Some folks are just, well, haters

Well, it's another Monday and the Patriots are 13-0, undefeated in other words. They have played stunning football at times and pedestrian at other times. Yet, they are unbeaten. Listening here in DC, the Junkies are trying to speculate who could beat the Patriots. Strange how folks seem to think that the Patriots can be beaten by "scoring a lot of points." There is only two ways the Patriots are beatable - turnovers and injuries. The Ravens game was the closest to a loss that came out a win since Nebraska came back to beat Missouri back in the late 90's.

In watching the Patriots yesterday I was struck by the sheer brilliance that the Patriots have on offense in the passing game. Having four athletic receivers and solid tight ends who can catch (for the most part, Watson seems to cough up some easy ones) and then having Faulk run a hitch/screen out of the backfield makes defenses weary.

I was fortunate that I was able to watch the game since it was my youngest son's 4th birthday but I also had some evacuation situations to handle to I was downstairs in and out of the bathroom while my in-laws/wife/friends/kids were upstairs making a racket. It was great to watch that trick play, double lateral, and burn that big mouth safety from Pittsburgh.

What is a Washington DC area sports fan like?

I've lived here in DC for over 13 years now (almost half my adult life, short as it has been) and I'm still baffled by the folks who call themselves sports fans here. I'm a loyal listener of the Junkies (formerly known as the "sports junkies") in the morning hours since I get up ever so early to get to my avocation's work site and like to laugh. Anyways, a few days ago (last week actually) the foursome that comprises the Junkies got quite bent over a few comments from a blog site www.misterirrelevant.com. I was fairly amused at their characterizations but the churlishness showed by both sides is astounding. It all boiled up and over from an interview that the Junkies did with a Redskin receiver, Brandon Lloyd (see this link for audio http://www.wjfk.com/episode_download.php?contentType=36&contentId=1067453). The topics were pretty innocuous until Troy Aikman came up. Lloyd implied that Aikman may have had a, um, same sex encouter in the past. The Junkies hopped on that item and then the Mothram boys (who run the blog) wrote this. It created a firestorm and made Lloyd an instant media celebrity (he's a middling receiver apparently).

What I'm finding is that sports fans in DC are just plain weird. There seems to be an incessant need to nit pick or complain about everything. Now, the pot is calling the kettle black here since I'm originally from Boston and sports fans there are beyond weird. However, we're pyschos from up nawth, predictable, and hyper-passionate. I've never seen folks down here get passionate over sports unless it's the Redskins, but even then it seems pretty tepid compared to my old haunts. I mean, there are three legitimate football teams, college mind you, that play here and you'd never know it. Not unlike Boston with the Red Sox presumably, but, there are three other major sports teams that get attention, scant it may be though.

Washington DC needs to get on board with hockey. I'm a Bruins fan no doubt, grew up with Gerry Cheevers, Mike Milbury, Ray Bourque and so on, but here in DC there is a decent squad on the frozen water with a rooskie who can flat out score. Again, it's weird down here, football and basketball, that's it for sports attention. Weird I tell you.

I'd be interested in finding out if I'm on an island or if I'm close to the tree and/or target.