Perfect

I'm a posting madman this month, huh?

Last night I attended the Patriots/Giants game at Giants Stadium. A great big thanks to Mike Walker for brilliantly getting reasonably priced tickets on ebay on Christmas day while everyone else was opening presents, and then inviting me.

In case you live under a rock, the Patriots won 38-35 to finish the regular season undefeated at 16-0. This is the fourth time in NFL history a team has finished the regular season unbeaten and untied - two of those teams (both Chicago Bears teams in the late 30's/early 40's) lost the championship game. So they're chasing the 1972 Miami Dolphins for the second perfect season ever, if they can win the Super Bowl.

The game last night was fantastic - very well played and exciting. Taking into consideration the fact that the Pats were locked into the #1 AFC seed and the Giants were locked into the #5 NFC seed going into the game, this was beyond most people's expectations. It could very well have been a case of the Giants playing all their backups, the Pats running up a 21-0 lead and then putting in their backups. So give credit to the Giants for coming out and playing hard and very well, they made the Pats earn it.

The Pats broke the single season scoring record early in the 2nd quarter, when they went ahead 10-7. By the 3rd quarter, they were down 28-16 - the biggest deficit of the season - and there was a lot of time left but it was getting close to nail-biting territory. That's the great thing about rooting for Tom Brady and the Patriots, though... I didn't have to worry quite yet. Anyways, the one single play I'll remember from this game longer than any other came with 11:06 left in the game. Mike and I were sitting in section 302, up in the borderline nosebleeds but you could see fine, and we were looking straight through one end zone, which was a cool perspective. Tom Brady tossed up a pass for Randy Moss, who was seemingly streaking right at us - he caught it in stride for a 65-yard touchdown. On that one play, Brady broke the single season passing TD record, Moss broke the single season receiving TD record, and it put the Pats ahead to stay in an exciting game that capped off a 16-0 season. For good measure, they also broke their own regular season winning streak (19 games going back to last season).

Mike posed the question to me of where this game ranked in all of the sporting events I've ever been to in person. I ruled out the Celtics because they lost the only game I remember going to, and the Bruins because I've never been to a game nearly this good. I've been to some really good Red Sox games, some that might match this one in terms of excitement, but not in terms of actual significance. I think this game is on a short list of "great" games I've been to, along with:

- Colgate football making a 4th quarter comeback in a near blizzard to beat Western Illinois 28-27 in the Div I-AA quarterfinals on their way to the championship game, December 2003.
- Colgate hockey upsetting #4 Cornell, 2-1 in overtime, January 2003.

By the way, those chocolate chip cookies they were still selling after the game? Scrumtrillescent.

We can watch the snow fall forever and ever

A little random thought addendum:

- My work holiday party was tonight. Much more fun this year since I actually knew some people instead of having to make awkward small talk with some random people, I ended up staying longer than planned. You know what one of my favorite parts of holiday parties are? When you're about 2-3 hours in and everyone has had a few glasses of wine and people start breaking out their dancing shoes, and then "that guy" steps onto the dance floor. You know the one, with the awkward moves and the goofy smile that says "I know I can't dance, but I'm three glasses of wine deep and there's NO stopping me now!" Love that guy.

- I was reading some of my old posts while considering whether to do an analysis of my original football picks at some point and noticed that I used the word "juxtaposition" in two separate posts. Great word, but odd I thought. As for those aforementioned football picks? Suffice it to say I was either spot on (calling about 7 of the 12 playoff teams) or a complete disaster (most of my other playoff picks are in last place) with no in between. And for the record, it's in writing at the top of that September post that I said the Pats were going to go 19-0 this year. I was exaggerating at the time, of course (although I really did think they were a lock for 13-3 or 14-2), but it's there for me to take a little credit if it happens!

- I ran across this group called Paramore about a month ago. Not crazy about their first CD, but there are 5-6 really good songs on the second one. The lead singer, Hayley Williams, is 17, I think, and has a pretty awesome voice. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sApyi41SoVM&feature=related

- I'm not going to lie, I'm not real big on Christmas music. But three songs I really like: The Little Drummer Boy, Carol of the Bells as done by the Trans Siberian Orchestra, and of course Step Into Christmas by Elton John.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs4OkFZWmfs&feature=related

- December 21st: four more days of Christmas shopping left!

Throwing seven different kinds of smoke

A lot of sports posts recently I see, so I thought I'd treat you to another edition of Random Thoughts - the inner workings of Nathan's mind. Fasten your seatbelts. (Note: I reserve the right to also have random sports thoughts)

- Do you remember when Kudos bars were covered in chocolate? They were so much better that way. I'm not old, but I feel as though I've just dated myself for the first time in my life. Yeah 5th grade. Anyways, I liked the cookies and cream one the best.

- Winter pet peeve: people who plow the snow from their driveway into the middle of the street. Come on.

- Thursday night after/during all the snow, I couldn't get my car up to my place because they hadn't plowed the main road yet. Now, granted, I don't have the best car for driving up a huge hill in a snowstorm, but I was glad to see that I was not the only one who failed at that particular time. I made it about halfway and parked by the mailboxes, as did someone else. Hopefully this is ok, because I anticipate having to do it again.

- If there was anyone at all I wanted to see on the Mitchell Report, it was Roger Clemens. A whole lot of people owe Dan Duquette an apology for making fun of his "he's in the twilight of his career" comment when he let Clemens leave the Red Sox. By the way, I don't think there were any 2004 Red Sox in the report. Thank goodness, that's just what Red Sox fans would have needed...

- I entered a satellite tournament to try and win a $5000 seat to a World Series of Poker Circuit Event Championship tournament a couple weekends ago in Atlantic City. Consider it the minor leagues of poker. Forty-nine people entered the satellite tournament and that covered seats for the top two finishers; 3rd and 4th place split the leftover entry fees 60/40. I came in 4th and after taking out the entry fee, I walked out +$1500. A good day at the office, methinks. I'd like to take a moment to thank the 45 strangers who didn't place for my January rent and my new computer.

- Alex owes me an email, big time. Why do I mention this? Because I know she's reading this.

- Did you know that Tony Romo's two worst games as a pro are when then-rumored girlfriends Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson were in the crowd? Nice job, hot shot. Keep it up and you'll end up with Ugly Betty.

- For any Ugly Betty fanatics out there, I haven't watched the show before. I just know she's significantly less attractive than the two aforementioned women. Don't take it personally. But maybe she can bring out the best in Tony Romo.

- Speaking of women, I just need to get it over with and find a nice English girl who likes the Red Sox, so she can smile at me and say "Cheers!" when they win the World Series again next year. Like if Ben Affleck cheated on Jennifer Garner with Kiera Knightly, only if that English-and-Red Sox-genes baby were about 25 now. I'd like to know if this person exists.

- I made another bet with Dave G over the Pats/Jets game whis weekend. Since the Pats won, next year at our football draft, he has to perform the Shipoopi song from the Tom Brady episode of Family Guy, while wearing a Pats jersey. He'll also be doing this in a skirt because of our last Pats/Jets bet in September. Don't ask me why he came back for more.

- Tomorrow I go into "there's one week left before Christmas, better think about finishing my shopping" mode. That's always fun.

- I like to think Santa is bringing me a guitar next week. I'm excited about this. Once I learn how to play, I can have a little karioke night with myself. For some reason, all of my close friends seem to be tone deaf so this never happens normally.

- White hot chocolate at Dunkin Donuts. Now THAT's what I'm talking about.