{"id":6269,"date":"2017-01-31T15:46:23","date_gmt":"2017-01-31T20:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mentordiscoverinspire.org\/2017\/01\/31\/the-thrill-of-victory-the-agony-of-defeat-of-the-afc-championship-game\/"},"modified":"2021-04-23T18:18:39","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T22:18:39","slug":"the-thrill-of-victory-the-agony-of-defeat-of-the-afc-championship-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mentordiscoverinspire.org\/the-thrill-of-victory-the-agony-of-defeat-of-the-afc-championship-game\/","title":{"rendered":"The Thrill of Victory & The Agony of Defeat \u2013 2017 AFC Championship Game"},"content":{"rendered":"
Two men – one a New England Patriots fan, and one a Pittsburgh Steelers fan – do what men do best:<\/em> bark, banter and wager … honorably. This time about the AFC Championship game Sunday, January 22, 2017. Since the dawn of time, man has instinctually sought to protect his domain. Quite simply, those who failed perished. I consider myself a direct descendant of generations of success in this regard. After all, I am living proof. And I am a New England Patriots fan.<\/p>\n There is a ritual between men and this is what it looks like. This behavior is by no means considered normal behavior in society, yet it a common masculine trait. It has meaning. It has honor. And best of all, it has WINNERS!!! And it has losers.<\/p>\n Are you a winner or a loser?<\/p>\n In our land of ritualized aggressions, our contemporary gladiators wearing the laundry of our province provide purposeful belonging and civic pride. We are a culture of sports fandom, hardwired by fight or flight instincts. We are driven to achieve black-and-white polarity and clarity. We need this profound boundary of opposition, to test one\u2019s mettle and achieve greatness. To the victor go the spoils, and to the loser belong shame.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So I decided a bit of celebration is in order this weekend as I’ve two things to grateful for: my son is over for our bi-weekly visitation and then my Steelers are playing for the AFC Championship.<\/em><\/p>\n With a smile on my face and my heart all set for a victory, I plunged myself into undertaking a wager with a man from New England. I suspect he’s a French fellow lost somehow below the 49th. He’s quiet some and very polite and proper, well more so than me at most times and a book smart sort of man. Ah what’s he know about football and wagers, I thought.<\/em><\/p>\n Boy was I wrong, that lost Frenchman down in New England lured me in I say! Into a wager I normally wouldn’t enter to the degree that I have.<\/em><\/p>\n Laptop on and game being streamed and Justin LaBarge showcasing his cockiness via spitting out every pro Tom Brady stat known to mankind, how am I suppose to respond to this?<\/em><\/p>\n I recall saying aloud, “I have to come up with something, I can’t let this guy just talk smack like this.” I know, me thinks some trash talk will help lift my spirits and perhaps make him nervous. And I hope it will trickle down towards his team the pesky New England Patriots and their supermodel hero quarterback Tom Brady who may just choke as he has in the past.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/pre>\n
\nTHE VICTORY<\/h2>\n
Justin LaBarge\nProducer, Legacy Magazine\n\n<\/strong><\/pre>\n
\nTHE DEFEAT<\/h2>\n
Fred Rai\nStaff Writer\n\n<\/strong><\/pre>\n