Tuesdays with Kirstin

Starting off the month of December, and the home stretch of the NFL season comes some final words of advise: “Carpe Diem!” With snow already on the ground, it seems as though a warning sign has presented itself of the cold winter months to come. Football, having one of the longest seasons in sports is coming to an end. Today, Sunday December 7th narrowed down the teams that will compete in the final stages. The pressure will be on without a doubt. Everything from this point onward will come down to the top teams from each division to represent. Unlike any other year, season 2008 has shown a parity of talent and effort across the board. With such an equal level of performance, I find it hard to predict what the final results will be.

One team that stands out is the Tennessee Titans. From the start, they have been successful. They have proven themselves beyond anyone else at this point. Tennessee has only lost one game in the season. Also, the Titans have Chris Johnson, best rookie of the year. The Titans have really risen to the occasion in this sport and as a team in the NFL. As a result, they happen to be doing very well.

Looking at the Patriots, its hard to say where we went wrong in comparison with other years. Theres been a lot of talk about an absence in our star quarterback, Tom Brady. However, you can’t say one player holds up an entire 40 or 50 person team. We have lost some players, traded some while others are out with injuries. Aren’t injuries normal in a full contact sport? So why is there so much focus on that? New England isn’t much different than other teams as far as opportunity. It’s a fair game.

What really sets this year’s NFL apart from other times is the level of playing. The Patriots have gone down a level in their game, disappointing many fans. Its hard to believe that the New England Patriots who have become so well-known and respected could loose all momentum in so short a time. Was it the money and fame that went to their heads? It is as if they have lost the desire to win. A similar tendency is seen in other teams as well.

My advise like I said before is: “Carpe Diem” or Seize the Day. This season pro-football is coming to an end, so make the most of it. The team with the greatest desire to win will succeed in the end. Some teams have become lazy and expect things to happen. Money and publicity can do that. In the end it all comes down to the players and their goals as a team. It’ll be interesting to see how everything turns out.