"We've become a nation of wusses."
However inelegant, it is true, and perhaps my search for a more elegant explanation is evidence of my own wussiness.
Regardless, all of the circumstances regarding this affair just scream wussiness.
And why? Brett Favre doesn't have any streaks to protect, the Vikings played in worse weather on an unheated field only a week or two ago, the storm itself had hardly even begun when kickoff was slated.
Not to mention of of the greatest moments of Eagles history happenned in a raging blizzard. No, I am not talking about pelting either Santa Claus or the Dallas Cowboys with snowballs (which may or may not have had batteries hidden in them); the snow had fallen before the game in those instances. No, I am talking of the 1948 NFL Championship Game. The snow was so bad fans were offered free attendance if they brought a shovel to dig themselves a seat. The snow was so bad, star running back Steve Van Buren (possibly the greatest downhill runner ever), who lived in the suburbs almost didn't make it to the game on account of his car being buried in snow.
He, not being a wuss, made it to the game, and gave us one of the enduring images of Eagles History.
That is the game winning touchdown, and only score of the game.
Being a regular season game, this would surely not carry the same weight as this above, but it would still be memorable. "Remember that time the Eagles beat that team from snowy Minnesota in their own environ?"
But that is just one example of how awful this has been handled. The mayor's office called a state of emergency at 2 pm, when hardly a snowflake had fallen on the ground. The NFL decided to postpone the game arguably more for the comfort of their common fan (at least that's what they'll say, it's more like the comfort of the common luxury box owner) -- side note, how has it taken until now to realize that luxury box owners don't actually care about watching the game, that it's just a status symbol (I'm talking of course of the field level boxes, which would only give a view of the players on the sideline, at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium).
And yes, I do realize how bad the roads could have gotten. I, after all, spun out going straight on a flat road at about 4 pm, in my rear wheel drive vehicle. But isn't it then the responsibility of a city and/or state to make sure the roads are cleared? I'd like to blame PennDOT here, but I know from being at Penn State for 4 years that roads in Pennsylvania can and do get cleared.
So yes, because we have become a nation of wusses we have been robbed of a possibility of great football memories for the city of Philadelphia (though yes, I would have missed out on it because of my boycott). But that's only part of it. Becoming a nation of wusses has left us all weak and vulnerable in sooo many more things than just silly football games. Clearly I could go on a rant here, but I'll forgo myself. I think I've already made my point.
Congratulations on your first tuesday night football game in like 20 years, NFL, you deserve it. You really do.
-- Knuttel
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