Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!

So, I was watching the Patriots this Sunday, eating some chips and dip, and was smugly enjoying the lead we had over the Chargers. The camera panned over to Bill Belichick, (their coach for those who don’t follow the pats,) and he was speaking into his microphone, with his hand holding it closer to his mouth for extra emphasis, and of course wearing his sweatshirt that’s always cut off at the sleeves.

And every time I see him on the side lines, the same thought always crosses my mind: He is my FAVORITE patriot-- hands down. I feel like he is the icon of the team. Not Tom Brady, not Randy Moss, who’s gone now anyway …Which I feel like is my point. Players come and go. Players get traded, injured, retire, sign new contracts… But the team is always relatively the same. Different dynamics, sure. But as long as the brains of the operation stays the same, the team overall reflects the same image.

So then, this fine Sunday evening, I caught myself thinking of philosophy class while I was watching football!! …If the coach is the mind, then the players are definitely the body. Where would old Bill be without his players? There would be no team. Nothing to coach, or to direct. Where would the players be without Belichick? They would have no direction, and probably be not so great of a team.

Which begs the question, where’s the soul fit into all this, or does it? Cue the camera zooming out and panning over the entire stadium with close-ups of crazy fans with face paint and giant foam fingers before cutting to a commercial…

That’s the soul of the team.

The coach, (or mind,) could clearly not function alone, as well as the team, (or body,) without their coach. But where would both of these be without their fanbase? What would be the purpose of putting a team together at all…of even playing football?

It’s the spirit of the game--the players have it no doubt, so does the coach, but the fans embody that spirit; they are the support, the root of it all. And then I got thinking how much fans really matter. How about home field advantage? Yeah the home team doesn’t have to travel, but they also have the advantage of having more support from their fans… in theory. The booing, the cheering, if the crowd is flat, then maybe the players play flat.

I wonder how many games are won on account of the fans…or at least influenced by it in some way? But that’s the thing: they are always influenced by it. It’s what get’s the teams’ blood pumping faster, gets them hyper focused, wanting, --needing –- to play! I’m getting excited right now just thinking of it all! Anyways, who’d of thought you could tie philosophy into football? I suppose you can tie it into everything

…But yeah, just a thought to throw into the mix!!

Picture:

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/p1_belichick_getty.jpg