Thursday night marks the return of live football on the NFL Network, when the Chicago Bears meet the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners are favored by a field goal, which I tend to feel that they will cover. Whether I cash or not, I won’t be able to watch this game, and that makes me angry.
These NFL Network games are a symbol of diversity in our country. Only around 40% of U.S. households have access to the station, due to bickering between the network and cable companies. Forget the war and healthcare; let’s talk about the real issues at hand here!
I don’t care who is in the right, I just want what I want. I have very few pleasures in life. NFL football and MMA fighting are a couple of those pleasures, along with a fine glass of scotch and my corn cob pipe. My cable company (Brighthouse) already suddenly took away my HDNet station without mention. HDNet is a must have for any serious MMA fan. So let me get this straight. I have three Oxygen channels and that one station that shows the fat nun speaking in tongues 24/7, but they couldn’t squeeze in my HDNet? Unreal.
An elusive lover
Ever since the NFL Network began to show several live games a few years back, I had an easy solution. I would just make the trip out to the local sports bar. But I’m too old and too broke to keep up with that nonsense anymore. Enough time has passed to make this work. I’m paying well over $100 a month for cable, and while one can never get enough of ‘The Jeffersons’ reruns, I demand to have access to an NFL game that a good portion of the country has access to. Don’t make me snap, powers that be.
As for the game itself, San Francisco has allowed a promising season to slip away in losing their last four. But they have been profitable at the windows, going 5-2-1 ATS. I’ve been backing the 49ers for most of the year, and certainly will be on them again as they host a subpar Bears team at home.
These teams will be fighting for their postseason hopes as San Fran (3-5) and Chicago (4-4) both desperately need a victory. A very strong case could be made for taking Chicago, as the Niner’s quarterback situation is pathetic, and their losing streak continuing to five games isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Alex Smith threw three picks last week against Tennessee, and fumbled away another turnover. Generally I still feel that San Francisco fields a better overall team than Chicago.
The Bears have also been struggling, dropping three of their last four, including absolute blowouts against Arizona and Cincinnati. Jay Cutler has had his moments in his first year in Chicago, but he’s also made his share of costly mistakes. I’ll be resting my hopes in Frank Gore, and hoping that the Niner’s running game can set the pace with an early lead. This would then force Cutler to throw more than he’d like, leading to some Chicago turnovers. That’s the plan, at least.
I don’t know why the NFL Network debacle even bothers me. My record is considerably better in games that I don’t watch, as opposed to those that I sweat out for three hours. You can keep your Thursday night football, Privileged America. There’s a ‘Jefferson’s’ marathon on. And let’s be honest, George verbally abusing Tom Willis and Mr. Bentley is far more entertaining than Alex Smith vs. Jay Cutler. A Niner’s cover would just be icing on the cake. We’re movin’ on up.
Thursday night action – George vs. Willis!
