American football

I have always been a big sports fan- from cricket to soccer to hockey. Following sports in a country normally is a good way of getting to know about the country itself- what it is crazy about, what arouses passions and what lengths people will go to, to really watch their stars perform. In the US, there are three big games- baseball, football (the American football, not soccer that is played worldwide) and basketball. Before I came ot the US, I knew something about the last but very little of the first two games. Then, the Boston Red Sox became the World Champions in 2004. Living in Boston, it was a little difficult not to get caught into the legend of the curse of the Bambino or watching Ortiz hit the ball out of the park or feeling for Curt Schilling as he pitched with a tore ligament in a crucial game. I went to Fenway Park and started following baseball.

One game I never quite followed was football.
Neither the brilliance of Tom Brady nor the Patriots 3 titles in four years could get me interested.
I never thought I would get into the game.

Till today that is!

And it happened almost by chance. I came back home after a drive, switched the television on and thought I would go to sleep in front of the couch and the channel I switched to first was showing the playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburg Steelers. From conversations in office, I knew that the colts were favorites. A 21-8 scoreline in favor of the Steelers got me interested in the first place. I love underdogs! Only 8 minutes left in the last quarter. I decided to continue watching- and as the pressure mounted, touchdowns were made, mistakes were committed and clock wound down, I was totally and completely hooked! It was one of the most pulsating games ending at 21-18 with the Steelers escaping by the skin of their teeth and beating the highly rated Colts at their own home turf.

I am glad I watched it. My respect for the game has grown. It is not just about brawn as I had originally thought. Strategy, tactics, the ability to stay calm under pressure, speed, agility and a razor sharp focus on the task at hand under intense time pressure are all key ingredients to win. I love to see all that in a game.

Maybe, I got to see one of the best close finishes in recent times. And the fact that the underdog eventually won made it all the more exciting for me.
American football is now on my list to watch, and coming as it does at the very end of season, that would mean only a couple of more Sundays to watch!