Bironas, Baby

I attended the Tennessee Titans/Indianapolis Colts game on Sunday, held at LP Field. I have mentioned to Musa D. that NBA regular season games are the worst pro sporting events to attend, but I will say that an NBA regular season game in a properly heated venue is sometimes quite nice. I was cold. I am not a person made for cold, I guess, since Musa D. and Dr. Gravitee would inform me that 41 degrees is not that cold, and what did I do when I lived in Boston for two years (I cried and cried), and if I wanted to toughen myself up against the cold maybe I should have stripped naked and dove into the sub-zero water last winter when we went ice fishing at that remote cabin in Alberta, Canada, instead of standing around watching them thrash about in the water and then awkardly pull themselves back onto the ice (there was not enough room for all of us to safely jump in at once, guys, so give it up already and, like I said afterwards, while you two were warming each other with your combined body heat, "I came here to fish, fellas").

The game, however, was quite wonderful. Long bombs from Peyton, Vince Young running and throwing, though mostly running (and running in an awkward, if-I-don't-run-right-now-we-will-probably-lose-this-game-so-here-I-go kind of way that seems more graceful on TV), and Rob Bironas kicking an incredible 60 yard field goal. I am happy to say that I was there, that I was part of the magic (A man two rows behind me, when the Titans were driving for the winning score, shouted, "Shock the world! We're going to shock the world!" and I actually believed for a short period of time that a 4-7 team beating a 10-1 team would be enough, in this seen-it-all world we live in, to indeed shock the world.) I am slightly ashamed, however, to admit that, with twelve seconds left, Bironas readying himself for the kick, I was so cold that I said two prayers to God.

1st Prayer: Dear Lord, please let Rob Bironas kick the ball straight and true and lead our Titans to victory.
2nd Prayer: Dear Lord, if you decide not to let Rob Bironas kick the ball straight and true, could you let one of the Colts defenders block the kick and then pick up the football and rumble down the sideline for a game-winning touchdown? I am very cold and cannot handle overtime.

So the Titans won. And I learned that some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers (the second ones). And that if you leave your Vince Young/Payless Shoes poster under your seat, you cannot turn around in the sea of people to retrieve it. You will be yelled at, even in the post-shock-the-world happiness of the mob.