Last weekend of NFL-less football. I know we are all chopping at the bits to watch our beloved CFB teams beat the breaks off of some no-name D1 (or FCS) team that was paid handsomely to be embarrassed. However, we have all been consumed with leaks, insider info, and various reports from Big J Journalism for the last several weeks. I, and many of us head cases around the world who call ourselves football fans, have had a long look in the mirror lately, and have asked “What are my expectations for the season?”.
Browns camp reporting has been more up and down than the S&P during the dot com bubble, Steelers reported QB drama, mid-tier WR’s getting shopped around the league, Jets camp in disarray over how much power Rodgers has. How do we temper our expectations going into a breakpoint year for a lot of our fandoms. There’s so many narratives. So much at stake.
May I remind you all that the only thing that is certain is that this league produces drama like none other. It’s so freaking hard to win an NFL game. The margins for error on each snap are thinner than my hair. This game is so violent that your teams best player can be sidelined for over a year with one hit (cc Browns vs Steelers, Nick Chubb game). Compound all of that with the dreaded turf monster and non-contact injuries which are somehow the scariest of all. I’d rather my QB get shot in the chest at mid field by Ray Lewis holding a 12-gauge than make a cut in the open field and fall to the ground despite no defenders being within 15 yards of him.
Dont cheer for narratives, be it my teams chance for a top 10 draft pick, or my teams chance to cement its status as a power house in the league. The game owes these players nothing. Players come and go. And the game certainly doesn’t owe us anything. Let go and let God, as they say. Enjoy this season for what it is: long awaited and beautiful. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. Table your expectations. If your team excels, awesome. If they suck, see all of the info above. This game brings us together better than bachelor parties do. Lets enjoy it.
