Jewball is always life affirming. While all those who play it safe and careful and are content to maybe occasionally push themselves on the Peloton – we venture out. Seize the day and all. We fight. The elements. Laziness. Time. The inclination to stay in where it is warm, safe, and undemanding. 
There is conversation that takes place every Sunday with my father for the past 15 years. He is 72, I am 42. 
“You played this morning?”
“Of course”
“You’re crazy. You know you are not so young anymore.”
Every Sunday. Since I was 27. Either over the phone or as I limp into whatever birthday or holiday party is being held that day. My wife rolls her eyes. 
While we all love the beautiful days – with sun and mild temps – the cold windy days are where you earn you stripes. And we earned em last week. Will continue to.
While Jewball is always life affirming, there are some Sundays that are Jewball affirming. Week 8 was such a Sunday. 
Soccer guys threatening a return? No problem – bring on the brawl.
Yaron out? No problem, Feit moves to Game 2. Beast and Gronk step up.
Short one? No problem, New guy can bring a newer guy.
25 degrees with wind-chill? No problem. 28 players ready to roll.
Beast and Klink hobbled in Game 2? No problem. Goldberg, Pray, and KU hungry for more.
What am I getting at here?? 
I’m saying something that I usually reserve for the posts preseason and as the season recap. I am saying be proud of yourselves. I’m saying we built something and it is worthwhile and special and has elements of the infinite. Never underestimate or undervalue what we do on Sunday mornings. As I have said – we don’t need anyone else on the planet to get it – though I’m sure many do have built similar families – the only people who need to get it is – US.
I have to start with Game 1 because….it was first. It was not the better Game and had a fraction of the highlights, but it was a contest from start to finish. We begin with Pray taking the ball and lining up with Kut, Goldberg, Held, Maor, and two absolutely fantastic linemen – Might and Singer. Sounds pretty stacked! Despite all this talent, with the wind whipping – moving the ball was going to be difficult. And Jordan had schemed out the defense – he believed it could work. His team in Colors consisted of Gronk at QB, Munch, Big E, Sam, Steveo, and Ivry.  Some speed, some size….it had potential. On the opening drive – there were problems for Colors. You see, Jordan’s scheme involved the best pass rusher in Jewball history….not pass rushing. Okay, so I can see a problem with that. I mean, Jordan is no Greg Williams, but if this were the NFL, Jordan may have been fired. The result on the field was confusion. Munch attacking and tracking the action, and Pray was left to run free. And so he did. The drive was….okay….but it was more about Colors failing to do what they needed to do stop the run. The result, a Pray rushing TD. A bad start for Colors for sure. And it got a bit worse. After it becoming clear that Colors was going to feature a next level Steveo in their offense, hope was reinserted into their hearts. Steveo was busting off big wild runs play after play. Even on broken plays he was going highlight reel. Slipping on a deep route, staying focused on the ball from the ground, and reaching up from his knees to haul it in after it being tipped. Truly an incredible grab. A clinic in concentration and coordination.
With Colors figuring out their defensive scheme a bit – and a few overthrows by Pray – it was evident that the opening score by Dark was an anomaly. Scoring would be very hard to come by. That is unless you can pick a ball at the other team’s 4 yard line and just walk it in – which is exactly what Maor did to Gronk just before the half. Just a heads up and timely as hell play. It proved to be the game winner. 
I was actually getting quietly frustrated with Gronk because sometimes I judge him as not being into the game enough – and on Sunday….I see him on his phone between plays! On the field! On his phone! I mean, does it get any more pathetic?? I was about to go off on him. Then….I realize he was looking at plays! He put plays on his phone – and was calling them in our huddle. Damn, if this guy starts running a huddle – I would say look out rest of the league. He can throw the ball accurately. The problem for him Sunday was that the opening man was not catching the ball. The one score by Colors was after a deep route to Jordan made it over Mighty – and Steveo took a handoff shortly thereafter and streaked and spun to the endzone. I don’t want beat up on Sam too much – but facts are facts…Gronk hit him twice on the money in the endzone and Sam could not finish. I’ll circle back to this in the end.
Not that it would have made a difference in the outcome because scoring was so limited, but late in the game Colors figured out to rush Munch who would push around the TE and have the extra man spy Pray. Either way, Colors did not execute their opportunities and a close game ends 2-1. Maor gets the Jewball for the pivotal play that made the difference.
I want to talk about something for a minute that may make some people uncomfortable, but it is 100% an integral part of what we do. And that is – getting better. I’m gonna state here outright – If you can’t play football and you don’t want to get better at football – stay home. You are not one of us. Jewball involves looking in the mirror – seeing what you are – saying I am this, but I strive to be better. To learn a new skillset. To push myself and become something that I am not now. I don’t want to call out many names, but I have seen it happen before my eyes so many times. We will get to Game 2 when we get to Game 2….but…Oren! He was always a force on the line and can pull a flag like he was born to do it, but his hands were a mess. Every ball you threw at him….dink…..doink. And did you see him Sunday?? I can think of others. Kut, Goldberg, Dobs, certainly myself – there are so many guys who come in as one thing and leave as nother. Sure, we get some finished products….but we mostly get projects. And the beauty of what we do is we welcome the projects. We champion the projects! We say….take your time….but push yourself! Evolve with us! The only person in Jewball history who I think could not figure out how to catch was Naftali. He was just working with a different operating system. So, with that said – I challenge every one of you to grow in this game. Sam – you are not a receiver….yet! Big E…you are not lead blocking on screens….yet! It will happen! Just stick with it. We do not tolerate complacency. 
NOW – FINALLY – Who wants WEEK 9?

