Football is Back, Now What to Do! July 25, 2011

Thank goodness, it's over!

I think President Obama said it best: "How can owners, who are each worth nearly a billion dollars, and players, who are almost all millionares, have a work stoppage over money?"

One of the best things he's ever said, in my opinion.

And here we are, 132 days after March 11, when the last labor agreement expired, and everybody's finally talking about getting football going again. Now James Harrison will have to face up to his teammates after his direct call-outs of QB Ben Roethlisberger and RB Rashard Mendenhall in a Men's Journal interview, Chad Ochocinco had stop playing soccer and riding bulls, Peyton Manning and Terrell Owens can get on the recovery train after injuries and surgeries, the New York Jets can start trying to lend outspoken head coach Rex Ryan some legitimacy after he declared that this was the year--the Jets really were going to win the Super Bowl.

I haven't been too into sports lately, what with my family and my favorite baseball team-the Baltimore Orioles-in the pits after an offseason of optimism, pro and college basketball over, pro Hockey over, and no big tennis tournaments in immediate site. I watched the second half, overtime periods, and penalty shootout of the Women's World Cup, and was, like many, sorely disappointed when the USA women basically fell over and died in the latter, losing the shootout 3-1.

I haven't been too into sports lately, but I'm glad football's back on the slate. It wasn't until the Super Bowl this past year when I went "ya know, I should request off-work on Sundays..." Not just for the football, mind you, but for church-related functions as well; you know how it is. But yeah. I used to start work at 1 p.m., so, at best, I'd catch some pregame clatter and maybe the end of the night game. Now I'll be able to really watch, assuming my work/living situation doesn't drastically change anytime soon.

Note: In all the hoopla over the players agreeing to the owner's tentative proposal and whatnot, I haven't heard anything about changing the schedule from 16 regular-season games to 18. I hope that isn't a coincidence; i.e., I hope they don't change it. I can't imagine the injuries that would result from two more games squeaked out just for the sake of several-million more dollars.

So, what now? Players go to training camp, then into preseason games, and then it all starts again. Ben Roethlisberger should be able to start this season at the beginning-as opposed to last year, when he missed the first four games with a suspension-and he'll do so this year as a) a married man, and b) a first-time Super Bowl loser. Carson Palmer's been whining and whining that he wants out of Cincinnati; will he retire or will Cincinnati let him go first? Will Cam Newton make any difference to a hopelessly-beleagured Carolina Panthers club? Has defending unaminous league MVP Tom Brady cut his hair at all, or, in fact, done anything with it?

I'm glad football's back, even though it technically doesn't start-to the garden-variety fan-until mid-to-late August. I'll look forward to Sunday afternoons, chilling, with a cold drink nearby, reclined, and watching grown men in helmets pound into each other. Sounds worthwhile, right?