Go Green

(The following post was originally written on recycled paper.)

There were some positives to take from the Eagles' 38-17 trashing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens was held to only 10 catches, with an average of less than 17.40001 yards/catch. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo's QB rating for the game was less than 141.7001. Eagles punter Sav Rocca had that really good punt that pinned the Cowboys in their own end that one time. Eagles kicker David Akers had a sweet onside kick. There may have been more positives, but I am reticent to read any of the game stories on philly.com. The headlines, which include words like "denial", "decline", and "roadkill", are much too disconcerting. My pain tolerance has already been tested enough.

Instead of the actual game, let's focus on all of the good that was done for the environment last night. Fans inhaled their beer out of cups made from corn, which will biodegrade in 45 days. This is a much longer survival time than the Eagles' playoff chances seem likely to have. The fans recycled those cups less than 46 feet away from the point-of-sale, covering about as much yardage as Eagles' QB Donovan McNabb's average completion. Those fans staggered their departure times from the stadium, based on their own personal pain tolerances. The stadium emptied out in increments, so there was less traffic, and pesky auto emissions were reduced. Most fans watching the game at home had turned off their televisions long before the blowout was over, thus saving additional power. This is no longer the organization that once drafted OT Kevin Allen, a player who's best talent was "standing around killing the grass." (My favorite Buddy Ryan quote.) They are the most environmentally-sound team in the NFL.

Of course, it's possible that the Eagles are about to embark on a miraculous playoff run. Stranger things have happened. (Like trading up to draft Mike Mamula.) Perhaps they can win in Washington. The Dolphins haven't actually won a game yet, so they are beatable. Maybe the same striking TV writers who served as the officials for the Pats-Colts game will be in charge of the Eagles-Pats game on the 25th. I'll be watching, if only to see Sav Rocca finally put one his punts into orbit.