I seldom write about sports, but...

Sunday's football game between the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets is an exception. The Colts the 29-15 loss to the Jets should/could not have been. That it ended the longest winning streak in NFL history and the possibility of the first team to go undefeated throughout a season since the Miami Dolphins did it decades ago .has me taking more than just a little notice.

In case you missed the story:

   The Indianapolis Colts violated the public trust Sunday. Two games away from a rare perfect regular season, the Colts shut it down midway through the third quarter against the New York Jets.
   After having taken a 15-10 lead on a short touchdown run by Donald Brown, the Colts pulled their three-time NFL MVP quarterback Peyton Manning from the game. The Colts said they did not want to risk injury to their best player or other starters so they flooded the field with reserves.
   The Mannings, Dallas Clarks and Reggie Waynes were replaced by the Curtis Painters, Hank Basketts and Jacob Tammes. The Colts managed only 47 yards and one first down over their final six possessions as their perfect season went down the drain in an ugly 29-15 loss to the inferior Jets.~ Why the Indianapolis Colts failed their fans:Rick Gosselini, Sports Day 

I felt very sad watching that game. The dejection I saw on the faces of Peyton Manning and the other "stars" who were pulled from the game tore into me. My sadness may also go back to my own days of playing high school football,where is learned that a teams needs to focus on the present contest and play the best one can in each game.

The Game:

Colts vs. Jets: Action - More The Indianapolis Star Galleries

P.S. ~ There is a new post of old photos on Nick's Pics:

View this gallery at The Indianapolis Star: Colts vs. Jets: Action

The Muffin Saga, Part III

Muffin was intelligent, perhaps the most intelligent dog I have ever known. She swiftly accepted being walked on a leash, walking beside me at whatever pace I chose. During out walks she sometimes reverted to the survival habits she had acquired while being neglected on the farm on which she grew up. At times she would leave the sidewalk and begin digging in the earth at its edge. Muffin was acting more like a chicken than a dog, scratching beneath the soil for insects and worms that she would eat. She continued to do this even with the fine cuisine we provided for her. I rather suspect that she had subsisted on small crawling creatures and one seldom forgets survival skills.

Another of her survival skills was raiding garbage cans. To do this she had to escape the fence that surrounded the parsonage and church. It was a metal fence constructed with iron bars perpendicular to the ground. In the front of the yard the bars were too narrow for even a small dog to squeeze through. However, the fence at the back of the property had more space between the bars.

The first time I noticed Muffin outside the fence she was in the alley that ran behind the parsonage yard. She was digging through the garbage set out by Irma, our next door neighbor. I called Muffin from inside the yard and expected her to slide back in through the bars in the fence. However, I think Muffin was reluctant to expose her avenue of escape; she walked all the way around the property to the front gate and stood there, smiling and awaiting me to open the gate. As I said, Muffin was quite intelligent.

This has been Part III of the Muffin Saga, which I shall continue until the story of this marvelous dog is complete. The previous installments may be accessed by clicking below:

• The Muffin Saga, Part I

• The Muffin Sage, Part II

Today Alex and I plan to spend most of our time watching the National Football League’s Conference Championship games on TV

• The San Diego Chargers play the New England Patriots for the American Conference Championship. I’m pulling for the Patriots.

• The New York Giants play the Green Bay Packers fro the National Conference Championship. I’m pulling for the Packers.

Alex seems to enjoy watching football games. During each game we’ve watched together, he has curled up beside me, rested in my arms, or sat on my shoulder. I wonder if he can make it through two games this afternoon and evening.