Better Than Life

 "Life is good. Football is better."

Steve Sabol

Steve Sabol had a point. 

Football is much misunderstood because there is so much goddamn hype. Regular people get turned off. "What the fuck is this? Another goddamn commercial hyping another NFL game? And what about the Super Bowl? Jesus Christ."

Understood. But football fans are fanatics. You get 17 games. That's it. Jesus Christ, I have watched 333 Red Sox games this year with Carol and they got another 250 to go. In football, if your team does not make the playoffs you get 17 games. Like life. I only get 70 or 80 years? That's it? Shit. Don't fucking blink, man.

So I am excited for tonight. Game 1 of the 2023 NFL season. I will be eating a Cajun Blue Burger - a burger topped with cajun spices, thick cut bacon, and blue cheese crumbles. I had one last year when Carol was away and I almost died from delight. I will drink an ice cold Miller High Life. Maybe a shot of whiskey if I think I can stay awake.

Tonight will be an event and I will celebrate that - I am all the way in, baby.

The US Open: I have been devouring that this week. It's a big part of my "Carol's not here" tradition. Like the burger.

Laslo Djere took Djokovic 5 sets in the third round. Are you kidding me? Novak went down 2 sets and had to win 3 in a row. Which, of course, he did. Zverev and Sinner played 5 grueling sets in brutal heat. Z-Man won but lost last night to Alcaraz. Medvedev won in 3 straight against Rublev in brutal heat. At one point Medvedev walked up to the camera and said: "One of us will die and the people will see it." It was that bad. And Alcaraz...................has been doing what Alcaraz does. John McEnroe keeps saying that Alcaraz is the best thing to happen to tennis in a loooooooooooong time. He is correct.

On the women's side, Iga Swiatek lost last Sunday to Jalena Ostapenko. Are you serious?  Coco Gauff is planting her flag in history - she looks unbeatable. Madison Keys looks great. Aryna Sabalenka stalks the court like she owns it.

The tennis has been spectacular. There's something about the US Open, man - it brings out the magic.

The men's final is on Sunday at the same time THE PATS play their first game of the season. The final will probably be Djokovic/Alcaraz. Epic, epic, epic. So............................

I will have THE PATS on TV and tennis on my tablet. Or maybe the other way around. It will be a spectacular way to end my vacation.

Small joys, people - small joys.