ASHLAND —
As it kindled a slow, simmering fire along my palate, even the mango habanero buffalo wing sauce greeting my tastebuds and dripping from my fingers couldn’t compare to how hot the home team was on the big screen before me.
It takes an awful lot for me to leave Buffalo Wild Wings short of a three-hour stay, but I didn’t put up a fight when my lovely wife and two little ones were ready to hit the exits on Sunday afternoon.
The Atlanta Falcons were well ahead of the Seattle Seahawks, 20-0, at halftime. The future Hall of Fame tight end whose name graced the jersey I was wearing, well, he was doing his thing.
The old Chiefs attire from the back of my closet was worth brushing the dust off of — it allowed me to support one of the all-time good guys of the game. Chief-turned-Falcon Tony Gonzalez had a tip-toe touchdown along the back of the end zone that showed why he left himself some wiggle room when talking about retirement.
So, my work was done. Gonzalez and the Falcons were one win away from a Super Bowl berth.
Not so fast.
An hour or so passes by, and curiosity struck a brainwave. I reached for my iPhone, actually to check the Michigan-Ohio State basketball score before scrolling to football. But a certain NFL score caught my attention first: Falcons 27, Seahawks 21. Whaaaaaat???
Were the Seahawks really going to pull it off a crazy comeback again?
I had to listen to the last few minutes in the car, and as you know now, the Falcons barely pulled it out at home, of course with the help of a Gonzalez catch setting up the game-winning field goal.
Moral of the story? Don’t leave Buffalo Wild Wings early.
NFC Championship
49ers at Falcons, Sunday at 3 p.m.
In their three losses this season, the Falcons’ running game was virtually non-existent (I’ll refrain from Manti Te’o girlfriend jokes here).
Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers will have to run like they did last weekend in order to quell the Colin Kaepernick craze.
San Francisco’s head-turning quarterback will probably have his way — similar dual threats Russell Wilson and Cam Newton torched Atlanta’s defense for big yardage both on the ground and through the air within the last few weeks — so it’s up to the offense if the Falcons are to fly on to the Super Bowl.
Turner and Rodgers combined for 162 yards on 24 carries in Atlanta’s 30-28 doozy of a win on Sunday.
If the Falcons become to predictable and one-dimensional, prolific pass rushers Aldon Smith and Justin Smith will feast on Atlanta QB Matt Ryan, dashing Gonzalez and company’s hopes of living another two weeks.
The deafening Georgia Dome is another check on the Falcons’ list of positives, and it’s enough to narrowly push them over the edge in a somewhat surprising outcome.
Snyder says: Falcons 34, 49ers 31.
AFC Championship
Ravens at Patriots, Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
As much as I’d like to see a Ray Lewis-Gonzalez matchup in the Super Bowl — both all-time greats on the verge of retirement — I think the Ravens will come up just short in this one.
Guess the reason ...
Have I given you enough time?
His name rhymes with Zom Zady.
His name is also synonymous with Super Bowls, as this will be Tom Brady’s sixth appearance if he leads his team to victory Sunday.
The Ravens keep it close in this AFC Championship rematch because, even with an aging defense, they still step up in these moments. Evidence? The Mile-High madness from a week ago.
Joe Flacco and Ray Rice will do some damage for the Baltimore offense, but I see some drives coming up just short, opening the window for Brady’s bunch to pull away in the fourth quarter on a cold night in Foxborough.
Snyder says: Patriots 28, Ravens 19.
AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.
Local Sports
AARON SNYDER: Time to order more wings
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Kittens go for 5 in a row
A man nicknamed “W” resided in the White House the last time Ashland lost a 16th Region Tournament softball game.
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16th Region baseball: Breakfast of champion?
It’s commonly said that the best way to start your day is a good breakfast. Come breakfast time on Monday, 16th Region baseball fans will pay witness to perhaps the best way to start a region tournament.
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16th Region Tournament pairings released
The 16th Region Tournament baseball and softball pairings were determined during meetings on Friday afternoon at Ashland Blazer High School.
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Bush, Womack again selected for top awards
David Bush, a driving force as Rose Hill Christian’s boys advanced to the state team tennis semifinals, and six All-State selections give the 2013 All-Area Tennis Team major firepower.
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AARON SNYDER: Pettrey to hold camp in Grayson
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The former Raceland and Ohio State star kicker, who had a brief stint in the NFL, is now teaching others his fine-tuned craft.
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63rd District: Russell double shifts it
During last year’s 63rd District championship game, Russell and Greenup County went eight innings. On Wednesday night the two teams decided more was necessary.
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63rd District: McCall stands tall for Greenup
Two times Tuesday night did Greenup County coach Greg Logan think about taking Will McCall out of the game, and two times did McCall convince his coach there was no need for a change.
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64th District softball: Cat-like reflex
All of Ashland’s postseason softball championships are special to Dave Miller during his highly successful run as head coach.
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With one swing of the Bath
Bath County junior Austin Robinson went from Wednesday's designated hitter to designated winner with one swing.
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62nd District Softball: East playing second fiddle no longer
East Carter’s Morgan Jacobs fired a pitch across the plate for strike three in the bottom of the seventh inning and jumped into the arms of first baseman Montana Fouts.
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