I ask this of the Statisticians, the Historians, or anyone who knows: One of the guys on TeleVision ~ it sounded like Al Michaels, who I detest, and Christopher Colinsworth, who I've come to like very much ~ was claiming that it was historically unprecedented in the PlayOffs. They usually get these facts right, and it did in fact register a Ring of Truth in my mind. Can anyone confirm or deny these Reports?
As a matter of interest, why do you detest Al Michaels?
Sorry to take so long to get back to you on this one, Brother Brit. It's been on my To Do List, but the answer is far longer than the question, and I've been insanely busy. I should also forewarn that my answer incorporates that little tiff we had back in 1776 or so, but is not meant to offend thee!!
Why, you inquire, do I detest Al Michaels? Be forewarned, as well, that my answer is easily interpretable as coming straight from the Tin Foil Hat Brigade ~ Persecution Complex, and all that.
Make'f it what you will, but your Query deserves an answer. Here's how I break it down:
01 ~ New York and Boston have always been Rivals. That's perfectly natural.
02 ~ But I've always sensed an underlying bitterness and jealousy to the attitude that KnickerBockers take to us Yankees. I sense a deep-rooted Inferiority Complex at the heart of it, perhaps going all the way back to 1775, when we Yankees ~ no offense, Brother Britt!!
~ drove
a certain Army of RedCoats into the Sea, a Year after which the KnickerBockers, faced with the very same Threat that we'd faced alone and
vanquished, cowered in cowardly Fear and
refused to vote for the Declaration of Independence!!
03 ~ I seriously doubt that even 1 in an 100 KnickerBockers even
know these historical facts, but you can be certain that everyone in New York ~ and
all the 13 Colonies ~ knew it back
then...And my study of Human Nature tells me that Shame is a powerful Driving Force, one that causes Cowards to
hate Heroes.
04 ~ I believe that The American Revolution ~ and New York's Cowardice & Fear in July of 1776 ~ gave birth to New York's Inferiority Complex towards New EngLand...and that that Soul Sickness & Shame ~ and that bitter Hatred towards New EngLand and all Yankees ~ caused first that original Generation to treat us with a counterfeit,
affected Contempt that masked their Shame...and that it's been passed down from Generation to Generation
to this very day, even though they don't even
conceive it, much less suspect its Origin.
05 ~ I imagine that they simply tell themselves that they're better than us.
06 ~ But, Hell...They even named their
BaseBall Team after us!!
07 ~ Yes, I believe that an unconscious shame-masking Hatred of us persists to this very day in Gotham: We stood up to the most powerful Nation in the world, and the KnickerBockers cowered in abject Fear. Such Legacies tend to have a far more powerful and lasting effect on a region's Psyche than is generally ascribed. And their Shame translates directly into Jealousy & Hatred of
us for the Pride our ForeBearers won.
08 ~ And guess where the HeadQuarters of ABC, CBS, and NBC are?
09 ~ And guess where the HeadQuarters of the
NFL are?
10 ~ The Oceans of Money that finance this League flow right
through that fair City.
11 ~ Therefore: Contacts, Jobs, Connections, and Power
also flow through that fair City.
12 ~ Human Nature is Human Nature. Over the course of History, Business ~ Negotiating Business ~ has always overflowed into Society. It's perfectly natural to want to get to know people you're considering spending Billions of Dollars with ~ to have Business Dinners, ****tails, Lunches, and so on.
13 ~ And in the course of getting to know these folks ~ especially if the Business at hand is FootBall ~ you're obviously going to discuss Likes & DisLikes. Rivalries. Who you love. Who you
hate.
14 ~ If an high-ranking Media CEO, in charge of Billions of Dollars, is HeadQuartered in New York, living amongst New York Society, and going to countless New York Gatherings, chances are pretty damned good that he's either going to be from New York in the first place, or is going to
become a very ardent New York Fan, aren't they? Especially if the guy who gave'm that gig in the first place is from New York
himself. The end result, of course, is League Offices
festooned with New York Fans who hate New EngLand.
15 ~
And it's only Human Nature to want the people who work for you to share Common Interests.
16 ~ You can Follow The Money from there, I'm sure: Al Michaels and a vast legion of Jamokes with microphones get their PayChecks from New York. As do the Referees. As does Roger Goodell.
Listen to those Vermin.
The Insinuations.
The sleazy, slimy Slander.
The poisonous
Lies.
It's not Paranoia if it's True.