More than just a game (1/14/11)

My father and I have had a solid relationship since I was born. Other than a few mandatory disciplinary incidents my father has never done anything out of line or to cause me physical or mental duress.
With that said, with me working the graveyard shift the last 5 1/2 years I haven't really had sit-down talk time with him as much as I like. However this Sunday when the Patriots play the Jets for the right to go to the AFC Championship game....its personal.
Last Sunday my grandmother passed away a month before her 93rd birthday. She was one of the toughest Irish women I've ever known and both my father and I have a lot of her traits. The no nonsense, brutally blunt yet kind and caring part of her personality embedded in the two of us.
One thing my father and I have in common is an interest in sports. My dad grew up going to Fenway, listening to the NY Giants on the radio (there were no Patriots until my dad was 11), going to the Garden for Bruins games and playing basketball for Waltham High. In fact the legendary Boston Garden was the site for a lot of high school tournament games and when my dad was in high school, he actually played a game there and scored a few points. He can claim to have scored in the Boston Garden, not everyone can claim that. While my grandfather on my mom's side was one of the Boston Bruins "Gallery Gods", my father and his buddies had season tickets to the Patriots in the 70's and 80's. Back then you had to be a REAL fan to follow those bums because they were truly the dregs of the league. I later got a taste of it when my uncle used to take me to Red Sox games in the mid to late 90's when fans got rowdy, the team was bad and the atmosphere was not for women and children. Schaffer/Sullivan/Foxborro Stadium was a 6 million dollar dump but my dad and crew braved the elements to attend as many games as he could before the tickets got too expensive.
This thursday, my father and I attended my grandmother's funeral with the rest of his family. During the outside portion of the ceremony, at the end we both put our hands on the casket to wish her goodbye....father and son. With that said, the one thing that unites us is the Patriots. This Sunday against the Jets, the Patriots can't lose. It just can't happen, not after this unexpected unity. This is more than just a game, this is a way for me and my father to cope with our loss. The first 3 Superbowl wins were fun (well, I admit the last one I didn't truly enjoy because I got used to winning) but if the Patriots can pull off the 3 wins to earn the title...it'll mean more to me on a personal level, not just as a fan. Sorry to all you Jets, Steelers/Ravens and Falcons fans.....but this Pats fan has a spiritual mission to complete.