My Own Game 7 MVP Performance

[Redz]

As a diehard fan trying to watch an intense Game 7 with my team's life on the line, yesterday was a big time test of my resolve.  I'm proud to say, I came through against all defenses and made several courageous game watching efforts that would hold water to Eddie House's diving slap pass to Posey for the degree of desire and heads up play I displayed. (I'm on DefCon 3 hyperbole alert already).

Throughout the season, and particularly in the playoffs I've had a nice routine going.  If my wife is working nights I setup Tivo, and get my girls to bed around tipoff.  With Tivo doing its job I can generally relax with my girls and not rush off to the game.  I usually catch up with live action by the end of the first quarter with the girls snoozing away.

The only exception to my pattern has been the first games of the two series that I have attended in person, and Game 7 vs. Atlanta which was an afternoon game that I managed to carve out a comfy place to watch the game relatively uninterrupted.

So yesterday comes around and I'm already feeling a bit guilty about it being a gorgeous day outside, and having my day focused around a 3:30 tipoff that will have me squarely planted on my couch.  For a deeper picture of what I was up against here, I should point out that my house has one television and my daughters' toys are scattered about the same general viewing area.

I should also mention that my dearest wife has come to realize the importance these games hold to me, while having zero understanding of WHY herself. But, she had graciously allowed me to watch the game during this unusual allotted time (smack dab in the middle of what is generally Sunday "family time").

At the start of the game my 3 year old was still napping, but my 5 year old decided she'd like to watch the game with me a bit.   So the game starts and she starts firing off a lot of questions, like, "Who's going to win? Who do I want to win?  Who's winning? Did they win yet?  Why did you yell at the TV?" etc...  This was all in the first few minutes.  I explained her that this was an important game, which of course elicited the question, "Why is this an important game?".  So, I tried explaining how the playoffs work, then basically gave up and just left it at "It's just important, OK?"

As the game wore on my younger daughter awakened and came into the TV room promptly proclaiming, "I wanna watch some KIDS TV."  "NOOOOOOOOO"  I told her.  She gave me the evil eye and went to see what Mom was up to.

Some time in the 3rd quarter my wife needed to run out to the grocery store, so I was left alone with the girls.  I did my best to keep them and the "talking toys" out of an earshot, but it was pretty much a draw. 

Early in the 4th my wife came back with some pork chops that would need to barbecued.  Now, I don't have a whole lot of cooking responsibilities, but the Weber is squarely my domain.  So, I start getting pressure up against the clock to get dinner ready.  After a few minutes, my wife calls in "How much time is left in the game?"  This, as we all know, is the trap question of all questions, for 3 minutes of game time can equal an eternity in real time, but no matter how many times we've been through this I always end up on the short end of the time stick (this, by the way, is one of the main beauties of baseball - they don't deal with such petty things as a clock - the inning will be over when it's darn well ready).  In this instance I took the short route and answered, "5 minutes" (aka- an eternity).

Next commercial I get up to warm up the grill.  I give it a couple of minutes and pause the Tivo to go throw the chops on the grill.  From here on in I'm equal parts nervous wreck and conscientious Weber-master. 

Also, at this point, my daughters make another attempt at infultrating the sacred TV ground.  "GIRLS PLEASE, find some thing to play with in the other room.  My wife supportively adds "Girls, leave Daddy alone, he's nervous about the game."  Then not so supportively adds "How much longer is there to go?" To which I bark back "IT'LL BE OVER WHEN IT's OVER" ...Pause... go flip the chops...On my way outside I see my girls have chosen to play with my Celtics Mr. Potato Head doll and I see this as a good omen as I high-step it around them..

My shuttle continues into the last couple of minutes, and dinner is served (without Daddy who is still wrapped up in PJ Brown driven ecstasy and free throw shooting neurosis).

At last the final buzzer sounds and I try to share my joy with anyone who will hear me.  No one is impressed (though my pork chops were well received).  I run back to see Paul Pierce being interviewed on the court only to see my TV go black and start beeping an Emergency Broadcast Test.  So, I didn't get to see Pierce's "Red quote".  I was muttering to myself something along the lines "If this had happened a couple of minutes earlier there [dang] well better have been an actual emergency." 

Realizing the absurdity of that whole line of thought, I exhaled a huge sigh of relief at the exhilarating sports event I'd just witnessed.  I walked to the kitchen and fixed myself up some cold pork. 

A meal well earned.   

[BASSTHUMPER]

women dont understand...my ole lady wishes i get as excited for her as i do for the celtics..

kool story redz...tp

you got any pork chops left..?..

