The Morning After

Written by Buddy Crutchfield | 14 September 2010

False advertising. I felt worse than I did last night.

I woke up Tuesday morning with a terrible hangover.

No, it wasn't from drinking, nor was it from the disgustingly delicious roasted pork sandwich with giant jalapeno pepper I ate inhaled at halftime (although it certainly didn't help). Instead, it was from the Jets' semi-traumatic, 10-9, defeat.

When I went to sleep Monday night I was at peace with the loss, but when my nightly coma ended this morning, I woke up in pain. It hit me how many chances the Jets had to score, how the Ravens' lone touchdown was the direct result of a pass interference penalty, and I remembered that Kris Jenkins was likely out for the season (which has since been confirmed).

That is the power of football: You win on Sunday (or Monday) and your outlook on the week ahead becomes infinitely rosier. Each day's misery is conquered by your anticipation of next weekend's game. If you lose though, the work week (not applicable to college students) becomes a slow death march. Anything and everything that bothers you is exacerbated beyond imagination.

For example, take this conversation The Likely Lad and I had this morning outside his apartment...

TLL: Ugh. I know it's not cold out yet but it's definitely not warm.

BC: I know. Summer's getting ready to move out. He's packing his bags.

TLL: He's standing in the doorway with his fedora on, awkwardly smiling as he watches Fall move in his stuff.

BC: Summer probably had to explain he's only still there because the moving guys hadn't got his big boxes out of the basement yet.

(Both of us nodding)

See! We're losing it! You can't personify seasons! (If you did though, and you applied it to Sunday night's Mad Men episode, (the new) Don was definitely summer and Henry was definitely winter---you know, with the whole moving in and out of the house thing.)

So, after one week of football the Jets's Super Bowl roster is in flux. Danny Woodhead has been released. Jenkins is out for the season. David Clowney has been re-signed (no joke!). Adailus Thomas was brought in for a visit due to the team's invisible pass rush after Ellis' sack (he was not offered a contract). And Mark Sanchez was tested for Attention Deficit Disorder.

Sadly, I only made up one of those headlines.

If the Jets lose Sunday to the Patriots, iz gawna get late errrly 'round hee-yuh.