Some sports weekends simply stand out above the rest.
The weekends of March Madness are uncommonly exciting. The Masters weekend has a unique appeal. Thanksgiving weekend, with its traditional football at a meaningful point in the season, is terrific.
And then there is this weekend: the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Unlike the Conference Championship and Super Bowl weekends, there are games on both Saturday and Sunday, which is great stuff for football fans. Plus, it’s the playoffs, which means the games have a level of urgency and importance unlike almost any regular season games. And, most appetizing of all, the best teams in the NFL are playing one another this weekend. Outstanding!
The Packers haven’t played for a couple of weeks – and some of them haven’t played since beating the Bears on Christmas Day. But now we take the field for the right to host the NFC Championship Game next Sunday.
Green Bay was the wire-to-wire top-ranked team in the NFL. As defending champs, who entered 2011 more healthy and potent than they ended 2010, they were regarded from Week One as the team to beat. And as they racked up victory after victory, their reputation only grew.
Then came Kansas City, and the bloom has been somewhat off the rose ever since. A lot of talk about the Saints, the 49ers, the Patriots, and Tim Tebow.
That’s okay. I don’t know that this particular team is very invested in talk and hype. I do think they are invested in excellence, however, and in winning, and in repeating.
Last year, we barely squeaked into the playoffs, and then won three road games on the way to that tough battle against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. This year, we are the #1 seed instead of #6, we are healthier than we were a year ago, and we’re playing at home. By all rights, we should be the favorites to meet some AFC victim in Indy next month. Still, I’m hearing a lot of talk about how explosive the Saints are, how stingy and well-coached the 49ers are, and how balanced, hot, and aggressive the Giants are.
We know the scene. We saw it in 2007, when New York came into Lambeau and upset Green Bay. But we had Brett Favre throwing INTs and retiring back then – so we’re better off this year, I would say.
Damon Hack, Peter King, Mike Golic, and 7 out of 10 experts at ESPN.com all expect the Packers to win. And so do I.
Elsewhere, I find myself feeling almost indifferent about the other NFC game. Truth be told, if I have to lose to someone in the NFC, I would rather it be the Giants this weekend than either the Saints or 49ers next weekend. And I’m not sure which team I would really rather face. I lean toward the 49ers, but in the long run if I had to choose one of them to win it all, I’d prefer the Saints. So I don’t know where my heart will lie when the teams take the field tonight.
Meanwhile, in the AFC, my affection is with the two underdogs – the Texans and Broncos. We’ve seen plenty of the Patriots and Ravens in the circle of AFC power. I’d be glad for some fresh faces – and I find a lot of the Denver and Houston faces rather appealing.
Still, when it all comes down to watching the games, there is nothing like watching the Packers in the playoffs. I’ll root and cheer and stew during the other three games, but when Green Bay takes the field, my palms will sweat, I’ll pace around the room, and I won’t feel at peace again until the final gun sounds.
It’s finally here. It’s one of the best weekends of the year for sports fans. Let’s hope it is for Packer fans, in particular.
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