A View from Calico Jack’s – 9/12/2007

It’s a game of inches.

It’s a clichĂ©, to be sure. But, it’s true.

I’d just never thought about how it applied to life as well.

Life intervened in a really dramatic, horrible way last Sunday. On a play that, on the surface, looked like literally thousands of other plays we’re all seen. But, this play, somehow, turned out differently. Maybe Kevin Everett was susceptible to catastrophic injury in ways no one knew. Or, maybe he cocked his head just a little too much. Turned his shoulders in just a little too much.

A game of inches.

As I write this, Everett’s case has apparently taken a dramatic turn for the better, with the doctors seeing some voluntary movement in his arms and legs.

That’d be a remarkable and fantastic turn of events, of course. Let’s just hope he continues trending in the right direction. Maybe one day before we know it, he’ll take a step. And then another one.

A game of inches.

The Everett incident not only made the game “seem” irrelevant; it did make it irrelevant.

But, ultimately relevant or not in the scheme of life, we care about the game. Perhaps more than we should, but nonetheless we care. A lot.

This is unfortunate, because under any other circumstance we’d be cursing the fates over this game.

Multiple injuries? Check. Questionable execution? Check. Heart-breaking loss? Check.

Good thing we’ve got our priorities set straight, however temporarily.

The game could have turned out so different. Remember that 3rd and 5 bomb from JP to Evans? Just missed a quick six points (and a chance for JP to actually wind up with pretty decent stats for the game). Remember that Elam field goal that deflected off the goal post? A whisker away from yet another miss, and possibly a Bills victory.

A game of inches.

At least real life, in terms of Everett’s prognosis, seems to be inching along in the right direction. Let’s hope that stays true.