That's Why We Watch

I'm not a reality TV fan. Reality TV is an oxymoron if there ever was one. Like jumbo shrimp or MTV News. I also don't know why anyone needs scripted reality when the actual stuff is far more interesting. The entire spectrum--from the mundane to the amazing to the absurd in life--plays itself out in non-fiction form on a regular basis. That's, in part, why I think I still find sports so compelling. Just about anything imaginable can happen and eventually will. We need look no further than the last six minutes of yesterday's NFL Playoff tilt between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis to see that in vivid color.

Most of you know the backdrop of the game. The Colts were the number one seed in the conference and the Steelers barely made the playoffs. Uber-QB Peyton Manning and company were penciled into Super Bowl XL by many pundits and fans alike. The Steelers were already after thoughts.

When the run-happy Steelers used their aerial attack to jump out to a 14-0 lead over the pass-happy Colts, the drama had begun. However, neither a half or three-quarters do a game make. It's what happened in the last half dozen minutes that reminds us why we watch sports to begin with.

When the game clock dropped below six minutes left, the contest's momentum took the first of many dramatic turns. Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu intercepted a Manning pass. Up 21-10, it appeared the Steelers were in control of the game. Sure, there was a review underway to confirm that the Steelers safety had made the pick, but everyone could see that Polamalu had intercepted the pass. You knew it. I knew it. The announcers (eventually) knew it. The Colts knew it. Their fans most certainly knew it. Anyone who had seen any amount of football in their lives could make this call. Except one guy wearing a striped shirt.

The official decided it was an incomplete pass due to something he referred to as a failure to complete "a football act". What?!?!? A football act? Who has ever heard of such a thing? Suddenly the NFL's interception rule was turned into interpretative dance. Did the Russian judge nail Pittsburgh? Apparently, catching the ball and rolling over a couple of times, with possession, does not constitute a catch in the mind of this whistle-blower. After several minutes of reviewing replay angles, the guy still managed to botch the call. It was unbelievable. Instead of wondering if the Steelers were going to run out the clock, the Colts were given another chance. They didn't fail.

Manning promptly marched Indianapolis down the field. The Colts scored a touchdown and made a two point conversion. The game that just a few minutes prior seemed to be over was now anything but complete. The fans were re-ignited. Momentum, if you believe in such things, was clearly the Colts' ally. Indy now only needed a field goal to tie. A touchdown on their home turf would probably secure a victory. With that high octane offense and the emotional boost, surely Indianapolis would score again, right?

Conversely, the Steelers and most football observers were debating the merits of replay and wondering if an official's call would shake Pittsburgh's upset chance? What's the point of stalling the game for another five or ten minutes so an official can make such a glaring error? Wasn't replay designed to eliminate just this type of thing?

Yet, the Colts never mustered much offense the rest of the way. The Steelers defense, which was the story of the game, did not yield. In fact, on a fourth down and long play with 1:20 to go, Manning got sacked by linebacker Joey Porter and the Steelers had the ball on the doorstep of the Colts endzone.

Finally, the Steelers triumph had been secured. At worst, the Steelers would take a knee four times and force the Colts to march the length of the field with little time left. They could also kick a field goad and eat up most of the time remaining in the process. The best case scenario for Pittsburgh would be to score another touchdown and seal an impressive road victory. Any of those three options would advance the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game. None of them occurred.

On the very next play, Jerome Bettis fumbled the ball. Bettis, who hadn't fumbled in a forever, coughed up the rock. You could feel the game hang in the balance as the ball floated away from The Bus. The Steelers remarkable day was about to be ruined by a fumble from a future Hall of Famer on the brink of retirement. It couldn't happen this way, Bettis' last play being a game changing fumble, but it was going to be.

Colts DB Nick Harper scooped the ball and began downfield. The game was over. It had to be. A defensive back was racing towards the opponents goal line with only the Steelers quarterback between him and playoff immortality. Harper even had a couple of teammates around to help lead the way. With each yard Harper gained, the Colts moved closer to a date with Denver. Indianapolis was about to stage the most improbable comeback in the most dramatic fashion in recent memory. Or not.

Somehow, Ben Roethlisberger tackled Harper by his shoe. While the Steelers were still alive, things didn't look good. The last time old Mr. Momentum tapped the Colts on the shoulder, Manning marched Indy into the endzone. This time, even a field goal would keep the Colts Super Bowl dreams alive. You had to think the Colts were going to get at least three points. The game was either going to be headed for overtime or Indy would pull of this miraculous comeback in regulation. They did neither.

Indianapolis moved the ball from their 42 yard line to Pittsburgh's 27. That left Mike Vanderjagt to kick a game tying field goal. Vanderjagt rarely misses. Ever. He was at home. On turf. Indoors. This game was destined for overtime. How much more could either team have left emotionally to play OT? Could there be even more of this stuff? How could Pittsburgh lose this game sitting on Indy's two yard line up three with about one minute left? They didn't.

Vanderjagt's attempt to send this game into another stanza went wide right. Way wide. It was never close. It would be amazing if you hadn't watched the previous six minutes. It was a fitting end to this bizzaro game. You had running team passing to gain a lead. You had the high powered offense fizzle. You had an official redefine an interception. The road team jumped to an early lead, the home team mounted a comeback. You had the guy who never fumbles, fumble. You had the guy who doesn't tackle, make a game saving tackle. You had the kicker who doesn't miss, miss.

Let's face it, if you wrote a screenplay with this stuff it would be so unbelievable I doubt anyone would buy the idea. It's just too implausible to happen let alone occur in a six minute span. Yet, it's why we watch sports. The gigantic emotional swings. Seeing the unimaginable become reality. Knowing that underdogs can triumph. You keep can keep your reality TV, I'll stick to mine.