"Hey Dez Bryant, Could you try to suck a little less this week? I'd be nice to at least have a .500 record in fantasy football."
Anyway, seeing as how I have exhausted all other means of enjoying the NFL, and clinging stubbornly to the belief that my many college papers will write themselves if left alone long enough, I've decided to blog about some of the key story lines that I love or hate halfway through the season.
"So apparently term papers don't write themselves. Fffff..."
Things I Love
1. We Have a Season!
A few years ago, the reality of the NFL may have seemed like a given. However, entering this season, a labor dispute and lockout threatened to shorten/cancel the 2011-2012 season. Ultimately, there was too much revenue to be lost for the players and owners to not form a new labor agreement, and America's favorite sport was saved. NFL fans should consider themselves lucky; the NBA is currently locked into a similar labor dispute. The NBA lockout has erupted into an all out war characterized by an already shortened season and allegations that Commissioner Stern is a racist. And what lofty goals are the players vehemently fighting for? An additional 2% of revenue sharing.
America, as you grab an absurd amount of food and plop down on your various couches and recliners this Thanksgiving, take a moment to savor the reality that we were "this close" to having to watch parades over the NFL.
If there ever was a first-world problem...
2. Bad Teams are Magically Good this Year
Although the company line of all major sports leagues is that every franchise is just a few good draft picks/ free agent signings from becoming competitive, a few teams usually dominate the majority of a league's playoff spots. Of course there are always some exceptions, but generally teams like the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, Chargers, Colts, Packers, Saints dominate. The Bills, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, 49ers, Texans or Lions? Not so much. Yet this year, every single one of these teams except the Browns would make the playoffs if the season ended today.
"Let's not get carried away. They are still the Browns."
Parity in the NFL is a good thing; as a Jets fan, I appreciate the hope these normally cursed franchises are bringing their newly energized fan bases. Someday, maybe...
"Lets not get carried away. They are still the Jets."
3. The Once-in-a-Lifetime Moments Sports Provide
Although this point doesn't just apply to the NFL, its worth bringing up. From Super Bowl III to the Giants upset of the Patriots, the NFL has given its fans many moments to nervously stare at the tv and make threats ("They'd better freakin convert this." or "He better make this damn field goal."), to shout with victory and assert their respective team's greatness, or, heaven forbid, to collapse in agony and throw things.
Ultimately, however, its not the big wins or big losses that most fans remember best. Rather, its the moments that transcend the sport that best stick with us. This year, I will have the opportunity to travel to Metlife Stadium with two of my oldest friends to watch the Jets take on the Giants. There will be friends, football, utter chaos, and beer. I would never ask for anything more, although a win would be awesome.
"Oh...right. Never mind."
Things I Hate
1. The Incessant Tim Tebow Bashing
I fully understand that Tim Tebow is a controversial figure and an unpolished quarterback at best, but sports analysts really need to find someone else to talk about. Every day, I log onto nfl.com or tune into ESPN to find some new "expert" discussing how Tebow will never be even an average quarterback and is a horrible person for being drafted and trying to play professional football. From Merril Hoge's initial attacks to declarations that he is the worst quarterback in the NFL to an arrogant assertion that no possible NFL offense could be customized enough for Tebow to succeed, the Tebow criticism is getting rather absurd.
First of all, as much as everyone can think Tebow will not succeed in the NFL, no one can be positively certain that Tebow will not someday be a passable or even a good NFL quarterback.
Humor me and compare the following numbers...
QB #1: 56.7 % completion percentage/ 26 TD/ 28 INT/ 71.2 Rating
QB#2: 48.1% completion percentage/ 9 TD/ 4 INT/ 78.7 Rating
Quarterback #1 was Peyton Manning through his first 16 games; Quarterback #2 is Tim Tebow through his 14 games. Obviously I'm not arguing that Tim Tebow will be the next Peyton Manning or that he will even be a good quarterback; I'm just saying that critics were just as convinced that Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russel were can't-miss prospects as they are that Tebow is destined to fail.
"How'd those predictions work out?"
2. The Lions
This year, the Lions have been quite the impressive team. After having yet another futile season last year, the Lions are currently 5-2 and in the position to make the playoffs as a wild card. Even more impressive than the Lions success on the field, however, is their incredible arrogant and obnoxious behavior both on and off the field. It all started with their head coach Jim Schwartz's near altercation with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh following a tough Lions loss. Of course, its tough to know who said what or who baited who, so I didn't give the incident that much thought.
Following the Lions-Falcons game, however, Falcons players claimed that Lions star defensive tackle Suh and fellow Lions d-lineman Avril were mocking injured Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan as he lay on the ground. Just in case some Lions fans might be inclined to question the reliability of Falcons players, Suh remarked after the game that Matt Ryan's injury was "karma" due to the dirty play of Falcons' players.
Want one final piece of evidence, Lions fans? During the Lions massacre of the Broncos, two gloating Lions players mocked Tim Tebow's prayer pose by "Tebowing" (striking a prayer pose) following a touchdown reception and a Tim Tebow sack. Whatever you think about Tebow's ability to play football or his personal beliefs, excessive celebrations centered around mocking someone's religious beliefs are crude and tasteless.
So there you have it, Lions. Your franchise somehow took all the good will that I felt for you and your underdog story and completely destroyed it in half a season. That level of dickishness is even more impressive than your accomplishments on the field this year. All I can say is I'm looking forward to the Lions-Packers matchup this Thanksgiving. If anyone can teach the Lions some humility, it will be Aaron Rodgers. He already did for Ben Roethlisberger in the last Super Bowl.
"You might even say he 'rapes' defenses, aye Steelers?"
So there you have it. It took longer than initially expected, but this concludes my discussion of the best and the worst of the first half of the NFL season. Hmmm...what time is it? After midnight? Fantastic, it looks like this night is shot as far as work goes. So yeah, ESPN, I'd love that fallback job offer now.
