Thursday, September 4, 2014

Time to break out the NFL thongs!

Football season is here, people. And I, for one, even though I don't think either of my football teams -- the New York Giants and the New York Jets (both of New Jersey) -- stands a shot, IMHO, of making the playoffs this year, am very excited.  (Hey, if you were a Mets fan, you'd be pumped for football season, too.)

Actual husband-wife conversation:

The spouse: So when are you going to do Fantasy Football?

Me: What do you mean? I participate every year... by rooting for the Jets.

I've actually thought about entering a Fantasy Football league, but I don't have the energy or patience to follow multiple players from multiple teams in multiple time zones. Following players on the NY Giants and NY Jets is hard enough. And the rate that football players get injured these days, I'd have to constantly fiddle with my roster (which is not a euphemism for something dirty).

Btw, for those of you thinking, "J., how can you root for both the Giants and the Jets? What's up with that? I thought New Yorkers had to pick a team." I was originally a Giants fan. Even watched them when we lived in Chicagoland (where we also rooted for the Green Bay Packers, instead of the Bears, and were really into the Northwestern Wildcats).

But when we moved back to the Tri-State Area, I somehow got into the Jets (during the Chad Pennington era). And I rooted hard for them when they drafted Mark Sanchez. (Not because Mark Sanchez is cute, or because it meant I could include this photo of him from GQ, though...)

But then Jets ownership effed things up by signing Tim Tebow, instead of giving Sanchez the offensive support he desperately needed, and hiring the wrong offensive coach(es)/coordinator(s). And suddenly Ringling Brothers wasn't the only circus in town. And I was less than thrilled when the Jets then drafted Geno Smith. He might become an okay NFL quarterback, but I don't see Geno Smith taking the Jets to the Super Bowl. 

Not that I'm thrilled with the Giants, or Eli Manning, either. Even though, yes, honey, I know: Eli took the Giants to two Super Bowls, and won both, I am not a big Eli fan. Just don't think he's an elite quarterback, though I do think he comes through in the clutch (unlike David Wright) and has made some great plays. But the Giants offense, and defense, and secondary are all question marks this year (at least to me). And everyone, or the various football analysts or pundits, it seems, is picking the Philadelphia Eagles to win the NFC East this year. (Ugh. Though the spouse would rather have the Eagles win the division over Jerry Jones's Dallas Cowboys.)

Anyway, here's to the New York Jets and New York Giants defying my expectations -- and to Mark Sanchez getting a starting quarterback position somewhere (though please not on the Eagles).

So, who are all of you rooting for this season?

1 comment:

Dave S. said...

I will continue to support the only actual New York team, which appears for the moment to have avoided becoming the second actual Toronto team. Said actual team actually won a game, so we've got that going for us. Pass the wings!

As for the NFC East, I think it's not so much Philadelphia winning as the other three losing, in two cases possibly spectacularly. So congratulations, the Giants will come in second.