I want to see Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski carry the football and two Dolphins defenders into the end zone Sunday. I want to hear that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 198 yards and that the Browns replaced starting quarterback Brian Hoyer with rookie Johnny Manziel.
Week 1 of the NFL season is here. Somehow the anticipation was upstaged by Commissioner Roger Goodell being too busy repairing or polishing his image and the league that pays him.
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Listening to Judge Roger sermonizing about social issues is like listening to Judge Judy without the wisecracks.
Play the games already. I want to watch Texans rookie and No. 1 draft pick Jadevon Clowney and J.J. Watt chase Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III. And imagine the Patriots with just half that pass rush.
Pete Carroll got his Seahawks ready to beat the Packers on Thursday night to begin Week 1. That win added fuel to the debate: Can the Seahawks get back to the Super Bowl and repeat as champions? No team has done that since the Patriots in 2004 and 2005, but you already knew that.
I want to see if Giants quarterback Eli Manning can again become a Super Bowl quarterback after a disappointing 2013. And if the Raiders’ rookie QB Derek Carr can play better than older brother David, and become Peyton and Eli Manning Light.
I don’t need to hear Goodell talk tough on domestic abuse by his players after talking soft on the Ray Rice affair. Be tough. Act tough.
Yes, this was the offseason of suspensions from Colts owner Jim Irsay and his OUI and possession and controlled substances charges to Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon and his second failed drug test. Former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount made you stand up and cheer late last season, then got caught with some weed along with a younger Steelers teammate.
Didn’t Blount know he wasn’t back in marijuana-legal Colorado for the AFC championship game?
I want to hear more about moving PAT attempts to the 15-yard line after the preseason experiment. That impacts the game itself. I don’t need to hear more about adding another game to the regular season or putting a franchise in London, Berlin or elsewhere in Europe.
I want to learn that the NFL is doing better on the concussion front and taking care of its wounded warriors. I worry about former Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who got concussed again. He should enjoy the rest of his life and not worry about his next headache.
After tuning out Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, I’m tuning in. His comment this summer on the NFL’s quest for more exposure, more money, rang true. “When pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” I’ll buy that T-shirt.
Michael Sam was cut by the St. Louis Rams and the talk is the NFL asked other teams to give the rookie defensive end a chance. Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys did, signing him to their practice squad. Since when does the league need to step up for a young player? Since he’s gay.
Don’t have a problem with that. Rolling back homophobia in locker rooms needs a push.
I wonder: If Sam had the skill of Clowney, would this be an issue? Don’t think so.
Washington’s nickname still lives. I love Iron Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach turned talking head commentator. I hate it when he went tone-deaf this summer by saying an honored nickname is under siege by the polticially correct police.
The nickname honors the white men who gave a historic NFL franchise its identity. The name slaps at the hurt endured by Native Americans who never had a Martin Luther King or Jesse Jackson to speak for them. I want to hear that the nickname has been changed. I can wait until next offseason.
Week 1 is here and not a moment too soon. Last September and October belonged to the Red Sox. This looks like a Patriots autumn.
Don’t know about your fantasy football league, but I kept Tom Brady from my championship- winning team. Added the Patriots’ Aaron Dobson, too.
It’s time to watch them play.
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