For the Birds

It’s 10 p.m. and I should be able to sleep. Waking up early in the morning usually means I can crash easy that night. But I toss and turn for several hours. There’s too much excitement stirring and circulating for the upcoming Eagles’ game.

Just before 2 a.m. kickoff time, I walk into the Big Bamboo and catch glazes from a table to the right. One of the patrons is wearing a Yankees cap. I throw out an “E”. Nothing. Then I throw out a louder “E.” Still nothing. After finding my buddy Scott (Bucks County’s finest) and gazing around for several minutes, it’s clear that I’m in Giants’ country. The bar is pretty boisterous after the opening kickoff. We hold the Giants to a field goal and I tell Scott we just need to get to the 4th quarter in one piece in order to win.

Samuel picks it off. The Giants get a safety. In the second quarter, we are winning 7-5 despite having 10 yards of offense. I notice that Mike Patterson is having a great game and point out that we have not made our run yet. Things look relatively good aside from the woman sitting a few seats down from us at the bar.

The Giants pick McNabb off at the 20 and she cheers wildly. Her voice sounds like a frustrated cat stuck in the muffler of a car. I mock-cheer for the Giants in retaliation and the fans do not like it.

At halftime, I can not call Philly friends or family because I’m too jealous of them, surrounded by each other soaking up the playoff brew. I need to talk to someone who’s equally pumped, but away from the action, someone who I’ve cheered the Birds with many times. Half-time calls for a call to cousin Jim. We relay equal sentiments. It would have been nice to score a touchdown at the end of the first half, but a lead is a lead is a lead.

Kevin Curtis and Sheldon Brown make the tackles of the game. Concurrently, the second half sees Scott pull ahead in our small drinking contest while the Birds keep it close and do as I hoped. Hang in there until the 4th quarter and pull away --- Lovely.

And now we face our old pre-realignment division rival, the Cardinals. They have a quarterback who’s beaten us in the conference championship before. But I’m confident in the Birds and their ability to win. At this point, after storming the Meadowlands and Big Bamboo, there’s no reason to feel otherwise.