Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I realize not everyone is a sports fan, or specifically a football fan, but this year’s NFL playoffs have everything equal to any television drama you might choose. The competition is fierce, with any team having the capability of beating any other team on any given day. Layer in all the background stories entwined with each team and/or game, and the matchups thicken with drama. We saw the near on-field death of the Buffalo Bills cornerback Damar Hamlin (he experienced an impact-induced heart attack playing the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago. For the first time in NFL history, CPR was performed on the field, including the use of a defibrillator, and miraculously, he is on the mend, I am happy to say), and the possible last game played by the GOAT (greatest of all time) quarterback Tom Brady (whose team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night). Also there are, count them, at least five quarterbacks making their playoff debut (and a handful of coaches as well), including QB Daniel Jones of my team, the NY Giants. All of the games this past weekend were very competitive and close (except for one), where the margin of victory was pretty much only one score.
I am a sports fan. And I do love football. But with all the added backstories and behind-the-scenes plots, I think the NFL playoffs could appeal to almost anyone. The teams endure a whole season of bone-crushing football (16 games) just to, hopefully, make it into the playoffs (only 14 of the 32 NFL teams make the playoffs), vying for the chance to win the coveted Super Bowl Vince Lombardi trophy. The playoff format is: If you lose, your season is over — you are out — so each team is playing for their proverbial football lives and putting it all on the line, making for some very captivating television. Hey, if you aren’t watching the NFL playoffs this weekend, then WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?
