Whose Ox Is Being Gored

While I am most definitely a Green Bay Packers fan now, it wasn't always so. Actually, when the famous "Ice Bowl" was played decades ago, I was on the other side of the famous goal line stand, cheering for Bob Lily and Jethro Pugh to stuff Jerry Kramer and Bart Starr (to no avail.) I grew up in Texas as a Cowboy fan. And in Texas there are only two sports: Football and Spring Football.

It didn't happen over night. I moved to Wisconsin in 1978 and remained a die hard Cowboy fan even through the Danny White years and the over-hyped 44-0 ass whuppin' at the hands of the '86 Chicago Bears. I bet football games back then, and would bet on the Boys when I thought they'd cover, but I'd never bet against them. But gradually, two things started to test my team loyalty. First, I was living in Wisconsin and this was before satellite TV could bring you all the NFL games. I was getting a steady diet of Packer games, and almost never caught my Cowboys on TV, it seemed (although I'm sure everybody else was asking why they were "always" on.) I even had to drive to Rockford for that Bears game. Then a personal friend started playing for the Packers and they became a "co-favorite team." Then Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys, unceremoniously fired Tom Landry, and brought in the likes of Michael Irvin and Deon Sanders. Their attitudes and antics just didn't fit with my image of them being the good guys who always wore white. Staubach, Dorsett, Lily, Drew Hill and Chuck Howley were gone. Jerry Jones had made me a Packer fan. I'm always proud to point out that was before anybody even knew who Brett Favre was. But don't get me wrong. Irvin, Sanders and Emmit Smith are all deserving Hall of Famers. Deon Sanders is perhaps the best athlete in my lifetime. It was the antics and showboating that turned me off.

Now, most of people may not remember the origins of the Excessive Celebration rule in the NFL, but I do. It was squarely aimed at "The Fun Bunch." They were a group of Washington Redskins who ran into the end zone and had a choreographed dance routine they would perform after every Redskin touchdown. There were six or eight of them, who formed a circle and did their elaborate dance. Some weren't even playing at the time, and would come off the bench to dance. It was infuriating. So much so, that when they did it at Texas Stadium once, a Cowboy defensive back (who had just been burned for the TD) charged into the circle, blasting and shoving them to prevent the dance. A large brawl ensued, and the NFL instituted the Excessive Celebration rule.

Still, touchdown celebrations continued to evolve from a simple spike to things like The Ickey Shuffle. Everybody, including me, seemed to accept it more and more. But none other than Vince Lombardi, used to tell the rookies, "When you get into the end zone, act like you've been there before." That's what two of the greatest to ever play the game did. Walter Payton and Barry Sanders never did anything other than hand the ball to a referee, or congratulate a teammate. These days, that seems quaint. Which brings me to the "Discount Double Check." I watched last week's Packer game with other dedicated Packer Fans and we all anticipated and enjoyed the new versions of State Farm Insurance's popular commercials featuring Aaron Rodgers and his Championship Belt "dance." The commercials, with BJ Raji and Clay Matthews are very clever and all in good fun. But during the actual game, (which was a debacle for the Pack,)an interesting thing happened. A New York Giant put Mr. Rogers on his butt with a timely sack, and then did Roger's own Championship Belt move in his face. Ouch. My friend Shirley, as avid a fan as there is, cried foul. "He can't do that!!" Oh, but he can, and he just did. I admit, it pissed me off too. But then I realized it was just whose ox was being gored, mine. After all, the move is a look-at-me-aren't-I-great dance, not like the Lambeau Leap, which is more a celebration of and for the fans.

I heard that State Farm had a Greg Jennings spot already shot, and planned for broadcast at the Super Bowl if the Packers had gone that far. And I hate to be the one to throw cold water on the Packers. But maybe Aaron Rogers should take the Giants loss as a lesson in humility and start doing something really cool and classy, like handing the ball to the referee.

Tacky, tacky, tacky

Tonight, ABC plans to air an interveiw with Newt Gingrich's 2nd (out of 3) wife. Apparently, she says that as their marriage was disintegrating, that Newt suggested an open marriage where he could have a mistress, and he knew just the person for the job, his now 3rd wife, Calista.

On the Mitt Romney front, while he's trying to defend his effectice tax rate of 15%, it comes out (also from ABC,) that he has millions stashed in The Cayman Islands, a well known tax evaders haven. They can't say (yet) that he was actually cheating, and Romney claims that he wasn't. But there is no doubt that the location of these funds, part of Bain Capital, is due to Caymans's status as a tax dodge, at least for those Bain investors who do wish to cheat. So at best, he is subordinating tax evasion for others.

Just a couple of observations: Along with Herman Cain's bimbo eruptions, I have to ask, did any of these guys consider this stuff before they threw their hats into the ring? Newt's Ex is pissed, and seemingly of a mind to say, "If I can't be first lady, then neither can Calista." Did Newt have any idea how she felt? How could he not know she was that bent out of shape? Did Herman Cain think none of them were going to say anything? Did Mitt Romney ever consider that he would be forced to reveal his tax returns? Because I don't think he can avoid it now, not after they play a clip of him demanding that Ted Kennedy release his returns when Mitt ran for Kennedy's senate seat.

The other thing is, are there going to be any Republicans standing at the convention other than Rick Santorum and Ron Paul? Will one of the "darlings" like Chris Christie, or Paul Ryan be convinced to step up, and step over the dead bodies littering the path to the White House?