My Mother Told Me To Pick The Very Best One

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, Catch a tiger by the toe, If he hollers let him go, Eeny, meeny, miny moe.

My mother told me, To pick the very best one, And you are [not] it." 

What child did not know this old rhyme of making a choice? I eventually learned that if you began the chant on the left you would end up with your end result being the one on the right, thereby being able to control the result you wanted. Or you could just add the word 'not' to the rhyme, which I had not heard of. 

As I got older, and wiser(?), I learned to weigh the pros and cons before making a choice. But I still  sometimes chose what I wanted instead of what was best for me. And that is how I'm making my picks for the winning teams in this weekend's NFL Divisional Playoff games - the teams I want to win, not necessarily the teams with the best records or the ones with the best odds of winning.

So, the first game today, the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. That's an easy choice, the Chiefs all the way. Not only are they the nearest team to where we live, and one of the most exciting to watch, their quarterback always looks like a kid having fun. Even when he gets hit, he gets up with that smile on his face. 

New York Giants vs. the Philadelphia Eagles is a little harder to choose and one where I might go with the odds or fall back to that childhood method. I like both teams because after years of losing more than winning, they both have been winning more this year. They deserve to be winners for a change. But when they're facing each other, I have to choose the Eagles for one reason only - my granddaughter Deise's significant other, Zach, is a huge Eagles fan. I want them to win for him. (But secretly will be okay with either team winning.)

Sunday's first game, the Cincinatti Bengals vs. the Buffalo Bills is a little harder. Both teams have garnered concern and support after their January 2nd game in Cincinnati was cancelled due to the life threatening injury of the Bill's player Damar Hamlin. Thankfully he survived and is recovering. I admire how the players and staff of both teams handled the situation and I'm glad they get to play one another after all. But I have been rooting for the Bills for some time now for the same reason as I have for the Giants and Eagles - they are a comeback team. I'm happy they're winning again. My choice - the Bills.

The Sunday evening game, Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers is easy to pick - 49ers baby. First, because I do not like the Cowboys at all. Second because the 49ers quarterback not only has Iowa ties - former Cyclones star quarterback - his is a true Cinderella story. Brock Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant of the 2022 draft season - i.e. chosen last. He went to the 49ers as the third string quarterback. Then their first and second string quarterbacks were injured and Purdy went in. He has been nothing but sensational. An easy pick for me.

Next Sunday this weekend's four winning teams will meet to determine the two conference champions which will then vie in the Super Bowl. Regardless of who wins those two spots, I already have a favorite in mind. All they have to do first is win today and then next weekend.

When I think about how well I understand, and enjoy, football now, my mind goes back to my highschool days and rooting for the mighty Red Raiders. I knew all the words and chanted along with the cheerleaders - "First and ten, do it again, first and ten, do it again". I did not have a clue what that meant... I've come a long way, baby.