If you've read this column over the past 14 years, you know that I despise the preseason. It's pretend football sold at retail prices, it's a distraction for fantasy players and it's an unnecessary month we have to endure to get to the real games. If the Canadian Football League has figured out that two games is enough practice, the NFL should be able to follow suit. With state-of-the-art practice facilities and training camps -- not to mention joint practices with other teams -- coaches don't need four simulated games to evaluate talent.
With that being said, I can't wait for the pre-season this year!
Have I changed (or lost) my mind? Not at all. I'm actually looking forward to the preseason, and I have good reasons for doing so:
- Enough non-football "football" talk. It's not just Aaron Hernandez. It's the Tim Tebow updates, the daily RG III rehab diary, and now even the Riley Cooper apology tour. Even if there's very little to talk about, the media will "report" on things all through the off-season. At least with the preseason, there's something resembling actual football.
- Too many injuries. Normally I take a different tack, but I'm hoping that the preseason might help reduce the number of injuries we've seen. After seeing Connor Barth, Jeremy Maclin and Dennis Pitta all out for the year (no PUP, no head games from coaches, no team spin) it's time to protect players before major stars get hurt. And what better way to protect players than the preseason? The best players might play a series or two, or skip it entirely. Maybe that third week is the one where you have to hold your breath, and that's not even a full game. You won't see a lot of good players playing in the preseason, and I'm trying to see the silver lining in that.
- My opponents will be watching. Hey, if my fellow owners want to feel like NFL scouts watching "game film" of a fourth-string back shred a defense made of future insurance agents, have at it. I hope they remember how unimpressive the good players were (whose jobs are secure) and how amazing those deep-bench backups looked (who want to make the team). Are they worth a roster spot on draft day? Sure they are! In fact, half my opponents' rosters can be preseason superstars. I don't care. I'll happily draft actual depth and let them search for a needle in a haystack.
Even if they find one, I'll still come out ahead. It won't make up for all those elevated projections and roster spots wasted on clip-board holders because of how great they looked in the fourth quarter of pretend football games. The more they watch, the better off I am.
So the preseason is almost here, and I'm ready to absorb the media obsession with scores that don't count, stats that mean nothing and players who won't be in the league by Labor Day. If it means getting rid of some distractions and gaining a subliminal competitive advantage, let's do it! Bring on Miami and Dallas, and let them celebrate the Hall of Fame by showcasing players who will never be make it there without a ticket. Pretend Game On!
Youtube Clip of the Week: I have to admit, this was a pretty entertaining play from a previous Hall of Fame game.