Football is Back

I can't remember a bad football season. I can remember being heart broken, angry, or indifferent about a game but never unsatisfied. I love everything about the football season. The pageantry, the smells, the sounds, the colors. Maybe its the season and when it starts. After a long summer of baseball we finally get back to the hard hitting, high flying, football fun. The weather is cooling and the days get shorter. It just feels like football. Almost nothing saddens me more than a cool 58 degree day with clear skys and a light wind and me not playing a pick up game of football. I might stop calling it fall or back to school time. It should just be called football season.

I don't like getting caught up in pre-season story lines. I don't care if Manning can bounce back after a Super Bowl lose, or if the Jets are as good as everyone says or if TO and Chad Ochocino can co-exist (that one will be fun to watch though). I think the games speak for themselves. Instead of waiting two months for a holiday in summer, you only have to wait 7 days because every Sunday is a religious holiday during football season. Family and friends gather to celebrate another big game. It's beautiful.

I do however have some pre-season picks. Anyone can pick Aaron Rodgers or Payton Manning as league MVP. Anyone may also end up being right but I'm going to go with Frank Gore as MVP. The NFC West is the weakest and the 49ers should be able to run right through it, Gore picking up the stats along the way. The come back player of the year will be Matt Forte of the Bears. They learned that having Jay Cutler throw the ball all around the field isn't the most productive thing and Lovie Smith is fighting for his job. They'll have better balance and Forte will have a much better year than last.

Winning the:

AFC North- Baltimore Ravens

AFC South- Indianapolis Colts
AFC West- San Diego Chargers

AFC East- New York Jets

AFC Wild Cards- New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals

NFC North- Minnesota Vikings

NFC South- New Orleans Saints

NFC West- San Fransisco 49ers

NFC East- Dallas Cowboys

NFC Wild Cards- Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons

AFC Champions- Baltimore Ravens

NFC Champions- Atlanta Falcons

Super Bowl Champions- Baltimore Ravens

I'm not like most people going with the Cowboys, Packers, or Colts, Jets, or Patriots. Defense is still important and that's why the Ravens can win it all. They are older but they are still one of the best and their offense could be one of the most improved coming into this year. It'll be very balanced with Ray Rice running and Joe Flacco finally having some weapons to throw to. As for the Falcons in the NFC, there is always a team that sneaks up on you. The Saints did it last year but if you remember, two years before that they were in the NFC Championship game vs the Bears. Two years ago the Falcons had a playoff type year with a rookie qb, Matt Ryan. Atlanta, if healthy has can have good balance on offense with Michael Turner and can throw the ball with Matt Ryan and Roddy White.