Looking for a reason to care about the NFL
I'm really trying to get into this NFL thing.
Don't get me wrong, I used to be into it. Some of those vestiges remain. I watched the NFL Draft for what seemed like eleven hours... wait, it actually was eleven hours. I would not leave the recliner until my main man Aaron Rodgers got picked. I like Ricky Williams, dislike Terrell Owens, and think Randy Moss will be bad-to-the-bone in Silver and Black, no matter who throws it to him. I'm trying to like Manning and Brady like I loved Favre and Elway, and I want to believe the Bengals will make the playoffs this year, though I ought to know better.
But that's not the problem. I still don't care. Really, I've been having this problem for years; when push comes to shove, I don't care about the NFL.
Now this may come as a shock to all of you, but each of the last three years, I've missed the first half of the Super Bowl. That's right, I've missed it... no pre-game parties, no chips n' salsa, no beer or no soda, no commercials, nada. And I don't care at all. Not a lick. Not even a smidge. I actually had an opinion about last year's game, since I liked the Eagles and McNabb, but even then, it wasn't enough to get me to avoid attending my late night church service.
Now I'm not trying to come off as a zealot with that last sentence. I just don't care anymore. Gone are the days when I could be enamored with the idea of seeing two teams that I couldn't give two cares for show off in a publicized game. And since I don't care about the Super Bowl, I have a hard time caring about the NFL, who proudly proclaims that the whole point of playing the season is for the Big Game.
Now, we've had one good Super Bowl these last 3 years, one OK Super Bowl, and one bad Super Bowl. But there's been a common theme: nobody outside the respective regions the teams play in cares. Nobody. I could walk up to someone on the street right now and ask them if they're a Pats fan and chances are they wouldn't have a clue. Same with the Bucs. The Panthers? Forget about it. We've seen two traditional teams (Oakland and Philly) get outplayed, and if the Patriots happen to make it again ________ (insert NFC team here) will probably get outplayed too. And we'll have to pretend that the Pats are now a dynasty and we'll give them all cookies and we'll try to overlook the fact that we don't care.
Oh, I know everybody will take offense to this, but tell me one thing: How many of you can honestly say you lived and died with any of the last few "Big Games"? And after that, doesn't that make the NFL mean just a little bit less every year? I know it does for me.
So give me a reason to care again. Give me players that pump up the stats in the regular and the postseason. Give me arrogance and arrogant players in commercials; give me someone to hate who doesn't act like he's 12. Give me a better story than T.O. and Ricky; give me an underdog or tradition. And for crying out loud, let's make this Super Bowl thing matter again.
Don't get me wrong, I used to be into it. Some of those vestiges remain. I watched the NFL Draft for what seemed like eleven hours... wait, it actually was eleven hours. I would not leave the recliner until my main man Aaron Rodgers got picked. I like Ricky Williams, dislike Terrell Owens, and think Randy Moss will be bad-to-the-bone in Silver and Black, no matter who throws it to him. I'm trying to like Manning and Brady like I loved Favre and Elway, and I want to believe the Bengals will make the playoffs this year, though I ought to know better.
But that's not the problem. I still don't care. Really, I've been having this problem for years; when push comes to shove, I don't care about the NFL.
Now this may come as a shock to all of you, but each of the last three years, I've missed the first half of the Super Bowl. That's right, I've missed it... no pre-game parties, no chips n' salsa, no beer or no soda, no commercials, nada. And I don't care at all. Not a lick. Not even a smidge. I actually had an opinion about last year's game, since I liked the Eagles and McNabb, but even then, it wasn't enough to get me to avoid attending my late night church service.
Now I'm not trying to come off as a zealot with that last sentence. I just don't care anymore. Gone are the days when I could be enamored with the idea of seeing two teams that I couldn't give two cares for show off in a publicized game. And since I don't care about the Super Bowl, I have a hard time caring about the NFL, who proudly proclaims that the whole point of playing the season is for the Big Game.
Now, we've had one good Super Bowl these last 3 years, one OK Super Bowl, and one bad Super Bowl. But there's been a common theme: nobody outside the respective regions the teams play in cares. Nobody. I could walk up to someone on the street right now and ask them if they're a Pats fan and chances are they wouldn't have a clue. Same with the Bucs. The Panthers? Forget about it. We've seen two traditional teams (Oakland and Philly) get outplayed, and if the Patriots happen to make it again ________ (insert NFC team here) will probably get outplayed too. And we'll have to pretend that the Pats are now a dynasty and we'll give them all cookies and we'll try to overlook the fact that we don't care.
Oh, I know everybody will take offense to this, but tell me one thing: How many of you can honestly say you lived and died with any of the last few "Big Games"? And after that, doesn't that make the NFL mean just a little bit less every year? I know it does for me.
So give me a reason to care again. Give me players that pump up the stats in the regular and the postseason. Give me arrogance and arrogant players in commercials; give me someone to hate who doesn't act like he's 12. Give me a better story than T.O. and Ricky; give me an underdog or tradition. And for crying out loud, let's make this Super Bowl thing matter again.
posted by mike at 11:59 PM
2 Comments:
Mike, I wish that I could give you a reason to care about the NFL, but mostly I'm just relieved that somebody said it. The truth is that they are all professional athletes and there are never any real underdogs. All the rivalries are manufactured, even if the games aren't. (and you can't prove to me they aren't rigged, especially after watching this year's NBA playoffs.) But, I digress. The super bowl is a farce, and I can’t think of a reason in the world that you should have any investment in it at all. Maybe one of these other guys will find a player to champion the league for both of us, but right now I am just as disillusioned as you are.
It is difficult to rig NFL games, but really, who would care? Like you, I can't name five good NFL rivalries. All the ones I can think of regional only; they don't polarize the country like baseball's do, or to a lesser extent, the NBA.
Nevertheless, here are my Top 10 NFL Rivalries (in order)
1) Green Bay vs. Minnesota
Both are normally good, and there are always rabid fans at these games.
2) NY Giants vs. Philadelphia
I think this one's supposed to be important, but I'm not sure if it actually is.
3) Indianapolis vs. New England
Manning vs. Brady is what's compelling here.
4) Green Bay vs. Chicago
Again, tradition and Brett Favre dictate this baby.
5) Washington vs. Dallas
This one could arguably be at the top, but it's fallen off recently.
6) NY Giants vs. Washington
Well, people love them 'Skins, I reckon.
7) Miami vs. New England
I swear this one used to be huge when Bledsoe took on Marino.
8) Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
This one gets pushed down the list because Cleveland perenially sucks.
9) Denver vs. Kansas City
If you doubt me, you'd be surprised.
10) Indianapolis vs. Tennessee or Oakland vs. Denver
It's a tie here, one is budding, the other is big but fading.
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