Greetings fellow Giants fans. It's fodder time and it's the first NFL football weekend of the 2012 season....
The Washington Post reports that despite a few huge black eyes during the offseason (Bountygate, former player lawsuits, replacement refs, Brett Favre still staying retired), the sport is still vastly popular and even increasing in popularity. Roger Goodell says (on the inside), "Suck on that!"
Bud Light is supposedly "stepping up its sponsorship efforts" with the NFL. All I know is their commercials are always freaking hilarious, so I hope that doesn't change. Side note-do any of you remember the one with the geeky guy in the limo who says he's the doctor to be picked up at the airport? "You're Doctor Galazkiewicz?" "Yes I am!" Wait, I just found it! Classic.
Interesting predictions here. The guy likes the Giants to win the division with the Eagles and Cowboys being shut out again. Yeah, nothing wrong with that! But he likes the Falcons to win it all? Um, dude, you just lost all your credibility.
Despite the refs not being awful on Wednesday except for missing that PI call against Victor Cruz, you know there is the potential for disaster on Sunday with thirteen games on the schedule. Here are some complaints from players and fans, and it's mind-blowing to me that this isn't resolved yet.
Does this news about brain injuries ever get better? Will it? I don't like writing about it, but it's not going away and it's a serious problem.
This kind of scares me. I thought we weren't going to talk about labor for 10 years.
Is it just me, or does it seem antiquated that playbooks are not all digital in 2012?
As we get ready to start the season, the Saints have a lot of turmoil surrounding them, and the city was just ravaged, though not like Katrina, by another hurricane. Part of me thinks they will suffer a bit, but part of me thinks they will be just fine too. Spags is there now, not Mr. Bounty, Gregg Williams. As long as they still have that Bubble Gum Dragon in their playbook, they will be fine, right?
Guys, I saw Russell Wilson play in college here in Wisconsin. He doesn't suck. It's really no surprise to me that he beat out Matt Flynn for the starting gig in Seattle, and it should be interesting to see how he fares in the regular season.
Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo spoke out in support of same-sex marriage this week, and Maryland state delegate Emmert C. Burns, Jr. told Ravens owner Steve Biscotti that he should put a muzzle on his linebacker. Wow. Way to ignore free speech, Burnsey. But what blows my mind is that the guy is a Democrat. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe got in on the act, supporting Ayanbadejo on Friday.
Kyle Turley is in an "outlaw country" band if you're looking for him these days. The guy sure looks like a badass outlaw in his promo shot.
RIP Art Modell. I lived in Cleveland in the ‘90's, and believe me when I tell you guys it was a dark day when Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore, leaving Cleveland with no team until they were awarded an expansion team in 1999. My band wrote a song called "Uncle Artie" that was played on a major radio station in Cleveland before the new Browns played the Ravens in 1999. Anyway, Modell was controversial but he was also a pioneer who supported NFL expansion early on.
Happy Football Season everyone. I know it sucks that the Giants lost on Wednesday, but I am looking forward to watching all the games on Sunday Ticket tomorrow, with two more games on Monday night.