Okay, so let’s break this down.
It’s the third quarter and the New York Giants are up 16-6 versus the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants have had some unfortunate years, but with their current receiving core, we’re hoping to turn it around this season. Dallas is “America’s Team,” and the aggressive scorn for the Cowboys has been imbued in me with the same passion that one generally associates with “thou shalt not kill.” It’s irrational, sure, but its legacy.
I was tense this Sunday as Romo throws an end zone bomb to Williams and, covered by one of the best cornerbacks in the game, the pass is incomplete. Then comes a horrific call, defensive pass interference on Rodgers-Cromartie. The Cowboys score on the goal line.
There was a shortage of referees in the NFL back in 2012. The league was forced to hire high school refs to fill out the ranks, and the results were atrocious. Games can be decided by the interpretations of those brave souls who attempt to maintain order among 260-pound, adrenaline-fueled professional athletes. Everyone involved and invested in the game has to trust them to be unbiased and fair. When they make a bad call, like they slammed New York with on Sunday, it feels like a betrayal. When you have to put yourself into fallible hands, it’s an enormous leap of faith. Sometimes, we have to forgive those who hurt us, those who made a mistake that cost us something dear, like a forced fourth down. But it’s how the game is played.
The first half was strewn with Cowboys’ turnovers. A problem for them in the past, their season opener was no different with Beasley stripped in the first quarter by McBride (nope, not the miasmic dorm) and the ball returned for a touchdown. The Giants led at the half, 13-6, but if anyone has been thinking about the boys in blue over the past couple of years, you weren’t feeling secure in this lead. Their big points came off turnovers, and while I’m not one to turn down any Giants’ accomplishment, you need to score independently, on the force of your own offense.
There are lessons in football if you know where to look. And as the female minority of the fan base, the inherent judgment I face during every game makes the search for victory in organized sports even more applicable. We’re tempted to take every touchdown, every court case win, as equal steps forward. And while even a field goal off a fumble puts you on the board, you can’t depend on certain politicians ridiculousness to create the waves you need for your wins. I can’t rely on anyone else for my points, and as a vulnerable young woman, I can’t afford to be anything but on top of my game. So when I walk down the street and don’t get cat-called, I don’t call that a success. When I go to a party and leave without the unwanted imprints of hands on my hips, I’m not celebrating. I won’t leave my scoreboard to the whims of the other team. I’ll score by myself.
In the end, it didn’t go well for my hometown heroes. Dallas steadily shaved away at their deficit, and late in the fourth quarter cemented their win, continuing their history of success versus the Giants in season openers. 26-27, the New Yorkers went home with a loss.
It’s just one game. It doesn’t have to define the season. But it’s tempting to let it, it’s tempting to see it as fate. Sports are like that, romanticized and over-emphasized until Sunday becomes a day of heavy anticipation instead of excitement. My first college paper, my first Her Campus blog post, or my first night at dinner alone feel so monumental that I lose any sense of enjoyment. So I try to put everything, even football, in perspective. Believe in your talent, turn off the TV, and remember that there is always a tomorrow. Find your victory somewhere else, make all your points as you go, and don’t forget: Giants and Cowboys play again October 25th. And this time, Romo, you’re in our house.
Image Credit: Wikipedia, 5 Points Blue, College Sports Betting Odds