The Final Four
January 16, 2012 (Monday)
There were thirty-two teams competing with each other in professional football when the season began. Now there are four. When these final two games are played this coming weekend, only two teams will survive. Those two will play in the Super Bowl two weeks later. Only one team will emerge as "World Champion." Finally, then, the 2011-2012 season will be over.
After the Super Bowl, millions of fans across the nation--like bears rising from hibernation--will come out into the fresh air and sunlight, forsaking their couches and easy chairs. They will then seek relief from their football addiction with doses of baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, volley ball, ping pong, badminton, tee ball, tether ball, paddle ball, monopoly, poker, dominoes or mumbley-peg. Or golf. Or video games. They may decide to take up walking, exercising, jogging, running, swimming, or gymnastics. Whatever they decide, life without football will go on.
Since each Sunday will then no longer be "Football Day," perhaps it can become "The Lord's Day," and the first Sunday after Super Bowl could become "Back to Church Day." To use a word that is heard only in old movies nowadays, that would be "swell!"
In the meantime, there will be "Championship Sunday," "Pro Bowl Sunday," and "Super Bowl Sunday." O boy, fun, fun, fun. 