Can't do that this year. Not because I don't want to, but there are too many damn variables in the mix.
- Year Three of the #NFLBoycott plus recent developments is not going to make NFL Fan a very happy camper, especially if it's a White one of at least middle class. Today, we find out Colin Kaepernick is the new spokeperson for Nike's "Just Do It" campaign. With the NFL losing ratings and under significant pressure to end the protests by any means possible or necessary, one does have to wonder if names and numbers are going to be taken -- with, when it's politically expedient, teams screwed over, above or below the table, for protesting their treatment in the world.
- And speaking of screwing over, I don't think I need to go into three major ways that the NFL is going to use new rules to manipulate the outcomes of games. The first two are obvious, the first one being the new helmet rule. It is clear that many players went into the preseason willing to only survive to the regular season, one has to look at the first two weeks of the preseason, where 50 of those calls were made, over half should've been ejections, and only one player was tossed... One really has to wonder WHEN the rule will be so selectively enforced as to determine the outcome of a contest.
- The second is the Aaron Rodgers "you can't put your weight on a quarterback" Rule. The quarterback sack is now illegal in the NFL, and the rule will only be enforced when it benefits given teams and superstar/marketable players.
- The third is not so obvious, but, if actually enforced and used, you will see at least ten minutes packed onto every game. It's the new rule which allows a New York supervising official to buzz the official to throw a player out of the game for a non-football act. There were several significant melees in the NFL last year, and one can imagine how long it would have to take New York to sort those things out. On top of that, if they buzz them, the refs MUST toss them.
- If Aaron Rodgers is healthy and lasts the year, Green Bay wins the NFC North and Minnesota misses the playoffs. On top of the marketability factor of Rodgers and the fact that, even though many experts believe Minnesota has the deepest team in the NFL, none of them are marketable... I point you to two weeks of the preseason: The insane penalty and fine for Antwoine Williams in Week 2 of the preseason, followed by a more blatant hit which would've qualified more under the new rule against Kirk Cousins in Week 3.
- The biggest mystery of the year will be the Oakland Raiders. What they have done with this Khalil Mack trade is basically rolled the dice about it being Gruden's team at all cost. It could only be clear that, at some point in the equation, it was made clear Mack would never play for Gruden -- but, in so doing, he may have utterly destroyed Las Vegas' investment in this team.
- A very real argument for a new-stadium based LA vs. LA Super Bowl can be made. I've heard a lot of talk on the Chargers the last several weeks, Street and Smith's actually picked the Rams to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl this year. We already know that, lacking another option, the Brian Tuohy argument that a new stadium can beget a Super Bowl berth (which see Atlanta two years ago) can be made, and these are the two most logical situations.
- Though Tom Brady would appear to benefit most in the AFC from a lot of this chicanery, I think the storm clouds may have to either clear or be covered up before we can be 100% sure. Brady's still deflecting talk on Alex Guerrero and TB12, and one of Guerrero's former charges has been suspended for violating the drug policy. How far New England goes this year depends on how much digging people want to do and what they find if they are allowed to do so. Do I think Tom Brady is in violation of the drug policy? Given his history and everyone's recalcitrance to talk about Guerrero and TB12, I say yes!
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