Phoenix VS Blitz: The Game
I don't know where I am.
We can't find the field.
The Magellan can only do so much, one has to plan a highway system, not simply stack new roads on top of the old ones.
Finally we make it, tired and disorientated, to the field. I think it was at some sort of school it was hard to say. I didn't see any classrooms but there were a lot of apartment buildings everywhere.
The field is turf, it is laid out for some other sport that is about ten or twenty yards wider than football field width. The football lines are there too. There is no announcer's box. The bleachers are in the rain and are the short and portable type. The announcer is in a tent on the side line.
I have my gear and a borrowed video camera. I begin to set up. Did I mention the rain. It was a warm soaking rain. It was a very nice rain. But it isn't a nice rain if you have a note pad, lap top, digital camera and video camera. I had all of these. I had to improvise.
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| From Phoenix VS B... |
Of the Blitz I found them small, fast, and attractive. What? Even the crowd looked good. Don't blame me, I just call them like I see them.
The award for Phoenix fandom goes to Murph's mom who came up from Rhode Island to see the game, and brought no rain gear. It was love that kept her in the stands, and it wasn't a love of football.
Alright, lets talk kickoff. Phoenix receive on the 28. They fumble, Blitz recover and at 14:04 in the first quarter make their first touchdown, extra point is good, and away we go.
Phoenix receive on the 30 and fumble (sound familiar?). The difference is this time they manage to keep it. But it is for naught. At 7:06 the Blitz score another touch down. They seem very well practiced. Very well rehearsed. Very well prepared. It is very obvious they studied the heck out of the game footage we sent them. The Blitz have one microphone and their cheerleader is running it. But he's a nice guy. Occasionally he announces the fouls to the crowd. Mostly he cheers the Blitz on and keeps the crowd stirred up.
Phoenix receive on the 38 and with 4:21 left in the first quarter cross the 50 for the first time. Tired, lost, hungry, and shook up is no way to go through a football game, but if that's what you have, that's what you play with.
Phoenix get within 10 of the end zone and lose possession. This will be a theme this wet enchanted evening. This first time however, the Phoenix intercept it back. 13:29 in the 2nd quarter the Phoenix get on the board with seven.
I'm digging the Canadian fans. Half of them I absolutely love and the other half are cruising for a rumble. All of them are far too pretty. The fact that they can buy beer at the concession stand and the fact that the Phoenix are such class acts lead to me loving them all by the end of the game. They just needed to get buzzed and realize that we're cool too. By the end of the game they were cheering for both sides. They just wanted to see good plays.
Looks like the Blitz are the other tier two team that can pass. 7:12 on a 4th down the Blitz make the score 21 to the Phoenix's seven.
Phoenix receive on the 38th, break out with a couple of most excellent runs. They made it all the way to the 8 yard line. Few teams have a defense that can outrun the Phoenix. The Blitz is one of these, stopping the Phoenix offense cold. It is a terrific position for the Phoenix Defense to do that voodoo that they do so well, and the Blitz knew it too. The first half trickles away one knee at a time.
The referees had a tough time this game, they were asked to referee American football but I think they were reffing something else- European football perhaps. Fortunately the IWFL had a officer on hand to notice this and quietly take notes on it. Perhaps next year...
Third quarter, Phoenix are a little more awake and warmed up. They hold off the Blitz score until 12:13. Next Phoenix possession its a short pass and a 50 yard run for the Phoenix Score, its now Blitz 28, Phoenix 14.
8:19 the Blitz cross the line again. It isn't about their Offense being better or faster, it has everything to do with being prepared and practiced against the Phoenix defense in the previous two weeks. 35 - 14 Blitz.
2:00 in the 3rd quarter the Phoenix drive...drive...drive it home making the score Blitz 35, Phoenix 21. 1:13 on the first Blitz possession after the kickoff they score a touchdown off of a pass, Blitz now at 41.
Sometime after something happened but I don't know what it was because of the big assed tent on the sidelines in the way.
Final Score Blitz 41, and Chicago bound, Phoenix 27 and hoping they can get back across the boarder. Tonight the Blitz proved that being better rested and better prepared isn't much but its enough to get you to Chicago for the championships. Congratz Blitz, and I'll see you there!
Stay tuned. I'm too tired to write it now as it is after 1am on Sunday in Canada and we have to be at work on Monday. Tomorrow, we hellride. I have another Phoenix VS Blitz entry in me. Don't bother if you are looking for football talk because it isn't going to happen. This is about wining, losing, blame, and the differences between team sports and individual sports. I'm writing this here so I can't weasel out of writing it. You will hold me accountable to it. Plus there's a drinking story in it, so it can't lose.
