the kicker is like the seeker

From what I've read in Harry Potter books (I haven't read them all), I've always thought that the idea of having a seeker position in Quidditch was almost dismissive of the rest of the game; I mean, what about all the tussling and battling that is happening throughout a match... and then it can all be made moot by the capture of a snitch?

Which got me thinking - are there any other sports that are similar? And right away I thought of the field-goal kicker in football. A hard-fought game that goes back and forth for four quarters, endless battles in the trenches between the lineman, acrobatic plays by the skill players, bone-jarring hits by the defense, and it all comes down to... the kicker. All the blood, sweat, and tears being laid out for the better part of sixty minutes, and the game is decided by, yes, the kicker. In quidditch, so much being put on the line by the majority of the team, but oh, yes, 150 points for securing the snitch. Well... okay... I guess. If those are the rules, those are the rules.

The faithful reader(s) of this blog know that I am a 49ers fan. Isn't it time to admit that 'The Catch' is a play that is wayyy overrated? Sure, Joe Montana threw the ball, Dwight Clark caught the ball, but that only tied the game. It was Ray Wersching, the kicker, that actually won the game. Come on, folks, let's give credit where credit is due, the kicker won the game.

It's commonly acknowledged that quarterback Tom Brady is someday going to be a shoo-in for enshrinement into the NFL Hall of Fame. For what?? For him so-called "winning" Super Bowls for the New England Patriots? Well, who actually won those games? Tom Brady? I don't think so... it was Adam Vinatieri, the kicker, who won those games for the Patriots.

I can imagine taking my son to a football game and saying to him, "Look son, the kicker is warming up on the sidelines. See? Yeah, just pay attention to him and ignore what's going on on the field. It all comes down to what the kicker does - the rest of the game hardly matters. He's like the Harry Potter of football!"

And as I'm writing this, I am reminded that the 49ers kicker, Joe Nedney, is injured and will miss this weekend's game against Tampa Bay. Oh boy, let's hope that the outcome of this game doesn't come down to... the kicker.