Chasing Home (NFL)

Losing It

“Let it hurt, let it bleed
Let it take you right down to your knees
Let it burn to the worst degree
May not be what you want, but it's what you need
Sometimes the only way around it
Is to let love do its work
So go on
Yeah, let it hurt”

– “Let It Hurt” by Rascal Flatts

Chapter 13: Losing It

I got back to New York in time for my 1:25, but I felt too ill to attend. The sickness in my mind had transformed itself into physical symptoms. I had felt like this after terrible games in the past, though it was never to this extreme. That had to be the worst game I had ever seen. It was not the fact that the Vikings lost, though that did kill me since they had outplayed the Saints. It was the way they had lost. I could be a good sport when I had to; this was different.

I felt like I had personally been tackled by a Saints player. I would probably have felt better if I had. I bet Brett was still pretty beat up. The Saints did not have to act so smug about it. My only consolation was that Brett told me, on the plan ride back to Minnesota, his teammates kept coming to him to thank him for playing with them. The fans showed similar gratitude. I was touched and felt a great rush of love for all of them. The Vikings really were a great team with amazing fans. I wondered if I should return to Minnesota.

I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling. I was trying to muster up the energy to study, but it was a futile effort. Then me phone rang. I sat up and pulled it out of my pocket. Brady was calling.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. We had exchanged numbers to coordinate my trip to New Orleans for the Patriots game, but other than that we had not contacted one another. I answered my phone and put it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Lauren,” Brady’s voice came through, “how are you doing?”

“Terrible,” I said, bitterness lacing my voice. “Why do you ask?”

“I know you’re upset about the game last night.”

“You saw me talk to the reporter?” the whole NFL fan base had probably seen it. It made me satisfied.

“Yes, and I noticed you during the game. You didn’t look too happy.”

“Of course I wasn’t happy! Did you see what the Saints did to Brett? And they got away with it!” I suddenly remembered that no one believed me about them. My mind prepared to defend my position.

“I know. They went too far. Some of those hits should have been called.”

“I know it’s part of the game, but-” I stopped short when I realized what he had said. “What?”

“I said I agree with you. You can make tackles without going overboard. There’s no reason to try to knock an opponent out of the game. By the way, I don’t blame your uncle for the loss either. It’s admirable that he continued to play and fight to win even though he was attacked at every opportunity.”

I could not respond first. I sat there with my phone to my ear and my mouth open. If I thought the Vikings gratitude towards Brett had been a sign, what was this? Never in a million years did I think I would be choosing between the Vikings and the Patriots. Had the world been flipped upside down? I swallowed hard as I tried to think of an appropriate response. “I, uh…”

“You still have the Colts, though, right? You have one last chance to beat the Saints.”

My reason finally caught up to the situation. Brady could really be sweet when he wanted to be. I did not like it. “Yeah… Why are you being nice to me? Are you trying to get me to choose that school in New England?”