For a moment, I was also wanting Peyton to get a nice injury--Not a career-ending injury, but perhaps just a small concussion or a fractured fibula or finger in his throwing hand...nothing too serious, just enough to put him on the shelf for 6 weeks or so. I admit it. I casually and briefly thought about it.
I was angry that he was still in there, racking up passing yards when the game was already won. He could have been nice. "Could have."
And that's when I realized something that I had mentioned in a thread I started that same day after the end of the game. It goes something like this:
...We as Texans fans THINK we have it bad for being in our condition, for our team's "woes," but we have nothing on Colts fan. Colts fan sees an unstoppable Colts team implode in the playoffs every year. Peyton watches everything crumble before his eyes, all that he worked for in the regular season evaporate so easily without seemingly being able to do anything about it.
Peyton is, for lack of a better word, "tormented" by the inability to get over the top.
And THAT is the worst kind of torment: To be at the doorstep, to ring the doorbell, and the door never open. You're there. You're dressed in your tux with the carnation in-hand, and your date doesn't open the door. Sucks, doesn't it? It's a whole lot worse when you KNEW you didn't have a date for the prom. At least you could move on to other things, at least you knew where you stood. But for Peyton, he will not stop until he gets the girl. He won't budge an inch until he walks through the gym doors on prom night with his date, ready to boogie down to some great disco music. And then, it'll be even worse. He will not be satisfied with one championship. If you thought Brett Favre was hard to get rid of, just wait until Peyton's time has come...that guy will not stop.
He is, IMO, more competitive and robotic than even Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. You don't understand: He DOES NOT see his wife the week of a game, which I think means that he must not see her all season long. I didn't even know he had a wife. Never knew it until they mentioned it in the game. Do you see her? Where IS she? He is focused on game film and practice and playing, and then repeating the whole process over as quickly as possible after game day is over. Dude is a freak. Period.
And so, it's no surprise to me (when I do the short math) that he stays in the game and continues to throw. Throws his helmet on the sideline when they have to punt in the 4th qtr. and they're up 342-10.
It's not personal against us. he isn't trying to insult us. He's viewing every play as perhaps the game-winning play in the championship game. He would play like that against a team of mentally challenged kids at a charity event. And that's OK. It stinks to be on the receiving end, but it's nothing personal...it's just "business."
Pact with the devil? Nah. Though that WAS a very funny article, TC. No, he's just not happy unless things are picture perfect. He could fit in well with the Count-the-floor-tile crowd or the Wash-your-hands-500-times group.
Rain Man.