SKI REPORT … Lake Havasu: Let the games begin

Opinion by WILLIAM “SKI” WILCZEWSKI

 

With the wild card games behind us, what I call the juicy part of the NFL playoffs is finally upon us, with many interesting matchups about to unfold.

You have Seattle at Atlanta today at 2:35 p.m., and Houston at New England at 6:15 p.m.

If you ask me, though, it’s Sunday’s games that pack the most punch when Pittsburgh heads to Kansas City at 11:05 a.m., and Green Bay heads to Dallas at 2:40 p.m.

Needless to say, there’s a lot on the line—especially in The Lone Star State.

But there’s more on the line than you might think.

Sure, you have the star-spangled history of both programs plus a compelling story line of rookie Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott versus veteran Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

Closer to home, a friendship appears to be in jeopardy.

You see, newsrooms can a very volatile place. It doesn’t matter if it’s the season opener or the Super Bowl, when two teams from someone’s home state face each other on the field of play, it can turn ugly, like 50-shades-of-Joseph-Merrick-ugly.

That may just be the case come Sunday when Today’s News-Herald’s sports editor Norma Gonzalez (a Texas native) and TNH city and crime reporter Haley Walters (a cheese-head from Wisconsin) sit down to watch their two teams bash and bloody themselves on the road to the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

And while Prescott tries to sneak into the history books and Rodgers tries to add more to it in Texas, there will likely be two otherwise cordial and friendly roommates turning into scathing maniacs right here in Lake Havasu City.

As a lifelong boxing fan, I more than appreciate two people going at it mano a mano, but this might get scary.

I mean, I’m sure as roommates they must have gotten into little scuffles here and there over taking the last glass of orange juice, temperature settings or anything of that routine nature, but when it comes to state pride, I’ve seen people with the personality of Mary Poppins turn into Mad Max.

I’ve seen soft-spoken souls who wouldn’t raise their voice if their own pants were on fire turn into Sam Kinison.

I’ve seen … … well, you get the point.

Anyway, like I’ve told them, I’d give just about anything to be a fly on the wall at their place on Sunday.

Come to think of it, I’d also give just about anything to hear some other playoff or Super Bowl related stories that you may have out there in our community. So, if you’ve got one, send it to sports@havasunews.com.

You never know, it may just end up on these pages, too.

Oh, and by the way, GO PACKERS!! (Sorry, Norma, your Cowboys beat my Buffalo Bills in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, so you know I’m a die-hard Dallas-Downer! But that’s a whole different story.)

Wilczewski can be reached at wwilczewski@havasunews.com.