At least in America we feel like we have 4 big sports, basketball, baseball, football, and hockey. In recent years hockey has dropped out of the public conscience and as much as soccer is trying to be forced on us, and some people still question if Nascar is a sport (I'm not going to question that) and Tiger Woods has seemingly left golf, only to appear 4 times a year, just at the majors, we are essentially left with 3 major sports. I've said many times on this blog as well as to tons of people that I feel the way about the NBA that most people feel about the NFL. I'm a Lakers fan, a Die-Hard Lakers fan, when they lose a regular season game, I don't sleep well, its a problem and I'm aware of it, and then there is baseball, another sport I really like, as a young kid, maybe 6 months to a year, I was told by my mother and father that I was a Yankee fan, a great pick as far as I'm concerned. While having a rooting interest or a favorite team can make the games more dramatic and more entertaining, the agony of defeat is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow, especially if you're a fan of the Lakers and the Yankees, two teams expected to win every season.
But then there is the NFL, and I'm a Jets fan, I root for them, but unlike the Lakers for example, I don't watch every single play of every single game, if the Jets lose (and up until recently that was happening a lot) I don't lose sleep, and while me following the Jets more casually than I do the Lakers or Yankees makes the games a little less entertaining or dramatic there's a lot to like about it, other than messing with my sleep.
The biggest thing is I'm allowed to root for other teams, I have so many other teams I root for in the NFL, some are even hated rivals, but I like both teams. I really like the Falcons, I live close to the Atlanta area, and have a lot of friends that are Big-Time Falcons fans, but at the same time, both my brother and brother in-law are colossal Saints fans, and as a result I pull for them too. Its really cool to have other teams that I really like, while maybe it takes away from the dramatics of the one Jet game, it makes almost every other game more interesting because I have so many other teams that I like.
My List of Favorite NFL Teams (in no particular order, except for no.1)
1. New York Jets
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Chicago Bears (my sister knows more about the Bears and football than I do, she loves her Bears)
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Philadelphia Eagles (say what you will, but I'm a big Vick fan)
6. Washington Redskins (spent a lot of time in the Norfolk area where every Redskin game was televised)
7. Cleveland Browns (ever since Cleveland's rightful Super Bowl went to Baltimore I've had a rooting interest in the Browns)
Another reason I like the NFL, I'm allowed to wear other teams jerseys. I have a rather large collection of jerseys, and while you wouldn't catch me wearing anything but a Lakers jersey (except for when I lost a bet) or anything but a Yankees jersey, because to me both cases would be blasphemy, I have no problem wearing teams other than the Jets' jerseys, I have no clue why that is, other than I have so many other teams and players I like. While I have a lot of other players in the NBA I really like, I get to angry when the Lakers lose, I like Kevin Durant, I think he's the 2nd best player in the league next to Kobe, but if I ever got a Durant jersey I could see that thing being ripped apart if the Lakers were to lose to the Thunder in a playoff series or dramatically close regular season game, again, I know this is a problem. But there is something pretty cool about getting to wear another teams jersey, just because you like the player and not feel like you are committing a sin against your team.
NBA Jerseys
23 Lakers Jerseys
1 Bulls Jersey (I lost a bet)
MLB Jerseys
4 Yankees Jerseys
Football Jerseys
2 Jets (Sanchez and Farve)
2 Falcons (Deion Sanders and Vick)
1 Saints (Brees)
1 Bears (Peppers)
1 Eagles (Vick)
1 49ers (Jerry Rice)
1 Vikings (Randy Moss)
1 UGA (Knowshon Moreno)
1 Virginia Tech (Vick)
Clearly what that list tells you, I have a lot more variety of football jerseys than any other sport.
And the last reason I really like the NFL is I can look at it objectively, even when I try to take a step back from baseball or basketball and try to look at the leagues from an objective standpoint I just can't. I always think that the Lakers and Yankees are going to win every year, because I'm looking at my team threw rose-colored glasses, all I see is how great they are, and until someone beats them and officially ends their season I'm convinced they will win the World Series or NBA Finals. I don't have that problem with the NFL, and it has nothing to do with the Jets not winning a Super Bowl since Super Bowl III, its more that even though the Jets are my favorite team, I can still see them for what they are, and can look at the other teams just as I do the Jets, which means when I'm making my Super Bowl picks I'm normally closer than I am with the NBA or MLB, although I did not see the Packers winning at all last year, and I think few people saw that coming at the beginning of the season. If you ask me at the beginning of the NBA Season who I think will win the Finals, I will of course say the Lakers, in baseball I'll say the Yankees (two pretty safe bets every year) but in football, I don't have that problem, and can pick who I think will win the Super Bowl based off of what they did last season and in the off-season.
My Preseason Picks.
NFC Championship Game
New Orleans vs. Philadelphia
A lot of people forget just how banged up the Saints were almost all of last season, they are coming back healthy and rested as a result of an early exit from the playoffs last year due to compliance; losing a game to Seattle that they should have won easily. Philadelphia made more moves in the offseason than any other team, and they were all big moves, they have an All-Madden Team ready to go, but I don't think they will gel this season at least, I think they are a year away. I think the Saints beat the Eagles to go to the Super Bowl
AFC Championship Game
Pittsburgh vs. New England
Maybe not the most original choice, but think about it, the Steelers were the AFC Champ last year, they were a drive away from winning another Super Bowl but just couldn't follow through, and they didn't really lose anyone from last year. While the Eagles made all the big moves, the Patriots were making a lot of quality moves, of course they signed Ochocinco who I see pulling a Randy Moss and having an amazing resurgent season, they also stayed the same or got better at every position. I see the Pats coming out of the AFC
Super Bowl
New Orleans vs. New England
The Patriots teams of the last few years have been really good, they've just come up short, I don't see that happening this year with Belichick and Brady. I'm saying baring any injuries the Patriots are going to win the Super Bowl this year.
Of course I hope I'm wrong, I would like to see the Falcons vs. Jets Super Bowl with the Jets winning, but I can see the Jets for what they are, and this year I just don't think they are good enough, thats the problem with being objective.
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