The sky was falling. At one point this summer the NFL had created contingency plans for a shortened season in case a new collective bargaining agreement with the player’s union was not completed. Every day in the off season while discussions occurred, various talking heads breathlessly harped on and on and on about every conceivable doomsday scenario and blamed everyone and everything for the presumptive lack of professional football. One NFL player predicted widespread violence while another (who, according to his own words in a recent ESPN magazine issue still doesn’t understand why what he said was uncouth and unlikely to endear him to most anyone) compared the plight of him and his fellow players to SLAVERY!?
In the end, at what was effectively the last minute before actually needing that contingency plan agreement was reached. When it was announced there were some players still talking trash (some people just can’t help themselves), probably because it’s harder to obtain agreement from 1600 players than 32 owners. After the tantrums were calmed the deal was signed and a week later a flurry of personnel activity because of an accelerated free agent and trading period caused widespread overdoses of joy from a once nervous public and punditry.
Tonight the preseason starts and the Broncos face the Cowboys in Dallas. The only thing better would be if the Denver affiliate finally broke down and invested in High Definition (I’ve been complaining about this for years); instead I’m forced to watch the Cowboy’s broadcast and their insufferable announcers. That’s what mute buttons are for I suppose. In summation, football’s back and that’s awesome. Go Broncos.
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