Best Comeback Ever (OT)

The honor belongs to Tina Fey, during a friendly impromptu improv with David Letterman:

Letterman: I'm not as dumb as I look.

Fey: How could you be? [Audience cheers]

That's it. Give her the prize.

Speaking of comebacks: having not kept up with football at all this year—haven't watched a single game, haven't kept up with the news at all—I was stunned to realize yesterday that Tom Brady was going to be in the Superbowl. Last I was aware, it was early in the season and he was following the usual narrative of a fading great in an unfamiliar uniform being ineffectual and throwing clumsy interceptions and so forth. It's a regular staple of football reporting...former greatness brought low. An aging champion, jettisoned by his old team, come down with a plonk or a plop from the empyrean heights, busy being mortal again. But he made it to the Superbowl? With Gronk?! What? And then they roll over the supposedly invincible Chiefs (who played like a college team, it has to be said) and Brady is the MVP?

It seems like a case of finally. Finally, an also-ran type of franchise picks up a fading champion hoping a little of his old magic will rub off on them—we've seen that so many times before, in many different team sports—and it does. It finally worked, at long last. That's amazing.

As far as my annual descent into commercial culture is concerned (I haven't had a television in the house since 2013), I'll just point you to last year's morning-after article (the paragraph with the header "Through the looking-glass") and say "ditto."

Although I note ruefully that, apropos yesterday's post, I have not stepped away from that soapbox I mentioned. My poor readers! Back to regular programming.

Mike

Book o' This Week:

Pulitzer-prizewinner Isabel Wilkerson's greatly lauded book Caste: The origins of our discontents, a rare non-photography-related recommendation, might be the book of the historical moment in the United States. The above link takes you from TOP to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Original contents copyright 2021 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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Comments

[John Krill]

I don't have cable so I had no plans to watch the game. Then I got some ad that said you could watch the game free with the CBS Sports app. Always suspicious of CBS never the less I installed the app and bam I'm watching the pregame. No qualifications at all. I ended up watcling the game. And shortly after the gamed ended you needed a password. All I can say is Thanks CBS.

PS: The app was uninstalled by me once the game was over and a password was needed.

[c.d.embrey]

My last TV was a late 1980s Cathode Ray Tube RCA—I gave it away in 1992. It's been about 10 years since I've had an Internet Service Provider. I use my T-Mobile iPhone as hot-spot for my iMac.

Time marches on. There's-an-app-for-that covers everything I want. My entertainment needs are covered by Amazon Prime, Kindle and Netflix apps. For sports I have CBS and NFL apps. G-Mail and Proton Mail apps take care of my e-mail. I eat using Instacart (Grocery, Liquor and PetsMart), GrubHub and DoodDash apps. I travel around the OC with Lyft, Orange County Transportation Authority (Bus) and Uber apps.

Tom Brady is still young. George Blanda played football professionally until he was 48 years, three months, and 18 days old.He played in 340 games over 26 seasons, making him the longest serving active player in NFL history.

[Dillan]

Except for World Cup every 4 years, I haven't had cable since sometime in the 1990s. I pay for a minimal period, and I don't renew. What can I say? I have a weakness for World Cup football. Maybe next time I'll be able to pay for access online, if it's available in my area.

[Dave_lumb]

Old joke. Sure I heard it on an archive episode of Hancock recently.

[Paul.S]

With all due respect to Mr. Brady who obviously has had an outstanding career. He has played in an era of the NFL where prolific offenses and scoring a lot of points is favored. Not his fault of course. He has taken clear advantage. Defenses are hamstrung with rules changes and you cannot breath on a high prized QB without a penalty. Thus why quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Brett Favre played very successfully in their 40's. Mr. Brady has simply played with better teams. George Blanda played in an era of football where everyone on the field was fair game. His story may not be as glamorous or sexy but the feat itself in playing that long without being physically broken is the stuff of legends.