Watch This

As someone who has not one, but two, new sports-related blogs, I am loathe to admit the following, but I did not realize I had NFL Network until halftime of the Seahawks/49ers tilt last night. And the Niners are my favorite team.

I was page-downing through the DirecTV guide looking to fill AJ's request to watch "sports." The Kings-Sharks didn't start for a bit, so I was looking for some college hoops or something to keep him busy. I pass the 11 ESPN channels and there's the NFL Network and my son shouts, "Daddy! The 49ers are playing!" I calmly tell him I don't get that channel, but his face shows he will not be swayed until I prove it. "Here. Watch," I say, hitting "enter."

Uh oh. And hooray!

I suppose I get it with the sports package, which includes all the regional networks (see?!?! I do like sports!). Glad to see that money is well-spent, even in the baseball off-season.

We settled in and were treated to the finest 30 minutes of football I've seen the Niners play in forever. Hard to believe it was the same team that got crushed last week by the Packers, that basically gave a game away in St. Louis. Last Sunday, while attending a convention of degenerates in Las Vegas, a friend and I were discussing QB Alex Smith in the sportsbook. He maintained the kid wasn't far away, that his intelligence might currently be a hinderence, but it will ultimately be what ensures his success. And that sounded right to me, because my take on him has always been that he's a split second slow, as if he's over-thinking each situation and not yet instinctually making reads and plays.

We're a spoiled lot, us Niner fans. The team has been difficult to watch in recent seasons. Been difficult to watch at times THIS season. But then they surprise you with the kind of effort, the level of ability, they showed in the second half last night. Remember, this was IN Seattle, one of the toughest places for visitors in today's NFL. The Niners have had a few of these moments this year. The question, for both Smith and the entire team, is whether these flashes are a sign of more consistent things to come, or simply aberrant teases.

One thing's for sure: They've got me watching. Even if by accident.