NFL WEAK ONE

We waited all summer for the NFL to come back. It finally arrived but it did not do a thing for me. I have no interest in what they are trying to sell me. This league has been watered down for many years. The product has lost its luster and there are many reasons for this. Let me explain what is really going on in case you were blinded by the smoke and mirrors of Goodell the Magician.

The pre-season translates into mega millions for the NFL. If you have season tickets you also get seats for the minor league games. If you are lucky you have a neighbor who has a few kids and he will take them off your hands. Pre-season has become a joke since no starter plays more than a quarter. This is not your grandfather’s NFL people. People are so sick of watching bad reruns during the summer that they will slobber all over themselves to go see these pre-season train wrecks. They have drunk the KoolAid into thinking that any kind of football is wonderful. Dream on.

Since players do not hit the field that much during the summer, by the time the official season rolls around no one is sharp, there is a penalty on every kickoff, and the coaches have not fully utilized their voluminous playbooks. It takes several weeks before the teams become a coherent unit. Meanwhile, the Stepfords flock to the stadiums buying beer, foam fingers (sorry Miley), hats, and hotdogs. ChaChing!!!!!! Have we fallen for this mediocrity while we spend hours agonizing over who to take in the first round of the Fantasy Football Draft? Wake up people!

Now that the first week has ended we have to wait until next weekend for our fix. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the coaches hold team practices all week getting ready. But wait. Let’s check the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Players can only practice in pads ONCE per week. Fantastic! So everything in practice is simulated and no one gets to hit someone like they did before. It makes sense. Pay them more money but they can’t hit in practice for fear that they might get hurt. Week Two will be more of the same subpar play.
Now can someone explain to me the rationale behind interdivision teams playing each other in the first week? In a league where every game should matter why must the Eagles, Redskins, Giants, and Cowboys play each other this early in the season? It makes no sense because winning game one does not a season make. But it could hurt a team’s playoff chances right out of the gate. Am I the only one who finds this ludicrous?

I challenge you to search deep inside your soul and answer this simple question: Was week one enjoyable to watch? We had safeties, overthrown passes, horrible tackling, broken plays, and incessant penalties. On a bright note Mr. Manning threw for seven TDs and the Fantasy crowd did cartwheels. Geno Smith and Rex Ryan won their game due to a late hit out of bounds. The Chargers blew a big lead. Flacco threw how many times? The Eagles kept their offense under wraps until last night while RG III looked like Joe Namath at the end of his career. Even the Chiefs won. Am I in a time warp here? WEAK ONE was horrible and we deserve a better product. Next week I will read more and watch the Housewives of some City. I have better things to do.