No question it was cold this morning--below 0--but I'm not convinced that was the reason for the lack of noise or the slowness in people's step. I acknowledge that the nation is celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr., but I'm not sure if the quiet is related to the holiday. It's a safe bet that this cloud of silence extended all the way from northern New England to Hartford, Conn. The underdog NY Jets, came to Gillette Stadium and put on a clinic as to how to beat the mighty Patriots. I certainly didn't expect it.
Here's the great thing about the NFL playoffs: more often than not, the games are exciting and full of surprises. If you win, you move on; if you lose, you go home. Just this year, a team with a losing record beat the defending Super Bowl Champs and then the two teams with the best records with a week off and playing at home, got embarrassed in front of their fans. My favorite team, the Ravens, gave up a two-touchdown halftime lead and lost on a gutsy play by the Steelers at the end of the game.
So, one more weekend of great football before all the hoopla of the Super Bowl. Four teams with great NFL histories playing in open-air, cold weather cities. What could be better than that? I'm rooting for the Jets to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
One last thought. Rosie's Lovell Village Store was especially quiet this morning. Even Ken Male, a part-time Lovell resident from Queens, NY and an avid Jets fan, showed enough respect not to wear his green Jets sweatshirt. I'm sure he did not want to jeopardize his breakfast order being cooked by Bobby Collins, who often has his Patriots shirt on.