There's a point in every NFL player's career where, as fans of the game, we unfortunately cast them aside when they get to a certain age. We deem them as 'done' in their careers. Steve Smith was one of those guys at the beginning of this season. Yet, I should've known better.
I remember as a teenager not liking this guy simply because he would catch a ton of passes and score touchdowns on my Packers. Yet, there was a certain aspect of his character that I could always relate to. It was the two-sided coin of his short fuse combined with his small size. I'll open my own personal, vulnerable door in the next paragraph. Get ready to learn something extra about JB.
Ever since I was little, I've always had a short fuse. As I got older, I learned to deal with it in certain, peaceful ways. Ever since I was little, my peers thought I wasn't the right size to be a beast in sports. It's no official record, mind you, but it is a track record all the same. I was always in and out of trouble in elementary school because of my relentless temper. But once a game of capture the flag started at recess or PE periods, I tuned the temper into the game. And there was something about proving myself on a field that would quiet the angry demons inside of me. Off the fields, I would be a little demon on my own; throwing hot wheel cars, screw drivers, and various other objects at my brothers and parents. This caused my parents to get me on the field more often; meaning that they got me into little league football as soon as possible. This is where I faced the all too familiar phrase, "You think you can beat me? I'm bigger than you."
Only Owen will know these stories but I will tell them as examples anyways. In 6th grade I would enjoy diving for footballs in pick up football games at Midland Adventist Academy. What you don't know, but Owen does, is that we would usually play these pickup games of football in the parking lot on pavement with occasional parked cars that would get in the way of our games. I specifically remember when diving for those balls, catching almost every single one. The unfortunate part is that with those catches came a fair amount of cuts and bruises. Who knows, I might have had a concussion or two in sixth grade from head-on collisions with parked cars, vans, and trucks just going for the catch. In 7th grade, I fought another boy by the name of Brett Griffith in the boy's locker room and gave him a bloody lip because he was talking about my friend, Charlie Maddux's younger sister in a dirty way. After that, I got Brett's full respect. In 8th grade, same friend of Charlie was being bullied by another boy by the name of Israel. Israel ended up getting expelled for urinating in front of other girls, so he wasn't that bright in the first place. But at the time he was shoving Charlie. So, I came up and somehow flipped him completely over onto his head like some improv WWE head slam. Then, in my first two years of high school I would have the occasional outburst in West Lenexa SDA Pathfinders or when I slammed Mitchell Seltman into a wall in a JV basketball practice because I had lost my temper. I'm sure Owen remembers that one. As I got older, though, I was usually pretty good with it. I specifically remember in my last couple years of high school when my family had moved back to the state of Washington that I would gear my anger more and more into sports, resulting in triple double basketball game performances, scoring pick six after pick six in flag football games, and dominating in various other sports. I tell these stories because I still do this in sports to this day. I mean, it usually starts off fun. Whilst I am having fun in sports, everything's fine. But the moment somebody says the words, "You? Beat me? HA! At your size?"...the buttons have been pushed and I feel as though I have to prove something once again. And in proving that, scores just might abound as well.
When I saw the play where Steve Smith grabbed the Cincinnati Bengal defensive back from behind him and threw him off, around, in front him, and continued to score...it made things final for me. Adding that play with the many wise words Steve Smith has said in various interviews, my respect was earned by this man. I mean, I would love playing alongside this guy! He brings a whole 'nother level of mentality to the game of football.
So, why focus on this player this week? Because of Steve's facing of his former team, DUH. No matter how much he may play it off in the media, it is going DOWN today. And Hery better start this bad boy in his lineup. Many have often compared Steve Smith to a rattlesnake. He warns you before striking. Should the Panthers have cut him? I guess we'll find out today.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears:
My Packers win it.
Carolina Panthers @ Baltimore Ravens:
Steve Smith RAVAGES the Panthers D. Ravens win.
Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans:
Bills take this one.
Philadelphia Eagles @ San Francisco 49ers:
Eagles scorch Niners in this. Philly wins.
New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys:
Cowboys continue with the running game & beat the Saints.
New England Patriots @ Kansas City Chiefs:
Pats continue the decline and lose in Arrowhead in a primetime matchup. Chiefs take it.
And this is where I pass the Pick 6 torch to you. Can you feel the angst inside you to win this week with your picks?
No comments:
Post a Comment