GAME 2

The Brawl didn’t happen.
PJs spooked them off (or offered them never before seen footage from Camp Zoomer). Gronk got in their heads. Legs showed them a picture of Beast and said “You don’t want any of this.” Whatever the case – they were warned and they did not even make the attempt.
First things first – Daveo showed up – not to play, but to brawl…and for that….he gets a Jewball. Thank you, Daveo.
Ivry’s bro showed up on his bike – a kid of 16 – but he looked like he can compete for sure. He also brought a weapon, which I thought was really exceptional. He doesn’t get a Jewball for that, but definitely a lot of respect earned. Legs eventually rolled in as well – late. Beast was on the field, but something was off. Klink was on the field where something was more off than usual. Goldberg started in place of Legs. Then Kut went in for Klink. Eventually Pray went in for Beast. I tell you – it used to be an absolute disaster when someone went down with an injury. One person down ended the game for 13 others….not anymore. We have dudes on the sidelines ready to go. It is now Chanukah. Do you believe in miracles?
It was Feit in Dark leading Wilmer, Kyrie, Prime, Sting, O, and Klink. Feit always looks good. Pops back off the snap. Bounces around. Scans the field. Throws some stunners. There really is no “But” coming. I think he’s a winner. Just been losing. On Sunday he started the game with a really pretty drive. I’d describe it, but pictures are worth a thousand words and I’m drunk on oil. So you can watch the entire drive. I filmed it. You got O cutting and making a real WR catch, arms fully outstretched. You got Feit bouncing it outside and more outside and even more outside for a big gain. But, as you can plainly see….the drive stalled. Beast and his team then repeated the trick. Driving the field and stalling. Around this time, Klink had to leave the field. His hammy or something was tightening up. He spent the rest of the game disappointed as hell, testing it on the sideline. Feit took over and promptly threw a pick to Tom, giving Beast excellent field position. Beast wasted no time going to his patented corner fade route. No one throws the rainbow like Beast. While most of our QBS go for the rocket or put to much on it, Beast lofts it to the back of the endzone like a pro – making it extremely easy for the receiver to link up with the ball at the right place and time. The lucky receiver waiting for this ball was Storm. Stat. Count it. 1-0 Colors. 
Around this time, Beast started smacking his injury like Kylo Ren. Very tough to see the warrior deal with the injury. He is dying to stay in – but….damn reality is kicking in. That leg is just not gonna let him finish the game. He is trying…but it’s a frivolous attempt.
Perhaps taking advantage of Beast’s inability to bring pressure on defense, Feit went on a little bit of a run. While the Game 1 QBS were having a miserable time throwing in the wind, Game 2 – while cold and windy – seemed to have some periods of calm. The deep ball was available. Wilmer was having himself a day – his hands looking very capable. Going low, high, inside, outside – the ball was sticking to his gloves….And so…a bomb dropped in on him on the right sideline and he was the deepest man in the zone. Wilmer wins a race to the endzone. 1-1. TABBBAAAAAK! Nice!
Tabak then started making a really nice argument for Jewball by adding a pick to his stat sheet. Prime helped out the cause by putting up a classic slash and jet score to give Dark a 2-1 lead at the half. Pray came in for Beast permanently to start the second half.  
At this point, the wind picked up. A Storm seemed to be brewing. The QBs were struggling to put the ball in the endzone or get real traction. Time was running out Colors. Their best opportunity to score was extinguished when Whiskey took a TE bail out pass to help Pray avoid the sack and he managed to get to the sideline past the defense – he has that ball-carrier hyper-boost speed. The problem was he hit the sideline and then….y’know….just ran right through it. He wasn’t forced out of bounds, okay! He went there by choice! Too bad, because it looked like he was about to tie the game.
Feit took over, looking to ice the game with a score or maybe even run out the clock. He pops back off the snap. Bounces around. Scans the field. And throws an……ill-advised pass across the field that Storm picks (STAT!)and runs about 10 yards into the endzone. STAT! COUNT IT!
After the old back and forth seeing if we can get a winner in regulation, nothing comes of it. Feit came extremely close to winning the game by running out of the pocket and cutting with Prime to the sideline, with Feit at the 6 and Prime in the endzone. Feit put the ball right on Prime, but Legs interfered just enough for Prime to bobble the ball. Prime made an attempt to recover – tapped the ball a few times before it sailed away. He wound up sprawled on the turf – distraught. Maybe knowing that was the game. A great game can’t end in another tie! But it looks like that is what would be. 
Pray wound up with a final chance to unknot the contest. With the wind whipping, it would take a valiant effort. It was Whiskey again playing hero – this time not running out of bounds but eating up chunks of the field with a big run, making a lot out of nothing. This just after Tom made a clutch grab on a wobbly pass to keep the game moving after a 4th and short when Pray was under pressure. There is definitely something freeing about the final drive and knowing you have to go for it on 4th. Pray survived another 4th and short with an outside run. Tabak pulled the flag just as the line was crossed. 
I wish there was more drama here, but you know how this one ended.

Stat Count IT!
Jewball to Storm who is just an absolute thrill to play with each week. I spoke in recap 1 how Jewball loves projects. Storm was never a project in terms of skills. But I do remember the guy that showed up to play with us that day at Woodmere Middle School. Pulling jerseys, getting into fights….I mean….he was called Storm for a reason.  I really didn’t think he would catch on with us. Now….he could run for office around here. Who doesn’t love and respect Storm. So….y’know Jewball for his performance on Sunday and for being a living breathing raging example of what it means to stick with it and commit. Great things happen. Honorable mention to Jill who bundled up and watched her man have himself one of the most memorable days in Jewball history.