THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, January 10, 2016
If Franchise A’s biggest concern today is keeping warm in Minneapolis, well, things could be worse.
They could be Franchise B, sinking faster than the Titanic (and with players seemingly jumping ship), planning to operate next fall under its third coach in as many seasons, and with very few players on their roster that concern the teams preparing for them.
And to think, way back in the early 2010s, they were once rivals.
No, you won’t have Seattle’s Other No. 24 today in Minnesota — then again, you haven’t for much of the year. But you still have the biblical Russell Wilson, and a historically great defense, and that should be more than enough to perform a cut-and-paste job similar to the one you did back there a few weeks ago.
After that, you should just be getting warmed up, gathering momentum for a run at a record third straight Super Bowl title.
Oh wait, that’s right …
IF YOU are a fan of a team long enough, you live through the good times and the bad.
I remember the John Brodie 49ers days — three straight playoff trips in the early 1970s, including two appearances in the NFC title game.
The rest of the 1970s were awful, then Joe and Bill came along, and later did Steve, and that resulted in five Super Bowl wins in a decade and a half.
Then there was another dropoff. Then, a few years ago, we were teased with an apparent return to glory — one Super Bowl appearance, followed by a near-miss in the NFC title game the next year vs. Franchise A. Turns out, there was something missing from those teams — and it wasn’t just the championships.
Fans of Franchise A can certainly understand this. For the first few decades of their existence, they were largely a sideshow act — they once had “The Boz,” and their most famous play was a fake field goal where the holder ended up throwing a touchdown pass to the kicker.
These days, they talk a good game — but back it up on the field. Enjoy the run, fans of Franchise A. It figures to last a few more years but, as Franchise B can attest, things can change in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Franchise B will huddle in an attempt to challenge you once again. The new coach will have to decide whether the current 46-inch TV is worth fixing, or to push it aside and try his luck with the newer technology of the 60-inch model.
Besides, who else in the NFC West is going to step up and try to keep you guys in line?
The Rams? Whether they stay in St. Louis, move back to L.A. or stop the moving van along the way in Albuquerque and drive in some stakes there, give no indication they won’t do anything other than continue their bungling ways of the last decade and a half.
The Cardinals? As long as they have a successful rent-a-passer (Warner, Palmer) they’ll be in the mix. But when they break down …
Franchise A should remember, today and into the future — it’s easier to add and remove layers as needed, rather than change the whole wardrobe.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.