Red Right 88

Cleveland sports fan and sports writer

Name:
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

quit my job decided to drive west

Sunday, January 13, 2008

You mess with Karma-- Karma will mess with you

Karma can be fun.

I know the Colts had every right to lay down against the Titans in week 17. It was the Browns own fault for not taking care of business the week before against the Bengals or for that matter against the Raiders, Cardinals and the second Steeler game. But still not calling that last timeout in the final seconds was the last straw. As Herman Edwards said, "You play to win the game!" Even if your bench all of your good players-- you have to give the back-ups a chance to win the games. Instead Tony Dungy decided not to try to win. He earned that right to make that call but at the same time he lost any respect and good will I might have had toward him.

So it was a gleeful moment for me to watch Dungy and the Colts lose to a Charger team that rallied to win without the best running back in football and their starting quarterback. LaDainiam Tomlinson had only seven carries and did not play the second half. Philip Rivers got injured on the last play of the third quarter and did not play the fourth. Yet the Chargers rallied behind Billy Volek and Michael Turner and their defense shut the door on Colts to win the game.

Take nothing away from the Chargers but seriously tell me Karma was not the MVP of that game. Twice times- Manning had the Colts in the red zone and yet came away with no points. He threw an interception inside the five that Reggie Wayne should have caught and failed to score just prior to the two-minute warning. And those blunders do not even include two other possessions where it appeared the Colts were about to score. In the first quarter, already up 7-0, the Colts were marching down the field when Marvin Harrison fumbled after a long gain. And just before the half, already in field goal range, Manning threw an interception that if not for a holding call on the return would have given the Chargers a half-time lead.

How powerful was Karma today? It seemed to me that almost every close call went against the Chargers. A Rivers interception on the first drive could have been overturned. That call overruling the touchdown interception return is often not called. And the second half seemed rife with calls that went against the Chargers. On the road, stars injured, no calls and Karma found a way to slap Tony Dungy in the face for not trying to win against the Titans. Sure it makes next week's match-up less glamorous but as much I will never forgive Belichick for cutting Kosar-- at least Old Bill always plays to win.

I would have preferred the Browns to have gotten a chance to play the Chargers but at least a wrong did not go unnoticed.

Thanks Karma.