This week I was supposed to write about ESPN The Magazine's recent release of its Body Issue. I had a great joke all lined up, too. I was going to change the name of the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network to the Entertainment, Sports and Penis Network.
I was going to talk about how Phil Hellmuth's saggy man-boobs made me reach for the nearest trash can. I was going to lament how I wanted a lengthy article about Sarah Reinertsen, the first female amputee to complete the Ironman, but instead got a photo spread of her without clothes on. I even had a tasteful point to make about how ESPN jumped aboard the sexpress, upset at the corner Sports Illustrated had on the football-loving, female companionship-starved demographic.
I was supposed to talk about all these things. But rarely in life do things go as planned.
Just ask Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Zimmer, husband of 27 years to Vicki Zimmer, went through something no person should have to endure. On Thursday, Vicki died in her home, leaving behind two sons, a daughter and a heartbroken Mike.
But Zimmer, a nine-year defensive coordinator in the NFL, took the field with his Bengals on Sunday in a battle for first place in the AFC North with the vaunted Baltimore Ravens and their high-powered defense.
Yet the game on the field took a backseat to the emotional battle occurring on the sidelines. Zimmer, a coach loved by his players, traveled with his father, Bill, son Adam and daughter Corri. His mother and another son remained in Cincinnati.
And with Vicki in the sky, the Bengals delivered through the air, giving Zimmer a victory he will never forget.
With 22 seconds left, quarterback Carson Palmer connected with wideout Andre Caldwell on a 20-yard strike, capping off an 80-yard game-winning drive to put the Bengals on top for good 17-14.
But it was Zimmer's unit that stole the show, especially under the circumstances. It intercepted Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco twice, including in the contest's waning moments after Palmer's heroics.
As the clock wound down, CBS flashed to the Cincinnati sideline where players and coaches alike mobbed Zimmer, jumping up and down embracing a man whose life had taken a turn for the worse only hours before.
With a smile wider than Albert Haynesworth and more infectious than that pig-related flu, Zimmer's spirit was enough to make anyone hopeful. It's clearly a horrible situation, but seeing Zimmer on the sideline during that game was one of the more inspirational things in recent memory.
Here's a man, devastated by tragedy, able to find salvation on the gridiron with a headset, surrounded by players clearly serving a purpose more than just punting, passing and kicking. Kind of brings to mind the situation in Anaheim and how the Angels dealt with the passing of pitcher Nick Adenhart.
On ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Dr. Meredith Grey said, "There comes a moment when it's more than just a game and you either take that step forward or turn around and walk away. I could quit, but here's the thing — I love the playing field."
Zimmer could have taken some time away, but he didn't, because he knew the field would help him more than sitting at home. And look at Cincinnati. Once the laughingstock of the league, it's now in first place.
The 4-1 Bengals, one year removed from an embarrassing 4-11-1 finish, might be in line to wrap up just their second playoff bid since 1991. Certainly, with a defense led by an inspired Zimmer, this seems like it may soon be reality.
And maybe, just maybe, Vicki will smile down upon the Bengals and give them the power needed to unseat preseason Super Bowl favorites like the New York Giants or the Indianapolis Colts.
Because in the NFL, just like in life, things rarely go as planned.
--
Alex Prewitt is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Alexander.Prewitt@tufts.edu
