Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below the main deck of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken have the night off.
Back in 1969, the late Charles Schulz drew a Sunday edition of his comic strip Peanuts. It started with Linus watching television, yelling, “GO! GO! GO” Linus then jumped for joy and yelled, “FANTASTIC!”
Linus ran outside to find Charlie Brown playing with a football. Linus breathlessly exclaimed, “Charlie Brown, I just saw the most unbelievable football game ever played … what a comeback! The home team was behind six-to-nothing with only three seconds left to play … they had the ball on their own one-yard line … the quarterback took the ball, faded back behind his own goal posts and threw a perfect pass to the left end, who whirled away from four guys and ran all the way for a touchdown! The fans went wild! You should have seen them! People were jumping up and down and when they kicked the extra point, thousands of people ran out onto the field laughing and screaming! The fans and the players were so happy they were rolling on the ground and hugging each other and dancing and everything! It was fantastic!”
To which Charlie Brown replied, “How did the other team feel?”
This came to mind while watching this past Sunday’s (January 4, 2026) tilt between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The winner would spend the next day celebrating their capturing the AFC North title and preparing to host a playoff game the following week. The loser would spend the next day cleaning out their lockers.
Since I had no rooting interest in either squad, I tuned into the contest for simple enjoyment of the game itself. It provided entertainment in droves, especially during the fourth quarter when the teams played hot potato with the lead, each seizing it from the other only to hand it back as Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson put on a show of clutch quarterbacking. It was fine, fun football.
The Steelers took the lead 26-24 with fifty-five seconds left on a touchdown throw from Rodgers to Calvin Austin III. Joy filled the Terrible Towel-waving throng in attendance, tempered by the knowledge that Pittsburgh’s defense had to hold Baltimore to a field goal at worst, thus sending the game into overtime. But first, the Steelers needed to kick the extra point.
They didn’t, as Ravens safety Keondre Jackson blocked Chris Boswell’s kick.
Game on.
Baltimore ripped off an excellent return of Pittsburgh’s kickoff, bringing the ball out to midfield. Lamar Jackson got to work. It looked like the Steelers had the upper hand, as they worked the situation to fourth down and seven to go with the ball on the fifty. Jackson went back to pass. He shook what looked like a sure sack. He then shook another. He then threaded a pass to Isaiah Likely at the Pittsburgh twenty-four. Fourteen seconds left, Baltimore with two time-outs remaining, Pittsburgh with none.
The Ravens took a knee, then let the clock run down to two seconds left. Out trotted Baltimore place kicker Tyler Loop to attempt a forty-four yard field goal. Not a gimme by any means, but well within Loop’s demonstrated range. Snap. Spot. Kick.
Miss.
Of such moments are sports made.
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