Better days

Ever had a bad day at work?

Of course you have; we all have. But if you misfile the Peterson papers in the Peckerson file...if you spill a tray of hot roast beef and gravy...if you forget to order new hoodies for the yard crew...these are forgivable errors.

What happened to Mark Andrews, a veteran tight end for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday evening, was forgivable too. The normally reliable Andrews dropped a pass at the end of the Ravens' playoff game with the Buffalo Bills, a pass that would have scored two points if caught, tying the game.

Andrews, in happier days.

But Andrews dropped it, ending the local NFL season with the latest killer wave in a sea of heartache for Ravens fans.

It's tough, but it happens. Mature fans accept loss as part of life. Immature fans spew bile and vitriol, vilifying the player involved online or on sports talk radio. 

Never would they approach the 6' 5", 249-lb Andrews in person, y'unnerstan'.

But good vibes tend to win out. Up in Buffalo, fans unite in what they call the Bills Mafia, and they do good things for people. 

Having heard of the idiocy thrown Andrews's way, this Mafia decided to turn a drop into a dream, by starting a fundraiser for Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), a nonprofit supporting research into therapies and treatments for Type 1 diabetes. Andrews is himself a Type 1 diabetic and has supported the charity in the past.

"As many of you know (the) Ravens TE wasn't able to catch the the game-tying 2-point conversion and upset Ravens fans," reads the fundraiser's description. "On top of that the TE has been receiving death threats and nasty comments [after] his performance last night. We want Bills Mafia to donate to Mark's charity for Juvenile diabetes. Let's reach a goal of at least 5k."

It's the idea of college bloggers Nicholas Howard and Ryan Patato, and as of yesterday they had already raked in over $5,000. The new goal is $20,000, and let's hope they get there, and lets hope the Bills beat the Chiefs on Sunday so they can go to the Super Bowl this year.

Next year will be the Ravens' turn, and I hope the winning touchdown is carried by the capable hands of Mark Andrews.