So, when I was a kid in India, I was always one of the last ones picked for our neighborhood cricket games. The two best athletes would always self-select as opposing team captains and take turns choosing from the group of kids waiting to play. I remember the anxiety welling up inside me as the other kids were picked one after the other. I’d try and make eye contact and look my athletic best as the captains looked over the gathered group of slovenly kids, but invariably they would look away and pick one of the others. I counted it as a “win” whenever I was not the last one picked. I think there was one time where one of the physically disabled kids was picked before me (at great long-term cost to my athletic self-esteem). Even when I was not the absolute last one picked, there was invariably a grimace on the face of the team captain as he looked over the dwindling group and said “Fine, I guess I’ll take Rajiv” as the best option among a set of bad choices.
I was reminded of this because I thought I saw that exact same grimace on the face of Leslie Frazier as he announced that Matt Cassel would start as QB for the Vikings this week. I can imagine his decision on who to start at QB is not that dramatically different from the one faced by the cricket team captains as they surveyed the dwindling group of ragtag, undesirable kids left to choose from.
I didn’t watch the game last week. I was at the Star Wars Exhibition at the Museum of Technological Innovation in San Jose, California. I heard that the Vikings won, but it was only later I learned that Ponder looked awful and was at his inconsistent best. So, the team played a lousy game, gave up many opportunities to put the game away and still won. Great! That would be a wonderful outcome if the Vikings were 7-4-1 and vying for the playoffs, but not when they’re 3-8-1 and jockeying for draft position. Getting an undeserved win is the worst-case outcome. But, that’s what the Vikings do.
Well, let’s watch the best of the worst QBs in the league this Sunday. Game time is at noon and I’ll find something for you to have as lunch IF you email me and let me know you’re coming over. Let’s celebrate the approaching end of this horrible season.
I was reminded of this because I thought I saw that exact same grimace on the face of Leslie Frazier as he announced that Matt Cassel would start as QB for the Vikings this week. I can imagine his decision on who to start at QB is not that dramatically different from the one faced by the cricket team captains as they surveyed the dwindling group of ragtag, undesirable kids left to choose from.
I didn’t watch the game last week. I was at the Star Wars Exhibition at the Museum of Technological Innovation in San Jose, California. I heard that the Vikings won, but it was only later I learned that Ponder looked awful and was at his inconsistent best. So, the team played a lousy game, gave up many opportunities to put the game away and still won. Great! That would be a wonderful outcome if the Vikings were 7-4-1 and vying for the playoffs, but not when they’re 3-8-1 and jockeying for draft position. Getting an undeserved win is the worst-case outcome. But, that’s what the Vikings do.
Well, let’s watch the best of the worst QBs in the league this Sunday. Game time is at noon and I’ll find something for you to have as lunch IF you email me and let me know you’re coming over. Let’s celebrate the approaching end of this horrible season.
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