Finger Lickin’ Blecch.
I was at the Post on Sunday with the Usual Suspects having a couple cocktails and watching the New Jersey York Giants lose to play the Philadelphia Eagles. As you may recall, this was a game that would determine a shot at the playoffs. As such, the guys were paying close attention to the intricacies of the game, and I (at best a casual fan) found myself caught up in the game — sort of.
You see, while the other guys were focused on the strategy, tactics and the quality of the play, I could not help but focus on how often Eli Manning (the Giants’ quarterback) licked his farookin’ fingers before each play. Can I get a “EWWWWWWW�
I think it’s safe to say that just about everyone agrees that one of the best ways to avoid becoming ill is by regularly washing one’s hands (at a minimum, always following toilet stuff and always prior to eating). Hell, even democrats and republicans can agree on that.
There’s nothing magical about the reason why washing one’s hands is effective in preventing sickness. Washing one’s hands prevents the nasties that reside on environmental surfaces from getting into our mouths by hitching a ride on our hands.
I also think that even democrats and republicans can agree that sticking one’s fingers (even washed fingers) in one’s mouth is not a particularly good idea.
During the course of the game, Eli (as part of his job) handles the football, which is also handled by dozens of other people (as part of their jobs). He also spends a fair amount of time with his hands in the dirt (he can thank his linemen for that), and he places his hands regularly between the legs of the center. I figure that by the end of the game, by licking his fingers, Eli has consumed frightening portions of other people’s sweat, spit, snot, blood, and ca-ca, not to mention, grass and dirt (including fertilizer, organic and chemical).
It probably makes no sense to try to educate Eli about the health benefits of not putting ca-ca, poo-poo fingers into one’s mouth, because despite the quantity and quality of yuck that Eli consumes every week, he appears to be the picture of good health. How’s about we tell him that if he stops licking his fingers, maybe he will throw fewer passes to the other team?
I once heard football described by a girl as “that game where the quarterback wipes his hands on the center’s butt towel, licks his fingers, then puts them under the center’s crotch…”
Puts a whole new slant on it.
Comment by gregor — January 9, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
One small correction . . . the Giants and Eagles game last weekend was the playoffs.
Comment by Bob — January 9, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
Oy, I wish my father (a Navy vet) belonged to a post, so my mother would be allowed to watch even 15 minutes of television on a Sunday during football season.
Comment by Erica — January 9, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
GOTDAM! Thats the problem..he has got so much spit on the ball that it is slippin’ out of his hand when he throws it and the wrong man does the catching..maybe he is confusing that football with a baseball and is trying to throw a spitball
Comment by GUYK — January 9, 2007 @ 11:14 pm
ewww is right…
Comment by armywifetoddlermom — January 10, 2007 @ 9:45 am
Try watching basketball for a while. Those athletes seem to think it is okay to lick their fingers, handle the ball, and also clean off the bottoms of the basketball shoes… and repeat. Perhaps athletes are immune to all the supposed ailments caused by ingesting germs and bacteria. Maybe we all are. Maybe it’s all a plot by the folks who sell anti-bacterial everything…
Comment by Zagfan — January 10, 2007 @ 11:48 am
If you stop and watch a few more games I’d say about half the QB’s in the league do the same thing. I think some of them just have an oral fixation. *grin*
Comment by Teresa — January 10, 2007 @ 9:00 pm
And I just thought Eli was colored blind. You mean it was the bacteria this whole time? Oh and did you hear they found out where that smell that succumbed NY & NJ came from? It came right out the the swamps of the Meadowland. Giants Stadium. Go figure.
Comment by VIPERGIRL — January 10, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
Honestly, a post about a guy licking his fingers? What doesn’t kill you…
The New York “football” Giants are such a terrible football team.
The New York Jets, well they may have been good playing middle of the road teams, but stacked up against any worthy opponent (Patriots) they show their true colors.
Can’t wait to see the Bears get put in their place.
Comment by San Soucri — January 14, 2007 @ 1:50 am