[Redz]

women dont understand...my ole lady wishes i get as excited for her as i do for the celtics..

kool story redz...tp

you got any pork chops left..?..

There's one left.  I actually enjoyed them so much cold last night that I cut one up today and made a nice salad today mixing it with this garlicky tomato salad thingy my wife concocted last night.

mmmm...pork

[crownsy]

haha thats awesome Redz, definte TP.

And i thought watching it was stressful, watching it while juggiling two young kids is paul pierce level of clutch!  

[acieEarl]

Redz I hear ya.

I've got 2 girls as well, a 3 week old and a 3 year old. During the last 5 minutes of the game my 3 year old ask me if she could watch spongebob. I told her after the game was over. Every 10 seconds she ask me if the game was over. She must said "now" about 60 times.

[angryguy77]

I know what you mean. In my infinit wisdom began my day by replacing a ceiling fan in our living room in the morning to give me enough time to watch the game in peace seeing I got the riot act from the wife the day before as to why it wasn't done yet. So she went off to work for a few hours while I took the old one down and put the new one up all the while my 3 1/2 month old son watching me the entire time(nothing like being eye-balled). Noon rolls around and I thought "good I'm done" I can put my food order in for my restaraunt and prepare to watch a great game. However, my wife returns(start imperial march tune) and informs me that this fans was to go into the bedroom and not the living room. Had it not been for the game, the fan might have become a permanent fixtuire in my widescreen but then what would I watch it on. Realizing that I "should have known where this was to go" I figured I had about an hour and a half to put it up a second time in the right place. Of course, nothing goes as it should and it was a nightmare of a process. So there I was having to run in and out during time outs and halftime trying to get this communist made cooling machine to work and wonder why there are 8 different wires comming out of my ceiling all colord the same except one. By the end of the game it was over and relief settled in except for on slight problem. If there is one thing you can take from this story, don't try to do home improvements while watching a palyoff game because you really cant be focused on wht you are doing and miscues happen. The fan works of course the only problem now is that it starts when the switch is turned to off as well as on so here I go again....

[Redz]

Redz I hear ya.

I've got 2 girls as well, a 3 week old and a 3 year old. During the last 5 minutes of the game my 3 year old ask me if she could watch spongebob. I told her after the game was over. Every 10 seconds she ask me if the game was over. She must said "now" about 60 times.

My "proudest" moment ever was when my younger daughter was less than a year old.  I was in a season long NFL Suicide pool that I'd thrown $20 in for.  There were so many people left that it carried over to the playoffs.  I had won my game on Saturday and if Pittsburgh could upset Indy I stood to win somehwere in the area of a couple grand. You may remember the game.  Pitt had the upset well in hand and just had to sit on the ball.  Instead Jerome Bettis fumbled the ball and were it not for a huge tackle by Ben Roethlisberger (not responsible for spelling on that one ) and an ensuing choke kick by VanderJerk I'd have been screwed. 

Well,the horrifying sight of the Bettis fumble made me scream NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO which startled the crap out of my baby - probably literally - and she started screaming her head off.  I was left dealing with a screaming child and a mindnumbing change of gambling fortunes.  It all turned out OK, but I felt pretty stupid for frightening my child like that.

[droopdog7]

Pretty much same story here.  I have a two year old and a four year old.  My four year boy is really into Caillou so he always trys ot change the TV when I have agame on.  My wife has been reasonably supportive though, so she took the family out yesterday during the game.  She asked what time the game would be over and I said three.  They showed up exactly at three, right in the middle of the drama.  I think though, my kids are catching on.  They pretty much left me alone. 

[cdif911]

Pretty much same story here.  I have a two year old and a four year old.  My four year boy is really into Caillou so he always trys ot change the TV when I have agame on.  My wife has been reasonably supportive though, so she took the family out yesterday during the game.  She asked what time the game would be over and I said three.  They showed up exactly at three, right in the middle of the drama.  I think though, my kids are catching on.  They pretty much left me alone. 

Caillou is so hard to watch its not even funny...

[Redz]

Pretty much same story here.  I have a two year old and a four year old.  My four year boy is really into Caillou so he always trys ot change the TV when I have agame on.  My wife has been reasonably supportive though, so she took the family out yesterday during the game.  She asked what time the game would be over and I said three.  They showed up exactly at three, right in the middle of the drama.  I think though, my kids are catching on.  They pretty much left me alone. 

Caillou is so hard to watch its not even funny...

Agreed.  That kid actually gets rewarded for whining.

 Not on my watch son!