As another football season closes (and the new one not far off) I like to take stock and see what I learned. Hopefully you learned some things as well. Here’s my list:
I learned that I was wrong about Sam Darnold. I was convinced he was a guy who could flourish in a system but wilted under the pressure of a big game. But that was last season. He's proven he can step up when it matters. In a quarterback class that included Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, it was Darnold who not only reached a Super Bowl first, but won it. He didn’t exactly tear up the stat sheet, but he did enough. Congratulations to Darnold and Seattle. They earned it.
I learned that well-run franchises find themselves in good positions year after year. New England didn’t fail to show up at the Super Bowl. They showed up a couple years ahead of schedule. Not that anybody would ever feel badly for the Patriots, but nobody should. They could get better before they get worse.
I learned that the Super Bowl can really bring people together. I don't mean the contest or any musical performances. I mean the near-universal disdain for the kickoff system. It's sterile, boring, and makes onside kicks even more telegraphed and awkward. When the president called it "ridiculous" on social media, even the millions of people who can't stand the guy probably agreed. The data regarding concussion reduction has been mixed, and it doesn't enhance the game in any way. Something has to change, but for now at least we can agree on this issue (though I have a feeling I’ll be wrong about this one).
I learned that the NFL sure got over its concerns over gambling. Did we go five minutes on Sunday without being bombarded by parlay bonus offers and sign-up credits? Spend your money however you want, but there’s a reason they want yours so badly. Odds are you’re not getting it back.
I learned that the Puppy Bowl isn’t as fun as it used to be. It knows it’s popular and has become full of sponsorships, in-game ads and a slew of commercials. It’s still cute, but it’s not the same to me. And this realization probably bothers me more than it should.
I learned that I miss seeing the the most-anticipated movie trailers at the Super Bowl. There were some interesting ones, but no Mandalorian, Spider-Man or Avengers? Instead we got a couple of memorable commercials, especially the creepy de-aged sitcom thing from Dunkin' Donuts. Am I just getting older, or are these things getting worse?
I learned that the Pro Football Hall of Fame is becoming as silly as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which somehow kept KISS out for decades. It should be a felony that Bill Belichick wasn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He won six titles as a head coach, two more as an assistant, was named Coach of the Year three different times, named to the all-decade team in two different decades as well as the league's 100th anniversary team and he's going to wait another year? Absurd. Ditto Robert Kraft. I wonder if Tom Brady will have to wait as well.
I learned that a strong start means absolutely nothing in fantasy football. I knew that, but I seem to need a refresher each year. Managers with Mayfield and Egbuka the first few weeks of the season thought they had ripped off the league with a genius draft. A lot of those managers ended up missing the playoffs. You can never assume your great players will stay great all season.
I learned (first hand) that Courtland Sutton is very talented but drops a lot of passes. Around one out of every nine, including at least one that cost me a game. On the bright side, he did fine in the Pro Bowl flag football game. So that's nice.
I learned that eventually, the game of football passes you by. Pete Carroll had an amazing run as both a college and professional coach. His 97-19 record at USC included back-to-back national championships. And he would have had back-to-back Super Bowl titles with the Seahawks except, well, you know.
Carroll was let go by Seattle and now everyone can see it was the right move. And the Raiders followed suit after a disastrous 2025 campaign. Could the 74-year-old coach latch on somewhere in the college ranks? Probably. But ask Bill Belichick about that kind of decision. Carroll should call it a career and be proud of his impressive accomplishments.
Finally, I also learned that whether the game of fantasy football passes you by or not, you'll always have a home. The day your season ended, your imaginary contract was renewed. Not bad, right? No matter how your year went, another one is on its way. So enjoy the Winter Olympics (check out curling), watch some hockey, spend time with your family and I’ll see you in the summertime.
What did you learn this past season? What did you think about the playoffs and the Super Bowl? Would you have voted Belichick into the Hall of Fame? Share your thoughts below.
