple wager: who will win, Seattle or Green Bay? If your twitter and Facebook timelines are any indicator this morning, the game ended in a very controversial manner. Tate (Seattle) and Jennings (Green Bay) both caught the Hail Mary pass, with Jennings clearly having possession.

Maybe it was the incompetence of the replacement ref.
Maybe the ref had a different vantage point (which could've really been corrected with instant replay.......which was used!).
Maybe the ref is a Seahawks fan.
Maybe the ref wanted to get out of the stadium alive!

Whatever the reason, the touchdown stood and I now have a $10 gift card heading in my direction! Sigh......the spoils of victory. Just another reason to love sports!

Reason #19: The Perfect Spiral

A couple of days ago, the NFL world lost a legend when Steve Sabol passed away. Steve was the mastermind behind NFL Films. As a former player, he wanted to go beyond highlights and interviews to truly depict the struggles of playing professional football.

One of my favourite scenes is when they show a football spiraling perfectly in the air, in slow motion. (Mind you, everything looks better in slow motion!) Have you tried throwing a football? It's pretty difficult to throw a spiral, which is really the only way you're successfully getting it from point A to B. Don't forget that QBs have to throw them with heavy, armour-like padding, while 350-pound linemen are trying to tackle them, and simultaneously surveying routes and defensive schemes - all in a matter of seconds!

As perfectly depicted on NFL Films, when that ball is thrown, the world momentarily stands still. Will the receiver make the catch? Will the Safety pick it off? Is this the game's deciding play? The entire audience, both at the stadium and watching from home, with bated breath, watch the perfect spiral's trajectory as it lands and decides the fate of thousands!

Pretty dramatic, huh? Don't you just love that about sports?