J E T S Jets Jets Jets

I want to be a cheerleader! Ok, so that's just a blatant lie. But aside from the fact that I really don't get the point of cheerleaders (well actually, I do get the point, I just can't wrap my head around the apparent fact that little girls aspire to be pom pom wielding bunnies once they're old enough for pneumatic boobs) or why it's called Football, when in actual fact the chappie actually allowed to connect his foot with the ball has as much pitch time as Basingers 'guest appearance' in LA Confidential (but then again, it's hard to see 'Handball' or even 'Throwball' setting a crowd or even attracting ), I love it!!!
I will admit to having referred to this as a sissy game in the past, which I unreservedly recant (although, it would be so much more manly if they'd leave out the kevlar, not to mention, easy on the eyes - it's disconcerting to have massive upper bodies supported by spindly appendages). It's fast, aggressive and absolutely thrilling. Watching the Jets massacare the Rams 47 to 3, from the edge of the field doesn't hurt either :). Like the city, the atmosphere in the stadium is electric, and it just sweeps you along with it. As a novice with only the benefit of a single telephone tutorial, there's a LOT I didn't get, but you can't mistake a superb steal by your home team and suddenly, you're on your feet screaming your guts out all the way to touchdown! An explosive first quarter is a brilliant way to make sure you're paying attention, and well, it's nice to actually have the hometeam clobber someone else for a change, and actually be able to chant along for a reason...! J E T S Jets Jets Jets!
The thing is, while I loved it (as did an initially whining Mimi), I'm not sure I'd want to watch it televised... but then again, given how humiliatingly little I know about the game, that's not surprising (during that first qtr., I actually sympathised with all men on TV with whingy wives during football season. I'd ignore the cow too). I'd expected to be annoyed by the teams going on and off the field (offense, defense & specialists), but the fact that there are almost a hundred players milling around doesn't really slow it like you'd imagine. I'm still a tad unimpressed by the degree of specialisation as a pure theorist, and I'm not sure I'd want to play in such a compartmentalised manner - you had to feel for Brown (3) of the Rams, diligently practising his kicks on the sideline, a mostly pointless exercise given the Rams were kept pinned at the wrong end almost the entire time. He did manage to get on field once, and rack up the only points for the Rams, an event I missed on my forage for something to warm my hands... c'est la vie.
There was this bit where the Rams coach threw down a red rag on the field sending the crowd into spasms of dissatisfaction and the referres into confabulations off the field, and I suspect it was a challenge to the Jets steal - whether the quarterback was dropped before the ball left his hand, but 'tis merely speculation on my part. I certainly wasn't going to reveal my ignorance to the statistically aware veteran on my side. But I do know now, why people bring kids to the game... it's coz they're cute collateral. Just lift the tow headed tyke and call out to the players - photo ops, footballs... all for the kid. Yeah right - more like one for Daddy, one for Uncle Frank and one for Uncle Jonas, and a pretzel for little Johnny - an adorable bobble head pimping for the big boys between playing peekaboo with the women behind :-).
While I'm now totally for this non foot associated football, I still don't get the phenomena of cheerleadering. Enjoyed them at the basketball, got bored by them here (possibly because they were covered from head to foot in honour of memorial day - I mean, really, what's the point?!?!) and they still fasicnate and befuddle me. Why? Why?? Why do they do this annoying shaking thing with their pom poms. Why do they have pom poms at all? Why do they insist on finishing the routine even after the music's stopped? Why do they have such monotonous choreography? Why do they all have hair reminiscent of Charlie's Angles? Why would you want to be one? To hook up with the players? Ok, that get, but other than that? Good benefits? Travel perks? Can't be - they're stadium bound, aren't they? Pension plans? Career progression? Creative outlet? (that can't be right either - a 4 year old preschooler lies with more creativity than their routine offers), self actualisation? Don't they get bored?!?!