Exile: Stage Left

"Even the losers get lucky sometimes."
-Tom Petty

I want to say something cliche about how "change is inevitable" but I'll let things speak for itself. Like this blog for instance. I had only posted once before I decided it's time for a change. Don't ask me why. I wasn't 100% in love with the title - I mean, don't get me wrong, the last title (...On life, sports, and the Pursuit of the ONE) described basically about what I'd be writing about, but I didn't think it 'flowed' as a title. And the template was kind of weak. So here's try #2 at a title...

"A Fraudulent Zodiac"

Here's my explanation: The actual phrase comes from one of my favorite Third Eye Blind songs, 'God of Wine' ("Every glamorous sunrise throws the planets out of line/a star sign out of whack/a fraudulent zodiac"). Second, I found the title to be appropriate at this time considering all the uproar that these so-called 'astologists' are creating by telling people that their zodiac signs are changing because of a shift in the earth's axis (or something?). Classic. I heard some people are getting all riled up because now they think that their whole spiritual life as been a complete lie. It's amazing what people actually believe in these days. It's just a cluster of stars, is it not? But then again, I can't really hate - people have to believe in something...even if it changes. Even if the change is for the worse.

Which brings me to the New England Patriots. In all honesty, I've been holding off posting for so long basically because I've been in a solitary depression for the past 4 days. I actually cannot believe what I saw on Sunday. Going into the game, I had no worries in my mind. None. Not after drudging the lowly New Jersey Jets 45-3 in week 13. Not after seeing the complete dominance the offense displayed on the so-called 'stellar' jet defense. Not after the utter embarrassment Rex Ryan put on himself after that game - a game in which he trash talked his way INTO the game, only to stick his foot in his mouth afterwards - yes, pun very much intended. And of course, not after watching and listening for a whole week to the same nonsensical rabble and banter from the same coach and players who should've learned their lesson about trash talking just 4 or 5 weeks back...This whole game had Pats dominance written all over. Why? The Patriots don't lose to inferior teams like this - especially ones that have gotten just plain lucky throughout the season (see: Texans, Lions, etc.) and then run their mouth like they're better than they are. They just don't and they never have. Until now...The Patriots have changed. Last year they let a Baltimore team that they should've easily handled slip by in the first round and now this. The Patriots, sad to say, have lost their playoff mojo. They haven't won a playoff game since the game before they lost the super bowl to the New Jersey Little Giants (another team they should've easily handled). Did that super bowl jinx the pats? Who knows. Maybe the zodiac believers believe that. But whatever it is, the pats have changed. And for the worst.

I really can't talk about it anymore without wanting to throw up in my mouth but I do just want to say that I sincerely want to punch Rex Ryan in that giant globular face. The man deserves shit and he knows it. All he does is run his mouth and hope for the best. Watching his press conferences make me wonder if he ACTUALLY knows how the game of football works. All he ever talks about is "this is personal between me and Peyton, Belichick, my wife's feet, etc." or "[player] is really good, but [player] is better, but not as good as [player]" or "our defense is good". None of his responses have any actual substance in them and everything he does it seems like he is doing it for attention from the media. Seriously, does anyone actually think this guy is a real coach? Like there must be a mini-Belichick clone that comes out of a crawlspace somewhere before practice and games and really coaches the team. Or maybe Rex Ryan's brother is controlling his coaching moves during the game from inside his body - like "The 6th Man" ft. Marlon Wayans.



Needless to say, once the game ended, all I wanted to do was go hide in a hole somewhere. So I did the next best thing: take a 5 hour drive to the middle of the nowhere in the backwoods of the Catskill Mountains. And that's where I have been for the past 4 days. Away from anything and everything that might remind me of the american sport of football. This is my exile. (Go Bruins)