A Mile High Minute: Week 4

I didn't catch the Broncos game this week. Instead of watching the expected loss to Indy, I went to catch The Kingdom. As Chaim said, its well worth a look. Lots of good movies are coming out this fall too. We Own the Night looks good in spite of Mark Wahlberg playing the same annoying asshole he did in The Departed. You know American Gangster won't disappoint - even in trainwrecks like Deja Vu, Denzel Washington is a badass. I'm also excited about Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which I can't decide if it makes me nerdy or gay. I'm going with nerdy because I'm interested in the history and not the Elizabethan fashion like that "other" blog might be.

So why am I doing a Mile High Minute if I didn't watch the Broncos game? Tradition dude, tradition.

To sum up the Broncos game: They lost to Indy. Big shock eh? On to the rest of the league, or at least the rest that I care to write about.

Thoughts from Around the League

St. Louis - Why is Bulger playing with broken ribs? Say what you will about Gus Frerotte, but he's better than an injured Bulger. As a former Los Angeles Rams fan, I'll admit I relish a little bit in seeing them struggle in St. Louis.

Philadelphia - While Donovan McNabb was doing his best David Carr impression (minus the fruity white gloves), where was Andy Reid? His line was getting eaten alive by this Osi Umenyiora character and he didn't make any adjustments. I know he's got family issues but if he's as distracted as he seems to be, he needs to take a leave of absence.

Chicago - Before you fans with the Rex fetish say "we told you so", remember it wasn't Griese who let Jon Kitna complete 83% of his passes. The only difference Grossman would have made is this would have been a 37-7 Detroit victory if he had played.

San Diego - The natives are getting restless. I heard on the radio today someone hung a huge "FIRE NORV" banner on a freeway overpass during the night. If the Chargers slide continues, he should hire a bodyguard before some insane powder-blue clad Bolts fan tries to assassinate him. Yes, an NFL head coach is important enough to use the term assassination.

*and now for something not entirely different...

Imagine if you will, a nice young lady walking through your local mall. She has a good life. Her new man is a neurologist and he treats her right. Then outside the Sears, she see's him: her ex.

It was a long, abusive relationship. He drank and would shout at her and throw empty Rolling Rock bottles all over the house. He demeaned her and emotionally tormented her and eventually started hitting her. She finally got the courage to leave him and called the cops. He went to the pokey for a few years. In the meantime, she got it together and settled into her nice new life with the neurologist.

Unable to stop herself, she says hi and they start talking. He says he's clean now and reformed. In fact, he just got a job drilling holes in sheet metal. Its hard work, but it pays OK.

Horrified, she finds herself wondering if he really has changed and if she made a horrible mistake leaving him. Will she throw her great life away for this ex-con who hit her? No, don't be foolish she tells herself, but still, there's just something about this guy...

.........

OK, now replace the abusive boyfriend with the Arizona Cardinals and the battered girlfriend with me. When the Rams moved to St. Louis, I was lost and foolishly turned to the Cardinals for comfort. Buddy Ryan took over as head coach and declared they "had a winner in town" and Buddy Ryan wouldn't be totally full of shit would he?

Buddy Ryan was full of shit. So was Vince Tobin, Dave McGinnis, Denny Green and every other Cardinals head man going back to Don Coryell. I can't remember a year that wasn't supposed to be the year Arizona turned it around and started to win. They never did.

Now, at 2-2 and only a few plays away from 4-0, it looks like Ken Whisenhunt might be getting it together. Leinart sucks? Bam! Kurt Warner comes in. The old Cardinals wouldn't have done that. They would have stuck it out with Leinart until the last dog died or they finished 3-13...whatever came first.

Life with Denver is good. They don't disappoint me with double-digit losses every season and extended periods of Josh McCown playing quarterback. Damned if I don't feel a bit of nostalgia for the Cards though...

I can't go back. They'll just destroy me again. But what if they actually have changed this time? God damn it Arizona...I wish I knew how to quit you!

*I actually offended myself with this analogy, so I apologize in advance.