There’s No Business Like Show Business
If you like hitting, the first half of the Pittsburgh-Baltimore Monday night game offered you a great deal of entertainment. If you like drama with your hitting, the second half was better than Hollywood.
Dramatic irony in show business takes place when the audience knows something that the characters do not. For instance, I knew, just knew that the Steelers were going to take it, for a number of reasons, from the belief that the Ravens would eventually wilt under the weight of all their defensive talent standing on the sidelines to the fact that Bill Cowher is 10-0 on Monday night at home. I knew this, but Pittsburgh and Baltimore played like they didn’t. The Steelers’ defense in the second half had no answer to the suddenly rejuvenated Ravens’ offense, an attack that ranks dead last in the league in scoring, and Pittsburgh’s offense couldn’t generate a meaningful drive after it took a 17-10 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. Baltimore chipped away, annoyingly nipping at the heels of the Steelers’ D until that wall finally gave in to three 40 yard plus field goals and the lead. In sum, Baltimore knew they couldn’t lose, and Pittsburgh looked like winning could be a destination just beyond the horizon.
However, someone forgot to tell Jerome Bettis.
As if he appeared from that all-knowing audience, from deep in the upper deck cheap seats, in Row LL, halfway through the alphabet, twice, the Bus came into play after Baltimore led at 19-17 with 3:21 remaining. Ben Roethlisberger started at the Pittsburgh 21 and completed two quick passes to Antwaan Randle El and Quincy Morgan to get to the Ravens’ 42. Verron Haynes picked up 7 to the 35, then yielded the tailback slot to one of the best late-game ball carriers in the history of the NFL. Jerome got 11, then 5, then 2 more, setting up the field goal that would prove to be the winning points after the Steelers’ defense quelled a final Ravens attempt.
Pan the gridiron, and fade to Jerome Bettis walking off, fist in air in celebration. There is indeed no business like show business.
If you like hitting, the first half of the Pittsburgh-Baltimore Monday night game offered you a great deal of entertainment. If you like drama with your hitting, the second half was better than Hollywood.
Dramatic irony in show business takes place when the audience knows something that the characters do not. For instance, I knew, just knew that the Steelers were going to take it, for a number of reasons, from the belief that the Ravens would eventually wilt under the weight of all their defensive talent standing on the sidelines to the fact that Bill Cowher is 10-0 on Monday night at home. I knew this, but Pittsburgh and Baltimore played like they didn’t. The Steelers’ defense in the second half had no answer to the suddenly rejuvenated Ravens’ offense, an attack that ranks dead last in the league in scoring, and Pittsburgh’s offense couldn’t generate a meaningful drive after it took a 17-10 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. Baltimore chipped away, annoyingly nipping at the heels of the Steelers’ D until that wall finally gave in to three 40 yard plus field goals and the lead. In sum, Baltimore knew they couldn’t lose, and Pittsburgh looked like winning could be a destination just beyond the horizon.
However, someone forgot to tell Jerome Bettis.
As if he appeared from that all-knowing audience, from deep in the upper deck cheap seats, in Row LL, halfway through the alphabet, twice, the Bus came into play after Baltimore led at 19-17 with 3:21 remaining. Ben Roethlisberger started at the Pittsburgh 21 and completed two quick passes to Antwaan Randle El and Quincy Morgan to get to the Ravens’ 42. Verron Haynes picked up 7 to the 35, then yielded the tailback slot to one of the best late-game ball carriers in the history of the NFL. Jerome got 11, then 5, then 2 more, setting up the field goal that would prove to be the winning points after the Steelers’ defense quelled a final Ravens attempt.
Pan the gridiron, and fade to Jerome Bettis walking off, fist in air in celebration. There is indeed no business like show business.
posted by Tim McGhee at 7:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home